Bloatware

Bloatware (also known as crapware, donkeyware, demonware, and shovelware), is a derogatory term used to refer to software that has been pre-installed onto a device or user’s machine, often without their knowledge or permission. The software serves no purpose relevant to the device or user, but the company who makes the device may be the ones providing the software. Common examples of bloatware are toolbars, startup applications, or game trials.

Bloatware generally has no use, or sometimes a single use that is irrelevant to device owners, yet takes up valuable storage space on the hard drive. Furthermore, bloatware may cause the device to boot-up more slowly and use excessive system resources, potentially compromising the device’s security and performance.

There are a few reasons as to why bloatware is still being preinstalled on devices. Primarily, the manufacturer or reason may be collecting money from companies who wish to install their software onto users’ systems. Secondly, manufacturers often use pre-loaded software to benefit product sales. For example, certain feature-rich versions of an application that could otherwise be downloaded for free may be sold as a convenience feature in higher priced product packages.

Despite this, users have no control over what is installed and can find it difficult to remove it, as bloatware often does not provide ‘uninstall’ functions. Furthermore, the removal process of bloatware is not always recommended, as it requires users to manually delete its component files from the system. Unfortunately for many users, bloatware is a nuisance that is nearly impossible to avoid, as it is either installed by the manufacturer, or included in software the user has downloaded or is presently using on their computer.