How Do I Uninstall Software?

Many, many new users cause damage to their machines because they don't know how to properly uninstall software.

When software is installed, it often makes a lot of changes to your computer. It's not as simple as just planting a folder in the Program Files directory. Most software installations, for example, make changes to the Windows Registry (a dark and forbidding land that is the cause of most nervous breakdowns among computer technicians).

Many new users try to remove software by just navigating to the Program Files directory and deleting the folder for the software they want to uninstall. But this usually is not the right way to do it. When you delete a program folder without properly uninstalling the computer, it's like having someone else come into your house and re-arranging everything without telling you where they put your stuff. You keep looking for things where you put them, but they aren't there. Improperly uninstalling software confuzles your computer -- and may even crash your machine.

Do I Really Need this Program?

Before uninstalling a program, be aware that the documents that you created with that program may not be usable (or may even disappear) once you uninstall it. So make sure you really want to uninstall the program before you actually say goodbye.

Uninstalling and Reinstalling to Correct a Problem

If you are uninstalling a program because it is giving you problems and you want to reinstall it fresh, then make sure you have the program's installation disks (or the installation file if you downloaded the program), along with any license keys or serial numbers that are needed to reinstall the program, before you uninstall it. Then back up any documents you created with that program, completely uninstall it, reboot the computer, and reinstall it.

Normal Software Uninstallation

Some programs can be uninstalled by looking for an "Uninstall" link in their folder in the Start Menu. Clicking on that shortcut will start an uninstaller program that the program's developer included with the software package. So before doing what's described below, look in the program's Start Menu folder to see if there's an uninstaller. If there is, click it. If not then try...

Using Control Panel to Uninstall a Program

Go to the Windows Control Panel by clicking Start\Settings\Control Panel (or Start\Control Panel on most Windows XP systems).

Look for an icon labeled "Add or Remove Programs"if you are using the "Classic View," or the line that says "Add or Remove Programs" if you are using the "Category View."

Double-click on the "Add or Remove Programs" icon (or single-click the line in the Category View), and a list will open showing all the programs on your computer that can be automatically uninstalled. To uninstall a program, simply scroll down to that program's entry, click on it, click the button to remove it, and follow whatever on-screen instructions are given.

Once the program is removed, you mayor may not have to restart your computer.

Manual Software Uninstallation

If the program does not have an uninstaller in the Start Menu and does not show up in the Add or Remove Programs list in Control Panel, then look in its program folder to see if there's a file with instructions about how to manually remove it. If not, and if you really want to remove the program, then try contacting the company that published the program to find out how to remove it.

Some Programs Just Don't Want to be Uninstalled

Some programs don't have uninstallers, or they have "uninstallers" that don't actually do anything. This is especially true of "spyware" programs that search your computer for data about you so they can sell it to advertising companies. But some programs that are not spyware can also be hard to get rid of, either because they are poorly written or because their uninstaller files have been corrupted somehow.

Programs without working uninstallers can be a real pain in the neck to get rid of. If a program without an uninstaller is causing problems and you want to get it off your computer, then you're probably a lot better off hiring a professional computer technician to do the job. Improperly removing it may cause even more problems.