Contents
- Introduction
- How to Uninstall Programs on Windows
- What to do if an Uninstall Fails
- How to Reinstall a Program
- How to Uninstall a Program in Safe Mode
- How to Uninstall a Program Using the Command Prompt
- How to Uninstall a Program Using PowerShell
- How to Uninstall a Program Using CCleaner
- How to Uninstall a Program Using the Windows Store
- How to Uninstall a Program Using Third-Party Software
If you’re running Windows and want to know how to uninstall programs, here’s a quick guide. Just follow these simple steps and you’ll be able to remove any program from your Windows PC.
Checkout this video:
Introduction
If you’re using a Windows computer, chances are you’ve had to uninstall a program at some point. Maybe you no longer need it, or maybe you’re trying to free up some space on your hard drive. Whatever the reason, uninstalling programs on Windows is pretty easy.
There are two ways to do it: through the Control Panel or using the Windows command line. We’ll show you both methods, starting with the Control Panel.
How to Uninstall Programs on Windows
Windows 10 offers a few different ways to uninstall programs. The most straightforward way is to use the Built-in Apps & Features tool. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Go to Start > Settings > Apps.
2. Under “Apps & features,” find the program you want to uninstall and select it.
3. Select the Uninstall button that appears. If it doesn’t say “Uninstall,” this program can’t be uninstalled in this way.
4. Follow the prompts to uninstall the program.
If you can’t find the program you’re looking for in the Built-in Apps & Features tool, there are a few other ways you can try to uninstall it:
1. Look for an uninstaller program provided by the software developer in the program’s installation folder, or in its Start menu group. If you find one, double-click it and follow any prompts to begin uninstalling the software. Keep in mind that not all programs will have an uninstaller provided.
2. Check if there’s a Registry entry for the program under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall. If there is an entry for the program, delete it and then restart your computer. This method should only be used as a last resort, as deleting registry entries can potentially cause serious problems with your computer if done incorrectly.
What to do if an Uninstall Fails
If you’re having trouble uninstalling a program, there are a few things you can try.
First, try using the built-in Windows uninstaller. To do this, go to the Control Panel and click on “Add or Remove Programs.” From here, find the program you want to uninstall and click on the “Uninstall” button. If the program is uninstalled successfully, you should see a message telling you so.
If the built-in uninstaller doesn’t work, or if you’re trying to uninstall a program that doesn’t appear in the Add or Remove Programs list, you can try using a third-party uninstaller tool. There are many different uninstaller tools available; one of the most popular is CCleaner (www.piriform.com/ccleaner). Just download and install CCleaner, then run it and select the program you want to uninstall from the list. CCleaner will then attempt to remove the program for you.
If neither of these methods works, it’s possible that the program is not actually installed on your computer. To check for this, open up your Start menu and look for a shortcut to the program in question. If there is no shortcut, it’s likely that the program is not installed.
How to Reinstall a Program
Follow the steps below to reinstall a program on Windows:
1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Click on Programs and Features.
3. Find the program you want to reinstall, select it, and click Uninstall.
4. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process.
5. Once the program has been uninstalled, restart your computer.
6. Install the program again by following the prompts from the installation wizard.
How to Uninstall a Program in Safe Mode
It is often necessary to uninstall programs when they are no longer needed or when they are causing problems. Windows provides a number of ways to do this, but the most effective is to use Safe Mode.
Safe Mode is a diagnostic mode that starts your computer in a very limited state. Only essential Windows files and services are loaded, which means that any malicious programs or drivers that were loaded when your computer last booted will not be started. This makes it much easier to remove them.
To uninstall a program in Safe Mode:
1. Restart your computer and press F8 repeatedly before Windows starts loading. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options menu.
2. Use the arrow keys to select Safe Mode from the menu and press Enter.
3. Once your computer has loaded into Safe Mode, open the Control Panel and locate the program you want to uninstall.
4. Click on the program and then click the Uninstall button at the top of the list.
5. Follow the prompts to uninstall the program and restart your computer when prompted
How to Uninstall a Program Using the Command Prompt
If you’re comfortable using the command prompt, you can uninstall a program from your computer by following these steps:
1. Find the program you want to uninstall in the list of installed programs. You can do this by opening the Control Panel and clicking on “Add or Remove Programs.”
2. Once you’ve found the program, click on it and then click “Remove” or “Uninstall.”
3. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm that you want to uninstall the program. Click “Yes” to continue.
4. You will be prompted to restart your computer. Click “OK” to reboot now, or “Cancel” if you don’t want to restart right away.
How to Uninstall a Program Using PowerShell
If you want to uninstall a program using PowerShell, you can use the Remove-Item cmdlet. This cmdlet allows you to delete files, folders, and even registry keys. To uninstall a program, you just need to specify the name of the program and the path to its installation directory. For example:
Remove-Item -Path “C:\Program Files\MyProgram”
This will uninstall the program from your computer.
How to Uninstall a Program Using CCleaner
CCleaner is a useful tool for removing unwanted programs from your computer. To use CCleaner to uninstall a program:
1. Download and install CCleaner from http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner.
2. Launch CCleaner and click on the Tools tab.
3. Click on the Uninstall button near the top of the list of tools.
4. Locate the program you want to uninstall in the list and click on it to select it.
5. Click on the Uninstall button at the bottom of the window to remove the program from your computer.
How to Uninstall a Program Using the Windows Store
If you installed the program from the Windows Store, you can uninstall it just as easily. Right-click on the Start button, then choose Programs and Features from the menu that pops up. In the list of installed programs, find the one you want to remove and click on it, then click on the Uninstall button that appears at the top of the list.
If you don’t see an Uninstall button, it might mean that your program can’t be uninstalled from the Store. In that case, try uninstalling it using another method, like PowerShell or Command Prompt.
How to Uninstall a Program Using Third-Party Software
In some cases, you may need to uninstall a program using third-party software. This is often the case when you cannot uninstall the program normally. Here are instructions on how to do this:
1. Download and install the third-party software on your computer.
2. Open the software and follow the instructions on how to uninstall a program.
3. Select the program you want to uninstall and click “Uninstall.”
4. Follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process.