You're right, it can be a real problem with any version of win on a new PC; I always have to spend a few weeks with a new PC, uninstalling and deactivating useless crap, before it's very useful to me as a "real PC". And I always get Spyware Terminator installed right off the mark, to find all the useless spyware that's ALWAYS present.
Since I made a big jump in versions this time, from XP Pro to Win 8.1, I also had to familiarize myself with all the different changes -- just tracking down how to have a command prompt, or even a normal desktop instead of that useless screen with all the blocks on it, and definitely how to deactivate that annoying virtual keyboard that would open everytime I hit a text blank.
![Mad :mad: :mad:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
I use that page with the blocks for exactly one thing -- the restart/turn off/update button -- I like how using that particular button gives you the choice of restarting or turning off, with or without updating. Other than that, everytime it starts up and gets to that screen, I just hit the big "desktop" block I setup. There's still one thing I'd like to track down but haven't yet -- how to deactivate those sillyass "charms" that pop everytime I hit the bottom-right corner. At some point they'll annoy me enough to find that deactivation rather than proceeding with my usual crap.
Andria