Table of Contents
There are two ways to uninstall a program in Vista; the wrong way and the right way. Unfortunately, though, too many people uninstall a program using the wrong ways, which can lead to poor performance and problems on the computer. These wrong ways are delete the program’s folder or just deleting the icons. When you attempt to remove a program in this way, there will be a large amount of configuration information left in the Windows Registry as well as files that may be installed in locations other than the program’s folder. These orphan files and Registry data have the chance of causing conflicts on your computer thus leading to problems.
The proper way to uninstall a program is to use the uninstall routine that is bundled with the program itself. This will remove the files, Windows Registry information, and other configuration from your computer so that there are no conflicts in the future. When a program is installed in Windows, it will add information to the Windows Registry on the proper way to uninstall it. You can then use Windows Vista’s Programs and Features control panel to properly uninstall the program. This tutorial will walk you through using this control panel so that you uninstall programs correctly. This method has not changed too much from previous version of Windows, but there have been some changes in Vista, which should be outlined.
How to uninstall a program in Windows Vista
- Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this:
- When the Start Menu opens click on the Control Panel menu option.
- When the Control Panel window opens click on the Uninstall a program option option under the Programs category, Programs and Features in Classic View.
- Select the program to uninstall and click uninstall.
- You may be prompted to supply administrative credentials or approve the uninstall.
- Follow onscreen prompts.
As each program’s uninstall process is different, it is advised that you read each screen carefully and continue with the uninstall process. When uninstalling certain programs you may receive a prompt from Windows stating An unidentified programs wants access to your computer. When you receive this as you uninstall the program, you should click on the Allow button, as it is the uninstaller being started.
The program will now continue to uninstall, and when completed you will be back at the list of programs installed on your computer. You will notice, though, that the program you just uninstalled is no longer listed. At this point you can either uninstall another programs or close the Programs and Features screen.
How to uninstall a program in Windows 7 and Windows 8
To see a list of the programs that we can uninstall we must first open the Programs and Features control panel. To do this you should follow these steps:
- In Windows 7 click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this:
.When the Start Menu opens click on the Control Panel menu option. In Windows 8, click on the Control Panel app in the Windows 8 Start Screen. Then scroll to the bottom and click on the More Settings option. - When the Control Panel window opens click on the Uninstall a program option option under the Programs category, Programs and Features icon when viewing just icons.
- Select the program to uninstall and click uninstall.
- You may be prompted to supply administrative credentials or approve the uninstall.
- Follow onscreen prompts.
Windows may prompt you with a message stating Windows needs your permission to continue. At this screen you should click on the Continue button. As each program’s uninstall process is different, it is advised that you read each screen carefully and continue with the uninstall process. When uninstalling certain programs you may receive a prompt from Windows stating An unidentified programs wants access to your computer. When you receive this as you uninstall the program, you should click on the Allow button, as it is the uninstaller being started.
The program will now continue to uninstall, and when completed you will be back at the list of programs installed on your computer. You will notice, though, that the program you just uninstalled is no longer listed. At this point you can either uninstall another programs or close the Programs and Features screen.
How to uninstall a program in Windows 10
To see a list of the programs that we can uninstall we must first open the Programs and Features control panel. To do this you should follow these steps:
- In Windows 7 click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. When the Start Menu opens click on the Settings menu option.
- Click the System box and then select Apps & Features
- Select the program to uninstall and click uninstall.
- You may be prompted to supply administrative credentials or approve the uninstall.
- Follow onscreen prompts.
Windows may prompt you with a message stating Windows needs your permission to continue. At this screen you should click on the Continue button. As each program’s uninstall process is different, it is advised that you read each screen carefully and continue with the uninstall process. When uninstalling certain programs you may receive a prompt from Windows stating An unidentified programs wants access to your computer. When you receive this as you uninstall the program, you should click on the Allow button, as it is the uninstaller being started.
The program will now continue to uninstall, and when completed you will be back at the list of programs installed on your computer. You will notice, though, that the program you just uninstalled is no longer listed. At this point you can either uninstall another programs or close the Programs and Features screen.
Now that know the proper way to uninstall a program you can avoid leaving errant files and configuration information on the computer when you would like to remove a program. This also allows you to clear up some extra disk space, if needed, by uninstalling any programs that you do not need.