[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "does%20Lenovo%20put%20a%20lot%20of%20Bloat%20ware%20on%20there%20new%20Lenovo%20ThinkPad%20X9-15p%20Gen%201%20Aura%20Edition%2C%20Intel%20Core%20Ultra%20X7%20358H%2C%2032GB%20RAM%2C%201TB%20SSD%2C%2015.3%20OLED%20Display%2C%20Intel%20Arc%20B390%20Graphics%2C%20Windows%2011%20Pro"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s what I found out about pre-installed software (\u201cbloatware\u201d) on the **Lenovo ThinkPad X9-15p Gen 1 Aura Edition** (especially with specs like you listed: Intel Core Ultra, 32 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 15.3 OLED, etc.):\n\n---\n\n## What *Aura Edition* Means\n\nLenovo\u2019s \u201cAura Edition\u201d line is a premium series of AI PCs done together with Intel. ([download.lenovo.com](https://download.lenovo.com/manual/thinkpad_x9_15p/user_guide/en/Lenovo_Aura_Edition_features.html?utm_source=openai))\n\nThese PCs come with extra features\u2014hardware and software\u2014that are meant to enhance AI/workflow integration. Some pre-installed \u201csmart\u201d utilities include:\n- **Smart Modes** \u2013 adjust performance / fan / power profiles depending on what you\u2019re doing. ([download.lenovo.com](https://download.lenovo.com/manual/thinkpad_x9_15p/user_guide/en/Lenovo_Aura_Edition_features.html?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Smart Share** \u2013 for file sharing / cross-device interactions via Bluetooth / tap gestures etc. ([download.lenovo.com](https://download.lenovo.com/manual/thinkpad_x9_15p/user_guide/en/Lenovo_Aura_Edition_features.html?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Smart Care** \u2013 premium, on-demand support through Lenovo\u2019s tools. ([download.lenovo.com](https://download.lenovo.com/manual/thinkpad_x9_15p/user_guide/en/Lenovo_Aura_Edition_features.html?utm_source=openai))  \n\nSo, yes: there *is* software pre-installed beyond just Windows. But how much of it feels like \u201cbloat\u201d depends on how much you\u2019ll use these extras.\n\n---\n\n## What Reviewers Say: Is It \u201cBloaty\u201d?\n\nBased on independent reviews of X9, X9-15, and similar Aura ThinkPads:\n\n- **LaptopMedia**: The ThinkPad X9-15 Gen 1 arrived at the factory with hardware amazingly clean, but with several Lenovo utilities already present. Noted nothing particularly obnoxious beyond Lenovo-branded software for things like firmware/hardware control. ([laptopmedia.com](https://laptopmedia.com/review/lenovo-thinkpad-x9-15-gen-1-review-so-many-records-broken/?utm_source=openai))  \n- **Tom\u2019s Hardware** (for the smaller X9-14): \u201cnearly free of third-party software bloat,\u201d though Windows\u2019 own items like LinkedIn, Xbox, Office 365 Copilot are present. Mostly just Lenovo tools. ([tomshardware.com](https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-x9-review?utm_source=openai))  \n- **User reports (Reddit, etc.)**: When someone said \u201cno bloat,\u201d they meant non-Lenovo third-party apps are mostly absent. That said, Windows \u201cRecommended\u201d apps like Xbox / MS apps still show up. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/thinkpad/comments/1p4j6qs/review_six_months_with_the_thinkpad_x9_15_gen_1/?utm_source=openai))  \n\nSo the consensus: it\u2019s **light on bloat**, especially compared to many consumer laptops. It\u2019s got mostly **Lenovo utilities + maybe Microsoft\u2019s usual stuff** (which may feel like bloat depending on your usage). Very little else.\n\n---\n\n## What Is \u201cLenovo Software\u201d Preinstalled\n\nHere are specific things you can expect:\n\n- **Lenovo Commercial Vantage**: For firmware, driver updates, device health etc. ([lenovo.com](https://www.lenovo.com/content/dam/lenovo/pcsd/global/en/products/laptops/thinkpad/thinkpad-x9-series/x9-15p/datasheet/ThinkPad%20X9%2015p_Gen1_AuraEd_Datasheet_Intel.pdf?refId=e39124fe-87a4-4832-b94b-20a38db788fb&utm_source=openai))  \n- Tools for managing the Smart Share / Smart Connect / Smart Modes / Smart Care features. ([download.lenovo.com](https://download.lenovo.com/manual/thinkpad_x9_15p/user_guide/en/Lenovo_Aura_Edition_features.html?utm_source=openai))  \n- Possibly the \u201cLenovo Qira\u201d app, a newer AI assistant tool. Listed for some Aura Edition models. ([support.lenovo.com](https://support.lenovo.com/us/en/solutions/HT518501?utm_source=openai))  \n- Standard Microsoft stuff: Office shortcuts, linked accounts, maybe Xbox etc., often pinned or in \u201cRecommended.