5 Windows Apps That I

Key Takeaways

Microsoft Defender is good enough for cautious users, but I find myself opting for more feature-rich third-party tools.
Microsoft OneDrive and Edge are simply not good enough for me; I prefer Google Drive and Brave browser respectively.
The Xbox Game Bar has a cluttered interface and unreliable features; I’m familiar with Afterburner and OBS Studio already.
I can’t deal with the endless Windows updates causing unexpected reboots and BSODs; I’m willing to live dangerously.

I have a love-hate relationship with Windows. After using Windows on my PCs for over 24 years now, moving to something else is unthinkable. Like many of us, I’m just so used to it — for me, this is how PCs are supposed to look and work. But, at the same time, I don’t particularly like many aspects of the Windows platform, including annoying features, countless ads, and needless apps.

The latter is what I want to write about today. There are 5 Windows apps that I may have used in the past, but don’t find any use for anymore. On every single one of my builds, I keep them disabled or even uninstall them for good. You might be using some or all of these apps, and that’s totally fine, as they can be vital to your use case, maybe even indispensable. I’m a Windows user who likes to live dangerously, as you’ll see in some of my choices below.

6 things about Windows that still frustrate me every single day

Using Windows every day is still not enough for me to get used to its many frustrating aspects

5 Microsoft Defender

Defend me against Defender

Microsoft Defender, previously known as Windows Defender, is the built-in antivirus client in Windows and part of the Windows Security suite. When I moved to Windows 10 (which I still use on my primary PC), I happily used Defender for quite a few years. Prior to Windows 10, I was in the habit of using either AVG, Avast, or something else for my PC’s antivirus needs instead of Windows’ built-in tools.

I found myself gravitating back to third-party programs like Malwarebytes and Bitdefender which seemed simpler to use and offered more features than Defender.

But, Defender felt like it could take care of everything without me needing to install a third-party antivirus. I could run a virus scan, exclude folders and files from being monitored, and use a firewall all within Defender itself. But, after a while, I found myself gravitating back to third-party programs like Malwarebytes and Bitdefender which seemed simpler to use and offered more features than Defender.

I’ve realized it’s always better to have some extra protection instead of regretting it later.

I was even willing to pay for some premium features of these third-party tools, such as malware and phishing protection. Microsoft Defender is great for most users who are careful about their internet usage, but being the reckless user I am, I’ve realized it’s always better to have some extra protection instead of regretting it later.

1:27

Screenshot of the Windows Security app on Windows 11

How to disable Microsoft Defender in Windows 11

Microsoft Defender offers solid baseline protection against malware, but sometimes, you might want to disable it. Here’s how to do it.

4 Microsoft OneDrive

No thanks, Google Drive is good for me

OneDrive is something I used a lot when I was working a corporate job. Backing up my entire work laptop to OneDrive was something I didn’t have to think about, as it was a part of the policies of the company. But, on my personal computer, I stay as far away from OneDrive as possible. I don’t like how it keeps bugging me from the system tray and the way it keeps coming across unexplained issues.

I use Google Drive only to back up a few important folders, so the limited space on offer isn’t an issue for me.

Google Drive, on the other hand, has been an almost perfect experience for me. As I use Drive on my Pixel phone, I’m used to it. Plus, it makes it easy to access any file I want from my phone, without needing to install an additional app. I use Google Drive only to back up a few important folders, so the limited space on offer isn’t an issue for me.

Should you use Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Nextcloud?

Analyzing top cloud storage solutions: A deep dive into Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, and Nextcloud

3 Microsoft Edge

Brave has edged out Edge for me

I was swift to move from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome. I loved the superior interface, clean & clutter-free settings, and faster operation. So, Microsoft had no chance to woo me back with the revamped Microsoft Edge. I’ll admit I have used Edge on occasion, and for short sessions, on secondary devices where I was too lazy to install Chrome. But outside of that, I’ve used Chrome the most, followed by Brave in the past few years.

