In 2026, debloating Windows 11 before or after you install it isn't even a question for those who're done with the amount of "Microslop" it comes with. Microsoft has been stuffing Windows 11 with unnecessary apps, AI integrations, and advertisements for years, and it isn't slowing down anytime soon. This makes free utilities like Rufus extremely useful for users who don't wish to put up with the bloated vanilla Windows 11 installation. While Rufus has remained the preferred tool to create a bootable Windows ISO for years, its latest beta update now makes it an excellent Win11 debloater, too. You can now choose to remove Microsoft apps like Copilot, OneDrive, Outlook, and more with a single click right before you create your Win11 bootable ISO. With this update, Rufus is now my go-to method to install Windows 11 on a new PC.

Rufus can now scrap all the Windows 11 bloat you don't want

To the trash can

I still run Windows 10 on my main PC, but its days are numbered. I have bolstered the security on my PC through a third-party antivirus, but I know I have to jump to Windows 11 soon. The thought of using the vanilla version of Microsoft's latest OS gives me the ick, since I have given it a try in the past. The overwhelming amount of bloatware and restrictions Windows 11 ships with should be criminal. From ads on virtually every screen and first-party apps that no one wants to a mandatory online account and TPM 2.0 requirement, it's no wonder people are increasingly flocking to Windows 11 debloating tools.

Rufus' latest update, i.e., the Rufus 4.14 beta version, comes with an option called "QoL improvements" that enables you to skip all the bloat Microsoft loves to dump on your PC. This includes apps like Copilot, OneDrive, Outlook, and Teams. It also disables Fast Startup, in case you don't want the downsides it comes with. With a simple checkbox, your Windows 11 experience can become much more pleasant. Most people I know don't want apps like Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive on their personal machines; that stuff should only reside on your work PC, if at all. Rufus now gives you a simple and effective way to skip these useless apps altogether instead of removing them later.

It can even create an unattended Windows 11 installation media

Speedrunning a Win11 install

Another addition to the new Rufus version is the option to install Windows 11 "silently." What this means is that you no longer need to monitor every step of the Windows 11 installation process. This new unattended mode, if selected, creates a bootable Windows ISO on the first disk it detects. Using this method, you can install Windows 11 without any user intervention — the setup will automatically select the respective inputs on every screen. As efficient as this sounds, you need to be careful which drives are installed on your PC when you start this variant of the installation process. To be safe, only the disk you want Windows 11 on should be connected to the PC. The installation media will erase the disk it detects before installing Windows 11, so leaving any important data on the target disk or any additional drives connected could be a blunder.

Rufus debloats and creates a Win11 bootable ISO in a single utility

One tool to do it all

It's not like Rufus needed major changes to continue being a fan favorite to create bootable Windows and Linux media. That said, the new debloating options and unattended installation mode make it a comprehensive Windows 11 setup utility. You no longer need to modify your Windows 11 ISO with Tiny11 Maker and then create a bootable ISO separately. Even debloating scripts like Chris Titus Tech's Windows Utility and Raphire's Win11Debloat need to be run after you're done with the vanilla Windows 11 installation. Rufus now makes these methods redundant for the majority of Windows 11 users. You can debloat and create a bootable Windows 11 ISO with a single program — and install the OS automatically, too, if you want. This is a pre-release version, but we can expect the changes to come to the next stable version soon.

Rufus just became my favorite Win11 debloater

I have always used Rufus to create bootable ISOs for Windows versions, but now it has become my favorite debloater, too. Having a single program do it all is obviously a plus for any Windows 11 user. I don't intend to use the unattended installation mode, but it could be useful to other users, especially those with a single storage drive looking for a clean install. Rufus' latest version continues its popularity as a fan-favorite utility.