Belarc Advisor: List of Installed Software?

[Cycloid Torus]

I'm mystified. Belarc lists dozens of programs which I never installed, such as:

Adobe Systems - Shockwave Flash version 22,0,0,192 (32/64-bit)
Assigned by your organization - Work or school account
king - Candy Crush Soda Saga version 1.68.400.0
Microsoft - Get Office version 17.7031.23501.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft - Get Started version 3.5.11.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft - Groove Music version 3.6.20961.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft - Windows Shell Experience version 10.0.10586.0
Microsoft - Windows Spotlight version 10.0.10586.0
Microsoft - Windows Voice Recorder version 10.1605.1471.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft - WindowsDVDPlayer version 3.6.13291.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft - Wireless Display Media Viewer version 6.3.0.0
Microsoft - Xbox version 15.18.14017.0 (64-bit)
Microsoft - Xbox Game UI version 1000.10586.0.0
Microsoft - Xbox Identity Provider version 1000.10586.0.0
Microsoft Studios - Solitaire Collection version 3.9.5250.0 (64-bit)
Twitter - version 5.1.2.0


I think this must have come as part of the OS install.

Do I need all this dead weight? Is there a method for removing it safely?

Windows 10 Pro 64 bit

 

[cliffordcooley]

This is for anyone that says Windows 10 is not bloated.

 

[bazz2004]

I looked on mine and it has Candy Crush and Twitter installed. We've not installed or used these apps but I can't get worked up about it. They can be easily uninstalled via Control Panel and it's not likely to be making any significant difference to storage or performance. Voice recorder and DVD Player sound a very useful addition to me and removing them might give some problems. If they weren't there others would complain that they were being ripped off having to pay for third party apps. My only big issue with W10 is that the most recent Media Player is inferior to the WMP10 that I'm using with XP and there appear to be no plans to revise it.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

They can be easily uninstalled via Control Panel and it's not likely to be making any significant difference to storage or performance.

That is the other odd thing. They do not appear in "Programs and Features". Is this some kind of 'stealth' install? Or, is Belarc mistaken?

Maybe there is a new dimension to "Windows".

I am not a software guy, and this is not motivated by anything much more than curiosity. I would just like to know what is going on.

Thanks to all.

 

[bazz2004]

You are correct, they don't show up in the Remove programs list. Have a look in CCleaner though and they feature in the Uninstall section. Candy Crush is supposed to be a massive hit so including it as a free app was a sensible move.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Candy Crush is supposed to be a massive hit

It's been a massive hit for my spyware list the last 5+ years.

 

[bazz2004]

Like you I've never played it but I'm not going to start worrying about it.

 

[DelJo63]

Most of the Windows xyz entries are like Office 365 Starter, they're just stubs until you run it first time when the real install takes place, adding it to Programs & Features. Norton AV was like that too until Defender took over.

I don't see them as 'bloatware' as they're just installers (aka techy marketing) and retain little HD or registry resources.

 

[captaincranky]

Why on earth would anyone feel it necessary to remove, "Windows solitaire collection"? That's even included with XP. You can play it while you're waiting for the porn to finish downloading. Although I've never done that personally.

 

[DelJo63]

ABSOLUTELY, IMO for me, is the first thing upon installing a new OS is the delete ALL games.

 

[captaincranky]

ABSOLUTELY, IMO for me, is the first thing upon installing a new OS is the delete ALL games.

Is this intended to be exculpatory in nature? Sic, "I don't download porn, ergo I don't need solitaire".

(AFAIK, the games are turned off by default in Windows Pro anyway. It seems as futile as a grail quest to bother with removing them. After all, there's very little to gain in the way of HHD space, or potential performance improvement.).

Now yanking "Candy Crush", is an entirely different matter. But seriously, even Ubuntu comes with chess.

 

[DelJo63]

Is this intended to be exculpatory in nature? Sic, "I don't download porn, ergo I don't need solitaire".

More habitual... just stuff I don't need