- Microsoft is switching a lot of pre-installed apps to FODs (Features on Demand).
- This means less space is taken by Windows after installation.
- It also makes it easier to remove unwanted pre-installed apps.
If you hate preinstalled apps and features on your brand new computer then you’ll love what Microsoft is doing with Windows 11.
Unlike previous versions of Windows, a lot of the apps, games, and promotional stuff that usually install together with the OS will now exist only as a link in the Start menu. No more Candy Crush Saga.
When you click on these items for the first time either by mistake or purposefully a small progress bar will show you the download and installation progress of that app. When I did install Windows 11 things like Netflix and Spotify were exactly that, links that start the installation procedure.
Uninstalling is just a matter of right-clicking and selecting Uninstall. It only takes a few seconds to get rid of all Start menu FODs and have a clean Windows install. That is before you install your own stuff.
These are called FODs (Features on Demand) and are detailed by Microsoft here. FODs reduce space occupied on disk and also mean you don’t have to deal with background updates and downloads for features you basically don’t use.
I like this approach and it’s a stark difference to what Android and iOS are doing, with a lot of preinstalled bloatware that you can’t even uninstall, being baked into the ROM of the devices.
That’s not to say Windows doesn’t come with tons of unwanted stuff, but it’s fairly easy to debloat Windows with a few clicks.
Anyway, Microsoft Features on Demand also includes Windows functionality like language packs and drivers, so it’s not reserved just for apps.
I for one like this approach and hope others take notice.
