If you are an inexperienced user of Windows 8, and indeed any Windows, then this article will be just for you. In it, we will cover the topic: "Removing programs in Windows 8". We will analyze all the methods and talk about what happens if you delete them incorrectly. And, of course, we’ll tell you what utilities you can use for better removal.
What will happen if the program is uninstalled incorrectly?
By the word “wrong” we mean the case when a program or game is deleted to the trash. This method is most often welcomed by computer beginners. Now let's open this question in more detail.
The bottom line is that when you install any software, folders are created, many folders. You can notice only those whose path you have laid yourself, but, believe me, there are many more. In addition to them, heaps of invisible files and folders are created, a lot of information is also entered into the registry, as a result, it turns out that the hidden files are larger than the installed program itself. If we take a living example, then after removing Microsoft Office in this way, 1.5 GB of occupied space still remains on the computer. It is clear that this figure is too high.
But the occupied space on the hard drive is still a trifle. The bottom line is that the registry directly affects the performance of a personal computer. You did not notice that when you just installed Windows, it, as they say, flies. But after some time of using the OS, it starts to slow down: programs run for a long time, they do not respond periodically, the computer freezes. Yes, it's all because you uninstalled the program incorrectly. Now let's talk about what are the ways to uninstall programs in Windows 8.
How can I uninstall a program?
So, with how to remove the software incorrectly, we figured out, now we need to tell how to remove them.
Fortunately, there are many ways to do this, but we will mention three main ones:
Windows tools
using the uninstaller;
using the utility.
Each method from the list is better than its predecessor. So, if you use the Windows tools, which are standard and are not only present in the G8, you can quickly and easily remove the program you need without residue. But it happens that it is not on the list. In this case, the uninstaller, which is often located in the directory of the program itself, will come to your aid. But it also happens that he is not there, in this case, utilities designed to remove everything that they are shown will help out.
Uninstalling programs in Windows 8 is a standard procedure that will be repeated very often, so immediately proceed to consider examples of uninstallation.
Programs and Features
There is such a utility in Windows 8 - installing / uninstalling programs. It is it that is designed to correctly remove unnecessary software. Her dignity is one - she does not need to be installed. After installing Windows itself, it is automatically installed on the PC.
In order to find her, you need to enter the "Control Panel". You can do this in several ways - either click on "Start" and select it in the list of programs, or search by writing its name in the line. By the way, the search can be called hot keys Win + Q.
Once you get into the "Control Panel", find among all the names "Programs and Features." In the event that you did not find this, then you have large icons visible. Change them to small ones. In the upper right corner of the window there is this option.
In program x and components you will see a huge list of all the programs and games installed on your computer. Accordingly, you need to find the one that you want to permanently erase from the hard drive. Using the mouse wheel, scroll through the list and, finding the name you need, left-click on it to highlight. After that, find the “Delete” button from the top and click on it. You will be asked if you really want to remove the programs, if so, confirm. By the way, this button can be signed by Unintall.
Uninstallers
As mentioned above, there is a situation when the program you need is not in the list. In this case, you must use the uninstaller, which is located in the folder with the program itself. This application is unpacked there automatically when installing the software, and its main task is to remove programs in Windows 8.
First of all, you need to open the program itself. A directory is the folder where the software files are located. Usually you specify the path to it during installation. If you chose the default installation, then the software most likely was unpacked into the Program Files folder, which is located in the root folder C. If you rummaged everything there and did not find it, you can use another method.
Find the program shortcut, most likely it is on your desktop. Right-click on it and select "File Location" in the menu - the file directory will automatically open in front of you.
If there is no shortcut on the desktop, but it is located in the Start menu, then it’s okay, open the Start menu and right-click on the program icon, select “Properties” from the menu. There, on the tab "Shortcut" in the line "Object", the path to the file is registered.
In the directory you need to find the uninstaller, most often it is called unins and has the extension .exe. The name may be modified, but in fact it will be similar. Open the application and the program will automatically disappear from your PC after your confirmation.
Utilities
Now let's talk about CCleaner - a program to remove programs. It can be downloaded for free from the official site by writing its name in the line of any search engine.
When installing, be careful: you will be asked permission to install additional software, such as Yandex.Bro w ser and its utilities - uncheck the box and click "Next". After installation and run the program.
By the way, with the help of CCleaner , the removal of Windows 8 malware is very good. The fact is that standard programs and components do not always find them.
Once the program has started, you can immediately go to the "Tools" menu. There, by default, you should open the "Uninstall programs", if this did not happen, select the item yourself.
You will see a list of all the programs on your PC, this window is similar to the "Programs and Features" window, find the desired program in the list and highlight it, then click "Uninstall". In the event that you click "Delete", the program will simply be deleted from the list, and all its files will remain on the PC.
This program to remove programs for free can erase any software from your hard drive, and also does not forget to carefully clean the registry.