How to Get Rid of Unwanted Programs You Think You've Deleted
In most cases, you can remove a program from your computer by locating its entry on the Windows program list. However, if an uninstall utility fails to remove the program completely or you have accidentally removed the folder from your computer rather than performing the uninstall process, deleting a program manually can be difficult. Programs create folders on the Start menu and on your hard drive, as well as entries in the registry. Find and delete these items to remove the unwanted program from your computer.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Look for the program on the Windows program list. Open the Start menu, click "Control Panel" and then click "Add and Remove Programs" or "Programs and Features." If you are able to find the program on this list, click it and then click the "Delete" button. Follow the prompts displayed to remove the program from your computer. If you are unable to find the program on this list, continue.
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2
Look for the program in the "All Programs" section of the Start menu. If the unwanted program has a Start menu folder, look for a utility titled "Uninstall" or "Remove." Click the icon and follow the prompts to remove the software from your computer. If the program has a Start menu folder but does not have an uninstall utility listed, right-click the folder and select "Delete."
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3
Open the Start menu. Click the "Computer" icon, and then double-click the "C:" and "Program Files" icons. Locate the folder for the program that you want to remove -- it may be named after the program itself, or after the company that made it. Open the folder. Look for a utility with a name such as "Uninstall," "Remove" or "UNWISE." Double-click the utility and follow the prompts to remove the program from your computer. If the program has no uninstall utility displayed, click the "Back" button to leave the folder. Right-click the folder and select "Delete" to delete it. Close the window.
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4
Open the Start menu. Type "regedit" in the search field at the bottom and press "Enter" to launch the Registry Editor. Click the "Edit" menu at the top of the window, and then click "Find." Type the name of the program in the dialog box, and then press "Enter" to search the registry for keys referencing that program. When you locate a folder or registry key referencing the program, right-click it and select "Delete." Continue in this fashion until you have removed all references to the program from the registry.
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Tips & Warnings
Click the "File" menu at the top of the Registry Editor window and select "Export" to create a backup of the Windows registry before you make changes. If removing a registry entry has an undesired effect, double-click the backup file to restore the registry to its original state.
