How to Uninstall Programs

When you first got your computer, you probably installed programs with reckless abandon. More programs mean more computing power and more fun. Sooner or later, however, you probably figured out that you had more programs than you really needed. You probably also realized that while how to install programs was always laid out for you step-by-step, no one ever actually explained to you how to uninstall programs.

Why You Need to Know How to Uninstall Programs

Your computer does not have an unlimited amount of memory. In your computer is a hard drive that operates a lot like a file cabinet. It has a lot of space, but that space is finite. Eventually, you may want to get rid of some of those unnecessary programs in order to make room for new ones. In addition, when you install software, you also install a lot of code and instructions to your computer that makes the software to work. Thus, the more software you install and the more memory you use up, the slower your computer tends to be.

How to Uninstall Programs:  What Not to Do

Fortunately, in most cases, Windows makes it pretty easy to uninstall a program. What you should NOT do is try uninstalling by just dragging things into the recycle bin. For one, dragging certain things, like the icon shortcut on your desktop, won’t actually uninstall the program. For another, dragging one executable file into the recycling bin doesn’t remove the full program either, and it may make it impossible to fully uninstall the program using conventional means.

How to Uninstall Programs:  What to Do

Here’s how to uninstall programs the right way. Just go to the control panel from your Start menu. In older versions of Windows, there should be an Add/Remove Programs icon. In newer versions, click the programs and features icon. The computer will open up a box and populate a list of all your programs. From there, all you need to do is select the program you are trying to get rid of and click “uninstall.” You may get a box asking for confirmation. Confirm that you wish to continue with the installation, and the uninstall wizard will do the rest. You may need to reboot to complete the reinstall.

When Uninstalled Programs Won’t Go Away

Unfortunately, sometimes a program is not completely removed, usually either because of some error during the uninstall, because of a Trojan horse in the program, or because you tried to uninstall manually. When this happens, your computer may slow down or not work properly, which can be extremely frustrating. If you’re experiencing this type of problem, it can be a good idea to get a Registry Cleaner. My Clean PC offers an effective Registry Cleaner that you can download from the Internet. Using a Registry Cleaner can delete a lot of the extraneous material that may be in your Registry as the result of uninstall errors. When this material is gone, your machine should run faster and more smoothly.