According to reports, Windows 11 version 25H2 could have a native option to uninstall Microsoft apps. Some people hate the idea of "bloat" and for them, this will certainly be a nice addition. However, recent testing has suggested that such bloat may not, in fact, matter all that much, which could certainly raise some eyebrows given that a "cleaner" PC should intuitively perform better than a "dirtier" one that has not been reinstalled or reset in a while.
So, for those who are looking to do so, you are probably going to be spending time needlessly if your rig is already fairly good and you do not feel any slowdown.
Still, if you want to proceed with a Windows reset, you must be careful not to fall victim to an unofficial Windows re-installer app called "Windows Reinstall Master".
The app has been doing the rounds in the Chinese community and is targeting the non-tech-savvy individuals out there who may not be familiar with how Windows installations and reinstallations work.
The mechanism of this scam app is that it proceeds to reinstall Windows but does not allow the user to restart and get into the OS again until the victim pays. This is similar to ransomware in a way, although the fees charged here are far lower. The app asks for 98 RMB (Chinese Yuan), which is roughly equivalent to around US$13, which is essentially the installation service fee since the Windows 11 upgrade is free.
Here is what the lock-out screen says:
Congratulations, you have completed the reinstallation of the Windows system. Please pay the reinstallation service fee.
Payment method: WeChat Pay, Alipay
Price payable: 98 yuan
In addition to Windows, the scam software also installs a bunch of other junkware; so if the user had initially set out with the goal to reset Windows so as to get rid of the junk and bloat, this certainly does not improve the situation, if not make it worse than what it already was. The other unnecessary apps include PotPlayer, Microsoft VSCode, which are also free.
Chances of victims falling for this also rise now as Microsoft is ending Windows 10 support very soon, and thus users would probably be looking to move to Windows 11; and if the upgrade does not quite go as planned, they could go looking in the wrong places for help.