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 The tool is particularly good for things like outdated Java updates that are notorious for refusing to uninstall.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

Searching for Text With a Certain Format

The Find and Replace tool in Word is very powerful. You can use it to search not only for text but for the formatting ...

Discover More

Missing Page Break Indicator

Enter a page break in Word, and that page break may not appear on the screen as you expect it to appear. This has to do ...

Discover More

Standard Text before a Sequence Number

When you use fields to number items within a document, you may want to add some standard text before each field. There ...

Discover More
More WindowsTips

Toggl

If you want a simple, unobtrusive time-tracking utility to keep track of time you spend on various tasks, Toggl is the ...

Discover More

DesktopOK

Are you frustrated by your desktop icons moving around whenever you change your screen resolution or use Remote Desktop? ...

Discover More

ConFavor

Navigating to favorite files or folders need not be a time waster of click through a tree structure. ConFavor makes this ...

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 8 - 5?

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 © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.