It often happens that the computer starts to work slowly, errors occur when opening various programs, and the hard disk space is rapidly running out. In order to avoid problems with the operation of the device, you need to promptly and correctly remove unused programs and applications.
How to completely remove the application from the computer, we will consider in detail in this article.
Why uninstall programs?
A huge amount of a wide variety of data accumulates over time in the computerās memory. Usually we download a variety of applications that we use for a while, and then forget about them, as soon as there is no need to use them. Any program leaves residual data in the computer registry and various directories. When a large amount of such data is accumulated, this can seriously slow down the PC, not to mention that a lot of space remains occupied on the hard disk, and sooner or later it may not be enough for really needed files.
Therefore, you need to periodically audit all unused programs and know how to properly remove applications from your computer.
Uninstall programs on Windows
It is not enough just to delete the folder in which the application files are located - this does not give the desired result, anyway there are files that were somehow involved in the program.
To figure out how to completely remove the application from the computer, first go to the control panel. You can do this through the Start menu by going into it and selecting the appropriate item.
If you have Windows 7, go to the display mode by category and find the item "Uninstall a program" in the list. See how it will look in the screenshot. The desired menu is highlighted in yellow.
As soon as you go into this subsection, you will see a list of all installed programs and applications. Select the application you want to remove, click on it and confirm the removal. Done. Therefore, you can uninstall applications on your computer in Windows. How else can I clear the device of unnecessary information?
Windows registry
The registry accumulates entries about the operation of all programs and applications that are installed on the computer. Over time, there are so many of them that it begins to seriously affect the performance of the PC. Registry cleaning is required to eliminate unnecessary entries and improve device performance. In addition, when you need to permanently remove the application from the computer, as you know, it is not enough just to get rid of the files, you also need to clean the registry and make sure that all the program components are eliminated.
To start, press the key combination WIN + R on the keyboard. The "Run" line will appear. You must enter the following command in it: regedit.
Go to the registry menu by pressing Enter or OK.
Data backup
First you need to make a copy of the available data in case cleaning the registry will damage the PC or applications. Export from the registry must be done before erasing the data and completely removing the application from the computer. As you can see, the system provides a function of backing up information, so that in case of a critical error you can restore everything.
Select Export from the top menu, then select the directory where the data file will be saved, specify its name and save.
If something goes wrong, now you can return to the previous working option. If you are concerned about the lack of free space on your computer, then if the data in the registry is successfully cleared, the copied files can be deleted.
Do not make changes to the registry without saving a copy of the data - it does not provide a cancellation function.
Registry cleaning
The registry itself is divided into two parts - on the left is a tree of objects, and on the right are the records themselves.
You need to find the directory with the name HKEY_CURRENT_USER in the left part, expand it and go to the Software folder. Look at the screenshot below - the folder in which you need to go is highlighted in color.
Here you will see a complete list of programs that were installed on this computer. Find the desired program and you will see the entries corresponding to it. Now just select the entry with the mouse and press Delete.
Thus, you can be sure that you now know the basic information on how to remove unnecessary applications on your computer.
If you are not sure whether it is worth deleting any entry regarding a particular program, try looking for this information so as not to commit erroneous actions.
Features of removing programs in Windows 10
The process of uninstalling applications on this operating system is almost the same as described above, but there is another way to remove applications from a computer running Windows 10.
To do this, go to the āSettingsā section through āStartā and find the āApplications and Featuresā menu there. A list of applications available to you will open, from which you can select the one to be deleted and click the corresponding button in the lower right.
Windows 10 has another very quick uninstall feature: a list of programs is displayed in the Start menu itself. Just right-click on any and select "Delete."
You can consider this method by the example of removing one of the most common programs from Yandex - the voice assistant Alice.
To remove the Alice application from the computer completely, as shown above, find it in the application menu or in the list of programs and components through the control panel. To delete, you will need to select it, select it with the mouse and click "Change / Delete" or simply "Delete".
Another way to uninstall a program
As a rule, in most programs, games and applications, the functionality for their removal is laid directly in the program itself.
In order to figure out how to completely remove an application or game from your computer, find the icon of any program that you donāt need right now, right-click on it and select "File Location". A directory with the installed files will open.
Among them, you need to find a file called Uninstall. You need to run it and follow the instructions on the screen. As a rule, you need to click "Next" several times and just wait until the program is erased from the computer.
Using various utilities
Removing programs and cleaning the computer can be carried out not only with the built-in standard tools of the Windows operating system, but also with the help of various third-party utilities that help to clean up the file system and remove unused applications.
The principle of operation of most of these programs is identical, therefore, we will analyze the example of the most popular of them - Revo Uninstaller.
This utility helps to cope with the removal of programs; it has several modes for uninstalling:
- built-in - the most common uninstall;
- safe - helps to deal with hidden files and registry entries;
- medium - combines the functional of safe mode with search in public places;
- advanced - as the name implies, in this mode the most complete functionality is presented, checking records both on the disk and in the registry and hidden folders.
In order to start using this utility, it is enough to download and install it on your computer (for the portable version you will not even need to install it). Run the program and you will see a list of programs available for removal. In general, the functionality of such programs is quite sufficient so that the user does not have more questions about how to completely remove the application from the computer.
Select from the list, delete - and you're done!
There are a lot of similar programs - try a few and you can decide which program is best suited for your needs.
Removing operating system components
Not all programs will appear in the "Uninstall a program" section on the command line. Some of them are system components of Windows and cannot be removed in the same way as other programs. They can only be turned on or off through a special menu.
In order to disable the Windows components, go to the control panel, in it go to the "Programs".
A window should open, as in the photo below.
The highlighted section is highlighted. We go into it and observe the possibility of using the checkboxes to enable or disable the components of Windows.
Accordingly, in order to turn the component back on, it will be enough to just go into this menu and check the boxes again for those programs.
It is important to remember that this method, as well as cleaning the registry, which was mentioned above, requires that you have administrator rights to the account with which the actions are performed.
Antivirus Removal
It is worth mentioning that when removing anti-virus programs, standard methods do not always bring the desired result.
Therefore, we will give advice: when removing antiviruses, it is better to find out in the technical support of the supplier whether there is a special utility written specifically for this virus - as a rule, such programs perform high-quality cleaning of the components of the antivirus program.
In this case, it is usually enough to start the uninstaller and wait, if necessary, to follow the instructions on the screen.
Finally
So, we examined the main ways to remove any application from the computer. The basic rule is that the less data the applications reserve, the faster the PC can work.