How can I remove apps that Windows doesn't seem to allow to be uninstalled, like Xbox and Groove Music?
4 Answers
elevated Powershell command line
this command to get list of packages:
Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullName
Find package you want to remove
This command to remove package (Copy/Paste package name):
Remove-AppxPackage Microsoft.XboxApp_7.7.17003.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Caveat: During toying around, this does seem to remove the apps for the logged in user. They still existed for another user when I logged in as them. I'll toy around more and see if I can find a way to "ban" an app computer/network wide.
Edit 1: Furthmore, you can remove the ProvisionedPackages so that they don't get installed in the future:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Select DisplayName, PackageName
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2019.6.11821.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
Edit 2: Finally, you can do a "Bulk remove" to "scorched earth" Packages and Provisioned.
Just a warning: This will uninstall the Windows Store. That's not an issue for me, but uninstalling everything isn't for the faint of heart.
Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -online | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
It's probably wise not to completely remove the windows store. I haven't tried this yet, but this (in the comments) looks to be ballpark of what I'd use, to remove everything except Windows Store.
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | where-object {$_.name –notlike “*store*”} | Remove-AppxPackage
Get-appxprovisionedpackage –online | where-object {$_.packagename –notlike “*store*”} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online
Further resource: Delete Windows 10 Apps and Restore Default Windows 10 Apps
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Thanks, this works great!! If you want to do this network wide, drop it in a login script for a user or deploy via GPO.– StBladeCommented Sep 29, 2015 at 7:02
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You should almost never uninstall all the packages! For example, ShellExperienceHost manages the graphical interface. Uninstalling it will make the windows, task bar or start menu unusable. Commented Dec 9, 2016 at 10:01
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@AndreiB. This process (
getapp -... | RemoveApp
) removes Store "Apps". Not "Applications" or "Windows Features". That is most likely not an "App" - it's, if I'm not mistaken, a windows feature. This won't remove Office (an installed "Application" or XBox (an "App" marked "vital").– WernerCDCommented Dec 9, 2016 at 13:44 -
Also, "Important" store Apps won't get removed - with the exception of the Store (which is why the
where-object notlike store
is vital). I've been doing "uninstall all Apps" since shortly after I moved to 10 without issue (except for removing store by accident because, for some reason, it's not marked "vital")– WernerCDCommented Dec 9, 2016 at 13:48 -
@AndreiB. are you saying WernerCD's "Edit 2" command will make the windows, task bar or start menu unusable? Commented Mar 9, 2018 at 0:46
If you find same universal or provisioned apps are difficult to remove, try the GRID command in Powershell:
PowerShell Commands to Remove Apps in GridView
Just use Out-Gridview
to select which applications you want to remove.
Get-AppxPackage | Out-GridView -Passthru | Remove-AppXPackage
Keep in mind the above only removed the apps for the current user. To remove the apps from the computer for all users, run the following:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Out-GridView -PassThru | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online
This will display a grid of all installed apps. You can SELECT the apps (highlight in blue) you want to remove from the displayed list and click OK. Reboot.
(I found I could only delete a few apps at a time by repeating the above command and selecting a few each time I reran the command)
You can target specific Apps without knowledge of the entire Package name with wildcard filters.
For individual, per-user Packages:
Get-AppxPackage *bing* | Remove-AppxPackage
For "Provisioned" Packages, which Windows installs for every user:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object {$_.PackageName -like "*bing*"} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online
Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -online -PackageName Microsoft.ZuneMusic_2019.6.11821.0_neutral_~_8wekyb3d8bbwe
This is what will work for removing a single provisioned app.