\u201d ([tomshardware.com](https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-x9-review?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## What It *Doesn\u2019t* Seem to Have (Or What Users Say)\n\n- No big third-party bloatware suites (e.g. trial antivirus, adware, games) reported in most reviews. ([tomshardware.com](https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-x9-review?utm_source=openai))  \n- Minimal stuff in Start menu beyond the basics. ([tomshardware.com](https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/lenovo-thinkpad-x9-review?utm_source=openai))  \n- Negligible extra third-party tools beyond Lenovo\u2019s own. ([laptopmedia.com](https://laptopmedia.com/review/lenovo-thinkpad-x9-15-gen-1-review-so-many-records-broken/?utm_source=openai))  \n\n---\n\n## Verdict\n\nSo, does Lenovo put *a lot* of bloatware on the new X9-15p Gen 1 Aura? **No, not a lot**\u2014but *some* is there.\n\nIf we categorize:\n\n- If by \u201cbloatware\u201d you mean big trials, unnecessary third-party apps, etc., almost none.  \n- If by \u201cbloatware\u201d you include all extra manufacturer-software you might never use: yes, there are several preinstalled Lenovo utilities + Windows leftover items.  \n\nIf you want, I can help you make a checklist of what to uninstall safely (so you can strip it down) and what to keep so you still get things like updates, power/fan control, etc."
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "yes%20please"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s a checklist of what to keep vs. what to uninstall (or disable) for your new ThinkPad X9-15p Aura Edition. I\u2019m focusing on Lenovo\u2019s additional software\u2014what\u2019s useful, what isn\u2019t\u2014and how to safely remove the \u201cbloat.\u201d\n\n---\n\n## What to Keep (Useful Utilities)\n\nThese are Lenovo or Microsoft-tools that usually bring value. Keeping them may help with performance, security, or usability.\n\n| Software / Feature | What it does | Why you might want to keep it |\n|--------------------|---------------|----------------------------------|\n| **Lenovo Vantage / Lenovo Commercial Vantage** | Central place for driver/firmware updates, system health checks, hardware settings (battery, display, camera), support. ([lenovo.com](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/software/commercialvantage/?msockid=0dffd09e89886222386cc660888a63cd&utm_source=openai)) | Ensures your machine stays up-to-date, can extend lifespan and avoid issues. If you remove it, you\u2019ll need to manage drivers + BIOS manually. |\n| **Lenovo Qira** | A system-level AI assistant (\u201cambient intelligence\u201d) that can observe context, anticipate tasks, do things like meeting summaries, cross-device continuity. ([support.lenovo.com](https://support.lenovo.com/ml/en/solutions/qira-introduction?utm_source=openai)) | If you\u2019ll actually use these features, it can be quite helpful. But it demands resource usage (and disk space). If not, you might disable it. |\n| **Aura Edition Smart Features (Smart Modes, Smart Share, Shield Mode, Magic Move)** | Adjust power/performance automatically, help capture/share from phone to laptop, privacy (detect shoulder surfing etc.). ([lenovo.com](https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/lenovoauraedition/?msockid=25b7f62f432e6b1320d8e09042ed6aed&utm_source=openai)) | These are part of what Aura Edition promises. If you like convenience, these are worth keeping. For battery life/tight control, you may disable selectively. |\n\n---\n\n## What to Consider Removing or Disabling (light \u201cbloat\u201d or unneeded extras)\n\nThese tend to use resources, clutter your interface, or overlap with other tools. Removing or disabling them won\u2019t break core features.