Using Microsoft Fix It

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 19, 2018)

Have you ever installed a program and then, at some future point, unsuccessfully tried to remove it? You are not alone—it is a fact that sometimes things can get "gunked up" in your system so much that Windows refuses to allow a program to be uninstalled. This can be very frustrating.

The problem is actually caused by errant or corrupted information stored in the Registry. (The Windows Registry is the central repository of information related to what is on your system and how each of those elements should behave.) Recognizing this problem, Microsoft decided to make available a nifty little program that can automatically repair the corrupted or problem areas for you. It is called Microsoft Fix It.

To use the program, you first need to download it from this Microsoft website:

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall

Once installed, run the program and you are led through a series of steps that can help track down and fix the problems. It does this by identifying all the programs on your system and then letting you choose what you want removed. The tool is particularly good for things like outdated Java updates that are notorious for refusing to uninstall.

 This tip (9958) applies to Windows 7, 8, and 10.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Pop-up Windows in Word

Want to add a small pop-up window over a word in your document? There is no way to do this directly in Word, but you can ...

Discover More

Error Opening Second Workbook

If you try to open a second workbook and you see an error message, it could be because of the way you are opening the ...

Discover More

Getting Audible Feedback

You can add a bit of sound to your editing tasks by turning on Word's sound capabilities. This tip shows where this ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

How to Password Protect a File or Folder via Zip

If you routinely create ZIP files, you may want to add some protection to those files. This tip shows how easy it is to ...

Discover More

WizTree

Need to find out which files are hogging the most space on your hard drives? The WizTree utility can analyze your drives ...

Discover More

CutePDF Writer

CutePDF Writer is an extremely versatile utility that allows you to create PDF files from virtually any application that ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is three more than 8?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

Newest Tips
Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.