Programs that come on a new Laptop

I am doing a factory restore and typing this on my sister's computer, because I'd like to know the "right" way to deal with all those unwanted programs that will most likely be showing up on my laptop as when I bought it.

I had a horrible time getting rid of Norton the first factory reset, over 2 years ago I think it was. But anyway, do any of you have a really good plan for cleaning up a "new" computer, lol!

Maybe I should just ask what you do with a new computer that has all that "junk" on it hoping you'll buy into all their "suggested" programs.

Thanks in advance for any ideas, this is no huge deal, but I would like to hear from mj because I read all kinds of crap online if I just google it, but you guys are my brilliant ones lol, I know, flattery will get me diddly:-D Denise

 

PC Decrapifier is one of the tools often recommended here but you may still end up having to manually remove some of the unwanted stuff.

 

That's the one, yes I remember hearing about it Ok, so I know Geeks has it for download so I may give it a go. Thank you Earthling, denise

 

An easy way to remove Norton anti-virus is the Norton Removal Tool. However, it may not be needed if you first use PC Decrapifier.

 

Ok US,

I remember using that and still having traces of Norton. I can remember being exasperated at trying to clean it out completely, although it probably wasn't so necessary. If something says I can't remove it then I'll show it right, LOL Thank you much. As I signed on today, a popup was showing from Norton trying to get me to join some deal of theirs, and buy in ya know, denise

PS I'll keep you posted because I see all that crap did not come up on my desktop, Recycle Bin only. But in my installed list of programs, theirs a bunch, but much of that is needed. I wonder since this is my second restore, and, maybe some of those programs are so old they didn't load them? Outdated I mean, and they probably wouldn't give me the latest and greatest with an older laptop? Weird hey

 

When you restore to factory then everything is restored to exactly as when bought and first used. If you don't have some program now, you didn't have it then either.

 

That's been my understanding, but there was nothing on the desktop. I'll take a quick look here at what's on the "installed" list besides Norton.

Ok, just looked, yep, things like Wild Tangent games are in the installed list. Evidently I just didn't get any shortcuts on the desktop this time. Looks like many I remember being there when it was new denise