Windows Apps
Windows apps — also called Store apps, UWP apps or MSIX packages — are the modern app format of Windows 10 and 11. They are what you get from the Microsoft Store, and they are also what Microsoft and PC manufacturers preinstall on new machines.
They are shown in the list with the type Windows App.
Why they matter for a clean-up
Windows 11 includes a number of preinstalled apps, such as news, weather, games, and companion apps for Microsoft services. You can use O&O AppBuster to review these apps and remove the ones you do not need.
Many of them have no Uninstall entry in the Windows Apps & features page at all. O&O AppBuster can remove them anyway.
Removing Windows apps
Windows apps are the one category where you get a real choice of how far the removal reaches:
| Scope | Effect |
|---|---|
| Current user | Removed from your account. Other accounts keep it, and you can reinstall it. |
| All users | Removed from every account on this PC. |
| Entire PC — including files | Removed everywhere and the app's data folder is deleted from disk. |
Choose Entire PC when your goal is disk space, and Current user when you just do not want to see the app any more.
Getting them back
Because Windows keeps the package on the machine, removing a Windows app for your account is reversible. Switch on View → Show installable Windows apps and the app reappears with the status Installable — select it and click Install.
If you removed it with the Entire PC scope, the package may be gone from the machine as well. In that case, install it again from the Microsoft Store.
Related states
Windows apps can appear in the list in states other than plain installed:
Store
Type Store, status Installable. The app is registered on the computer but is not installed for your account. This is the normal state after you removed it for your account only.
Windows App (hidden)
Provisioned on the PC but never registered for your profile — Windows does not show these in the Start menu. See Hidden apps.
Staged app
Type Staged app, status Staged (not installed). The package files were unpacked onto the PC but no user account has the app installed. Staged packages are typically left behind by Windows updates or by manufacturer images. They occupy disk space and do nothing, so they are safe candidates for removal.
Microsoft apps
Many Windows apps are published by Microsoft, and on most PCs they make up the majority of the list. If you want to concentrate on third-party software, switch View → Show Microsoft apps off — the notice above the list will tell you how many apps are being hidden and let you bring them back with one click.
Note that "published by Microsoft" says nothing about whether an app is important. The Weather app and a core Windows component are both Microsoft apps; only the recommendation and the category tell you which is which.
What to be careful about
Most Windows apps are harmless to remove, but a few are more entangled with Windows than their name suggests:
- The Microsoft Store itself. Remove it and you have no straightforward way to install Store apps again.
- App Installer. This is what provides
winget. Removing it switches off O&O AppBuster's update feature. - Windows Terminal, Photos, Camera, Notepad. Technically Store apps, but part of how Windows is expected to behave. Removing them works; getting used to their absence may not.
- Manufacturer control apps. On laptops, the app that controls the keyboard backlight or a special key is often a Store app. Removing it can cost you hardware functionality.
O&O AppBuster recommends keep for anything it does not explicitly classify as disposable, which covers most of these cases. Read the recommendation before you confirm.
If you are unsure about an app, remove it with the Current user scope. If you miss it, install it again from O&O AppBuster — no Store visit needed.