How much of the software on your system do you regularly use? Chances are, there are programs the system manufacturer added before you bought it. A term for this type of program is Bloatware. However, you might have willingly installed something just as useless on your own.
Software that is never or rarely used can make your system more vulnerable to an attack. Almost every piece of software has a flaw of some type that is an entry point for a malicious user. Uninstalling that software removes any possiblity of exploiting those vulnerabilities.
So, first things first...what do you have installed on your computer? If you don't know, that's a good place to start. Since the majority of computers are running some version of Windows, this will be geared towards them. If you are running another OS from Apple or a *NIX variant, the methodology still applies but you'll need to do more research on the actual process.
To start off, you need to know what you're dealing with. In newer versions of Windows, you'll b looking for "Apps & Features", which is located in the Settings menu. The quickest way to access this menu is to click this icon:
Then click the All settings button:
In the Find a Setting text box, start typing "uninstall," and your search results will populate. Once you have results, select Programs and Features. Doing this will bring up a list of programs installed on your system.
Now you need to start looking through the list. What programs are on the list that you don't recognize? You can either make a list of what you don't know, or you can start researching them as you go down the list.
For instance, I have a program called ETDWare X64 15.7.0.1_WHQL published by ELAN Microelectronic Corp...no idea what this is!!!! Time to pull off some Google-Fu! When I start looking into this mysterious program, the first hits from Google are for a site called www.shouldiremoveit.com. According to this site, this is program that allows my laptop touch pad work. I don't think I'll be removing it.
I recommend that you keep moving down the list and research everything you don't recognize. Even if the program is legitimate, you might still not want it. My system came preinstalled with some trial versions of software I had no intention of using, such as movie or music players. These were some of the first programs to disappear from my system. I recommend you do the same thing, your computer will thank you.
REFERENCES:
https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST15-003
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2966113/windows-pcs/bloatware-what-it-is-and-how-to-get-rid-of-it.html
Thanks for the advise Cyber Schopp! So does the same apply to apps on my phone? Every time I go to remove an unused, preloaded app I get a warning message saying basically if I remove this app my phone will cease to exist on this plane of existence. What do I do??? Help me Cyber Schopp,you're my only hope!
ReplyDeleteMike,
DeleteI say remove them! If the pre installed Angry Birds app is that critical to the normal functionality of your phone, you might want to consider an upgrade. There are some apps that you might not know what they do, but research on them to make sure before removing them.