FAQs about bloatware and how to remove them

Ever powered up a brand new laptop straight out of the box and realized that there are already a ton of apps installed that you know you’ll never use? That’s bloatware, and it’s a regular occurrence when purchasing new computers.
Superfish
In mid-2014, Lenovo users noticed that something was awry with their web browsers: banner ads were breaking webpage layouts and pop-ups were making surfing unpleasant.

When Pre-installed Apps Create Risks

Bloatware is generally considered harmless, but what about when these unnecessary apps turn into a security risk? A recent report shows that a pre-installed app in some versions of Windows 10 had an alarming plugin flaw:

Tavis Ormandy, a researcher from Google's Project Zero, recently discovered that a compromised password management app, Keeper, had been installed with some versions of Windows 10. For a brief period, Keeper's browser extension, when enabled, allowed websites to easily steal login credentials.