\n\n| Software / Feature | Why remove / disable | How to safely do it |\n|--------------------|-----------------------|----------------------|\n| **Lenovo Qira (if unused)** | Takes up space, runs background services, maybe uploads context. If you don\u2019t need an AI assistant, this is one of the heavier extras. ([support.lenovo.com](https://support.lenovo.com/gd/en/solutions/qira?utm_source=openai)) | Uninstall via Settings \u2192 Apps. Or disable its services. During setup, don\u2019t enable all of its features. Limit its permissions. |\n| **Extra Lenovo utilities you don\u2019t use** | You might have duplicate tools for managing camera, display, power, etc. If Vantage already handles these well, extras can feel redundant. | Identify redundant apps (e.g. multiple camera utilities or screen brightness tools). Uninstall through Apps \u2192 Uninstall, or disable startup options. |\n| **Third-party trial software / Microsoft\u2019s \u201cRecommended\u201d apps** | Things like Xbox, OneDrive, games, suggestions\u2014often aren\u2019t needed and just take space. | Through Start menu \u2192 uninstall. For Microsoft-provided apps, you can use Settings or PowerShell commands. For Suggestions, disable in Settings \u2192 System \u2192 Notifications or Start menu options. |\n\n---\n\n## What Is Low Risk to Uninstall vs. High Risk to Keep\n\n- **Low risk** to remove: apps you never use (e.g. games, media players, trial antivirus, \u201coffice suite trial\u201d), anything Lenovo-branded you don\u2019t use.\n- **Medium risk**: Qira (depends how deeply its features are tied in), Smart Modes and similar utilities (some performance or fan profiles might depend on them).\n- **High risk / essential**: Lenovo Vantage (or Commercial Vantage if it came preloaded), BIOS / firmware utilities, driver updaters, power management tools from Lenovo. Removing these could make system maintenance harder or expose you to risk.\n\n---\n\n## Suggested Order of Cleanup\n\n1. **Backup** your system (create a restore point / system image).  \n2. Go to **Settings \u2192 Apps \u2192 Apps & features**:  \n   - Uninstall trial or third-party apps you don\u2019t want.  \n   - Look for Lenovo-branded apps you never launch.  \n3. Check **Startup** (via Task Manager) for Lenovo utilities launching at boot; disable unnecessary ones.  \n4. Review **Background Apps & Permissions**: limit what Lenovo Qira or Smart Mode apps can do (camera, mic, location, edge-detection etc.).  \n5. In **Lenovo Vantage**, check settings for firmware/BIOS updates etc.; make sure important updates are still applied even if you remove extras.  \n6. For Microsoft-recommended or Windows bloat (Xbox, OneNote, etc.), uninstall/disable only after making sure nothing critical depends on them.  \n\n---\n\nIf you want, I can tailor the uninstall checklist specifically for Windows 11 Pro commands or PowerShell scripts to remove multiple Lenovo apps at once (safely). Do you want that?"
    },
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "yes%20please"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here are some PowerShell-based techniques (and related tools) you can use to safely remove Lenovo\u2019s extra apps from your ThinkPad X9-15p Aura Edition. These cover identifying what\u2019s installed, uninstalling both Lenovo utilities and Microsoft-store/UWP apps, and handling new Aura features like Qira.\n\n---\n\n## \u2699\ufe0f Tools & Basic Setup\n\n- Run **PowerShell as Administrator** \u2014 necessary for changing or removing system-level apps.\n- Be sure you\u2019ve got a **backup / restore point** ready in case something goes sideways.\n- Know which apps are Lenovo apps vs. Microsoft apps: we\u2019ll target those by name or package identifier.\n\n---\n\n## 1. View Installed Apps (Including UWP / Store Apps)\n\n```powershell\nGet-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullName\n```\n\nThis lists all installed Microsoft Store / UWP apps (with full package names), across all users. Use this to find names of apps you want to uninstall. ([guidingtech.com](https://www.guidingtech.com/how-to-uninstall-system-apps-in-windows/?