Uninstall Programs

Remove Unwanted Programs

Virtually every Windows program registers itself with the system, or creates a log in the Windows Uninstaller utility that records which files you have added to the system and lists any changes you've made to the system's configuration. Thanks to this painstaking process, when you uninstall the program using the Add/Remove Programs icon in your Control Panel (or the program's own uninstaller), Windows removes all traces of the program and its system alterations. If you decide you don't want a program anymore, don't just drag the program's folder to the Recycle Bin. Simply trashing a program may leave desktop icons, unnecessary drivers, or unlinked Registry entries on the system or may destroy shared files that other applications also use. Instead, to remove any program, click Start • Settings • Control Panel, then double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. Select the Install/Uninstall tab, highlight the program you want to remove, and click the Add/Remove button.