Uninstalling software

How do I uninstall a program in Windows?

Uninstalling software should be easy. Open the Control Panel by clicking Start, settings and Control Panel.

In the Windows 95, 98, ME and XP Control Panel, click Add/Remove Programs or in Vista choose Programs and Uninstall a Program.

In this screen you will get a list of programs that are installed on your machine. Click the one you want to remove and the uninstall process should start. You may have to answer some questions during the process.

That said, it isn’t always that easy. If the program is damaged, then it may not uninstall. Some programs are simply badly designed and won’t obey the rules.

Sometimes the program will have it’s own uninstall routine which you can access by clicking Start, Programs and then selecting the program group and looking for a item that reads uninstall program name.

There’s a few programs that are so complex they have specialist uninstall programs. Norton products are a good example and they provide the Norton Removal Tool. Some of the more “legitimate” spyware applications also have these removal tools.

If those isn’t available, then you’ll need to uninstall the program manually. This involves deleting the program folder and then running a registry cleaning tool. This is something we don’t recommend to inexperienced users and we’d urge you to call a computer tech to do this for you.


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    22 Responses to “Uninstalling software”

    1. [...] check you have removed Zone Alarm using the Add/Remove Programs function. If not then do so, if you have and it appears not to have fully uninstalled, it’s best to [...]

    2. [...] we would suggest is to install the latest version of Java. Before doing it, it’s worthwhile uninstalling the earlier [...]

    3. [...] have instructions on uninstalling programs in an earlier post. If there are any problems after uninstalling, you can download the new version and [...]

    4. [...] you give your computer a clean up just to see if that will give it a speed boost. First, try uninstalling any unnecessary programs. Only remove programs you know and don’t use: If you don’t know what it does, leave it [...]

    5. [...] classpath should be set as part of your Java installation. It’s best to uninstall all the old Java installations , download the latest version and reinstall [...]

    6. [...] If the problem with the connection continues you may want to check for other firewall or security programs on your computer by looking in the Add/Remove Programs applet. [...]

    7. [...] The first thing to do is remove all old versions of QuickTime. Follow our instructions on unistalling old software. [...]

    8. [...] first thing to do is uninstall any firewall programs. Before going on the net, make sure your dial up connection has the Windows Firewall enabled so you [...]

    9. [...] The simplest solution is to download the updated software from the Netgear website then uninstall the existing Netgear software. [...]

    10. [...] Best practice though Don is to leave the old programs on unless they are causing some trouble and if they do we have instructions on removing older software. [...]

    11. [...] Otherwise, you may want to reinstall your webcam software as it sounds like it isn’t working properly. Download the latest software for your webcam, disconnect the cam and uninstall the software. [...]

    12. [...] If Firefox won’t start in Safe Mode you need to uninstall it, download a new copy and reinstall. See our post on uninstalling software. [...]

    13. son attempted to uninstall limewire, my computer is now
      misty and wiil not switch off and simply refuses to do
      anything,help.

    14. Paul Wallbank Says:

      Hi Karen,

      We’ve covered this in a post. Click Misty Screen after uninstalling Limewire to see your answer.

    15. [...] Should you decide ot install an older version of Office or go with a new program then you should backup any important documents and spreadsheets before uninstalling Office 2007. [...]

    16. [...] To fix this, you’ll need to repair the Internet Explorer 5 installation by following our instructions on Removing Software. [...]

    17. [...] the computer not work, then you’ll have to reinstall Flash. The first thing to do is run the Add/Remove Programs function and remove an Adobe Flash programs listed. Once you’ve uninstalled them, reboot and [...]

    18. [...] first thing to do is check your Add/Remove programs function and remove any programs you aren’t using or are giving you problems. If you have the [...]

    19. [...] 7 however you have to uninstall the Office 2007 trial edition before installing 2003. Follow our instructions on uninstalling software on doing this. The Office 2007 trial edition does have a reputation for being difficult to remove [...]

    20. [...] step is to completely remove it by going into “Programs and Features” and running the Add/Remove Programs [...]

    21. [...] fix it, first uninstall all the versions of Adobe Flash on the computer. Then run a computer cleanup on the system. Finally reboot your [...]

    22. [...] fix it, first uninstall all the versions of Adobe Flash on the computer. Then run a computer cleanup on the system. Finally reboot your [...]

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