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## 2. Uninstall UWP / Microsoft Store Apps\n\nTo remove one app:\n\n```powershell\nRemove-AppxPackage \"<PackageFullName>\"\n```\n\nReplace `<PackageFullName>` with what you saw in the prior list. ([guidingtech.com](https://www.guidingtech.com/how-to-uninstall-system-apps-in-windows/?utm_source=openai))\n\nTo remove all non-critical UWP apps (be careful with built-ins like Store, Settings, etc.):\n\n```powershell\nGet-AppxPackage -AllUsers |\n  Where-Object { $_.PackageFullName -notlike \"*EssentialAppNameOrVendor*\" } |\n  Remove-AppxPackage\n```\n\nUse the `Where-Object` filter to exclude vendor-required apps (e.g. \"*Lenovo*\" or \"*Microsoft.WindowsStore*\") as needed. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/uejdwn?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## 3. Handle \u201cProvisioned Packages\u201d (New User Accounts)\n\nUWP apps often auto-install for any new user. To prevent that:\n\n```powershell\nGet-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online |\n  Where-Object { $_.PackageName -notlike \"*Lenovo*\" } |\n  Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online\n```\n\nThis removes apps from the \u201cbase image\u201d so new users don\u2019t get them when they log in. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/uejdwn?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## 4. Uninstall Win32 / Classic Apps (Lenovo Tools, Qira, etc.)\n\nLenovo\u2019s ones like \u201cLenovo Qira,\u201d \u201cSmart Share,\u201d or other tools are often installed either as Win32 executables or via MSI. To remove those:\n\n- Via **Settings \u2192 Apps & features**, or\n- Use PowerShell / CMD with an uninstall string from the registry (often under `HKLM:\\Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\` or `HKLM:\\Software\\WOW6432Node\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Uninstall\\`)\n\nYou can also use `winget` if the app is in the repository:\n\n```powershell\nwinget list\nwinget uninstall \"<ExactAppName>\"\n```\n\n---\n\n## 5. Uninstall/Add-On Tools Using PSADT (PowerShell App Deployment Toolkit)\n\nSome Lenovo software comes with their own installers/uninstallers that can be executed via PSADT:\n\n- **Lenovo Quick Clean**: there's a script that allows *silent* uninstall:  \n  ```powershell\n  .\\Deploy-LenovoQuickClean.ps1 -DeploymentType \"Uninstall\" -DeployMode \"NonInteractive\"\n  ```\n  or\n  ```powershell\n  .\\Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.exe -DeploymentType \"Uninstall\" -DeployMode \"Silent\"\n  ```\n  depending on location. ([silentinstallhq.com](https://silentinstallhq.com/lenovo-quick-clean-install-and-uninstall-powershell/?utm_source=openai))\n\n- **Lenovo System Update**: similarly uninstallable via PSADT with a \u201cnon-interactive\u201d or \u201csilent\u201d mode. ([silentinstallhq.com](https://silentinstallhq.com/lenovo-system-update-install-and-uninstall-psadt-v4/?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## 6. Specific for Lenovo Qira (If Installed or Optional)\n\n- Qira is still in **\u201cEarly Access\u201d** for many Aura devices. You can *opt out* of installing it (or remove it if installed) using standard uninstall paths. ([support.lenovo.com](https://support.lenovo.com/cf/es/solutions/qira?utm_source=openai))  \n- If it\u2019s installed as an app: find its exact `PackageFullName` with the \u201cGet-AppxPackage\u201d command and feed that into `Remove-AppxPackage`.  \n- If it's a classic Win32/MSI app, uninstall via Apps settings or using `winget` or registry-based uninstall string.\n\n---\n\n## \ud83d\udee1\ufe0f Important Safety Notes\n\n- **Don\u2019t remove Lenovo Vantage / Commercial Vantage** until you've arranged for alternative driver & firmware update management \u2014 that keeps your system secure.  \n- Avoid removing essential Microsoft apps or those needed for Windows Features / Settings (e.g. `.Settings`, `.ShellExperienceHost`) unless you know what you\u2019re doing.  \n- After uninstalling, **restart** and test all critical hardware functions: camera, touch, microphone, fan behavior, battery modes\u2014some Lenovo utilities tie into those.  \n\n---\n\nIf you like, I can build you a *ready-to-run PowerShell script* that detects and removes all \u201cnon-essential Lenovo Aura utilities\u201d while keeping what\u2019s needed, and allows you to review before deletion."
    }
]