Which Modern UI apps are safe to remove?

I got a list all Modern UI apps installed on my machine using

Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | findstr ^Name

(you need to run this in PowerShell). I would like to remove some of them, and I want to know which ones are safe to remove (i.e., which ones I can remove without breaking my system).

Is it safe to remove these?

Microsoft.AAD.BrokerPlugin
Microsoft.Appconnector
Microsoft.BioEnrollment
Microsoft.Getstarted
Microsoft.LockApp
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.1.0
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.1.0
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.0
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.1.0
Microsoft.VCLibs.110.00
Microsoft.VCLibs.110.00
Microsoft.VCLibs.120.00
Microsoft.VCLibs.120.00
Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00
Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00
Microsoft.Windows.AssignedAccessLockApp
Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost
Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager
Microsoft.Windows.Cortana
windows.devicesflow
windows.immersivecontrolpanel

I suspect that it's safe to remove the following. Can somebody confirm that?

Microsoft.3DBuilder
Microsoft.AccountsControl
Microsoft.BingFinance
Microsoft.BingNews
Microsoft.BingSports
Microsoft.BingWeather
Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub
Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection
Microsoft.Office.OneNote
Microsoft.People
Microsoft.SkypeApp
Microsoft.Windows.ParentalControls
Microsoft.Windows.ShellExperienceHost
microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps
Microsoft.WindowsMaps
Microsoft.WindowsPhone
Microsoft.XboxApp
Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI
Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider
Microsoft.ZuneMusic
Microsoft.ZuneVideo

I will remove them using Remove-AppxPackage NameOfPackage. For more info on this process refer to this guide.

Gaia

Posted 2015-07-21T03:13:08.180

Reputation: 4 549

1make a full system backup and now you can play and remove apps. If you broke something, restore the backup. – magicandre1981 – 2015-07-21T04:10:45.713

3that is not practical, because i can break something and not know i broke it until months later. i am looking for a more authoritative answer. – Gaia – 2015-07-21T14:51:28.370

we can't answer this. Everyone has other preferences for apps. What you like is crap for others or the other way around. – magicandre1981 – 2015-07-21T17:30:00.590

2But the question is not whether ppl agree it is crap or not. The question is whether it will break windows to remove apps in the 3rd and especially 1st section. – Gaia – 2015-07-21T17:42:40.487

if nobody tries it, we can't see what broken after removing them. So try it and post what is safe or not. – magicandre1981 – 2015-07-21T17:45:05.900

2No thanks, I don't have time to test it, hence me reaching out to try to find someone who can answer. Thank you for your contribution. – Gaia – 2015-07-21T19:26:53.910

Answers

You can remove Microsoft.Appconnector and Microsoft.Getstarted from the first list, and you can't remove Microsoft.AccountsControl, Microsoft.XboxGameCallableUI, and Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider from the second.

In general, if you try to remove an unremovable package using the Remove-AppxPackage cmdlet, you'll get a scary red error that says this is part of the OS, and you can't remove it on a per-user basis (which is what that cmdlet does).

You can also use DISM /online /remove-provisionedappxpackage to uninstall the packages from the list that get autoinstalled for new users.

Reid Rankin

Posted 2015-07-21T03:13:08.180

Reputation: 176

I could remove Microsoft.Getstarted – pun – 2015-10-19T08:43:20.093

@The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like Isn't that what I said? – Reid Rankin – 2015-10-19T18:08:38.530

Oppsss....I meant, I could only remove that not others – pun – 2015-10-19T19:56:49.403

@The_IT_Guy_You_Don't_Like To be fair, I didn't actually remove Microsoft.Appconnector via Remove-AppxPackage like the others. I didn't know what it was (and still don't), so I was more cautious. I ended up removing it via the "Apps & Features" settings pane. – Reid Rankin – 2015-10-20T22:34:52.297

-2

that entire folder can be renamed then deleted, re-create the folder and remove access to all, not even system/admin have read/delete access

Also you have to navigate to Windows/System Apps and rename the xbox / edge / contact support folder if you don't use those

yo yo fat

Posted 2015-07-21T03:13:08.180

Reputation: 1

Windows 8 doesn't have an Xbox application. You sure your answer is relevant to the author's question? – Ramhound – 2016-11-10T00:56:32.413

This looks like a comment on MrNerdHair's answer rather than a different solution to the question. – fixer1234 – 2016-11-10T03:30:30.860