Using the Control Panel to Remove Programs

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 20, 2017)

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Over the course of time, you will undoubtedly install numerous programs on your Windows system. These programs may be shrink-wrapped applications or ones that you download from the Web. At some point, however, you may realize that you don't want a certain program to remain on your system and so would like to free up the resources it consumes. This is when you use the Control Panel to remove such programs.

The Control Panel is the starting point for a wide variety of functions, such as backing up your computer, modifying network parameters, changing the desktop background, etc. It's also where you go when you want to remove, or uninstall, programs.

To uninstall a program, follow these steps:

  1. Display the Control Panel.
  2. Click the Uninstall a Program link, under the Programs category. Windows displays the Programs and Features window. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The Control Panel's Uninstall a Program screen.

  3. In the list of installed programs, click once on the program you want to uninstall and then click the Uninstall/Change button. (The button appears only after clicking on the program.)
  4. Follow the prompts that appear, answering each one as the uninstall process continues. Windows informs you when the program is uninstalled.

 This tip (12024) 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. ...

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What is six less than 8?

2017-11-20 10:35:56

Henry Noble

Many programs do not do a good job of uninstalling themselves.
For more thorough removal, take a look at Revo Uninstaller from the VS Revo Group. There are free and paid versions.
https://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download_compare.html
Revo begins by using the uninstall feature described in this Tip, then takes removal to the next level by searching for files, directories, and registry entries left behind by the program's uninstaller. Users have complete control of what is removed in this second phase.

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