I find Brave faster than Chrome, it comes with built-in blocking for ads and trackers, and I can use all the Chrome extensions I’m familiar with.

I still don’t like the route Microsoft is taking with Edge. There’s too much of Copilot in it, I have to see random and irrelevant “suggestions” and ads, and I still don’t like the way its settings are structured. I find Brave faster than Chrome, it comes with built-in blocking for ads and trackers, and I can use all the Chrome extensions I’m familiar with. So, there’s only one of two things to do on a new PC with Microsoft Edge — disable or uninstall it.

Top Settings to change on Microsoft Edge

Is Microsoft Edge really that bad?

The default Windows browser’s poor reputation is evident, but does it deserve all the criticism?

2 Xbox Game Bar

More trouble than it’s worth

A screenshot of the Xbox game bar showing too many widgets.

Cluttered Xbox Game Bar interface showing too many widgets.

The Xbox Game Bar is supposed to enhance your gaming experience on Windows, helping you capture screenshots and game recordings, view real-time FPS, and more. But, I’ve always found it to be more of a nuisance than anything else. The real-time FPS and other monitoring features don’t work half the time (I just see a blank next to the FPS counter), the interface has far more stuff than is necessary, and I use OBS Studio for any game recordings.

There’s a lot Microsoft needs to do to improve the Xbox Game Bar to a point where I’ll feel remotely interested in it.

If I really want an FPS counter in-game, I use MSI Afterburner (with Rivatuner), and I’m good to go. Even for streaming, I can use Nvidia ShadowPlay to broadcast my game to YouTube or Twitch. There’s a lot Microsoft needs to do to improve the Xbox Game Bar to a point where I’ll feel remotely interested in it. Until then, I’m always happy to disable it and go on with setting up a new Windows PC.

Screenshot of a Windows 11 desktop with the Xbox Game Bar overlay open over the Settings app showing the button to terminate the Xbox Game Bar app

How to disable the Xbox Game Bar on Windows

Don’t care about Microsoft’s Xbox overlay in games? Here’s how you can disable the Xbox Game Bar UI in Windows.

1 Windows Update

No, I don’t need the latest BSOD delivery

Windows Update is always at the top of my list of things to disable on a new Windows PC. Once I’m done installing the first batch of critical updates when setting up a new system, I swiftly proceed to disable the service for good. Updates are important, yes, and most users should not disable Windows Update, but I do this only on my personal PC, and I’m willing to live with the consequences.

This is probably something I’d not advise others to do, but for me, Windows Update is a no-go.

At least I don’t have to suffer from unexpected update installations and system-breaking bugs. I’ve lived without Windows Update for years now, and I haven’t suffered from any major issues that have stopped me from using Windows as I want. I’m already on Windows 10, an aging version, so I’m comfortable staying without whatever new version Microsoft cooks up and sends the way of Windows 10 users. This is probably something I’d not advise others to do, but for me, Windows Update is a no-go.

Screenshot of Windows 11 Settings app when checking for updates

5 most annoying things about Windows Update

Windows Update is the bane of many people’s existence — here are a few good reasons why.

So far so good

Considering I’ve survived so far without any major issues after disabling these Windows apps, I’ll continue like this for the foreseeable future. When I finally switch full-time to Windows 11, some of my behavior is likely to change in the future. But it looks like I’ll try my best to stay away from these apps for as long as I can.

Considering how Microsoft’s focus is on incorporating Copilot features and new types of updates into Windows above all else, I have little hope that any of these apps will get better anytime soon. While many users might like OneDrive better than Google Drive or think that Microsoft Defender is good enough in 2024, I find it hard to change my patterns and habits without strong motivation.

Microsoft’s new Start Menu ads give a clear ‘window’ into the company’s approach toward Windows, and it’s not pretty. We might have to wait for the next Windows version for things to change, if at all.