8 ways to remove software, delete applications on Windows computers

Many of you know how to install software on your computer but do not know how to remove the software from the computer. To remove applications on your computer is very simple and there are many different ways to do it such as uninstalling from Control Panel, using built-in software uninstaller, using 3rd party application uninstall software … Let’s take a closer look at how to do it in the section below.

1. Uninstall the software from Control Panel

This is the most common and used by most Windows users. The advantage of this solution is that the software can be removed quickly and easily from one place. The downside is that it can only uninstall apps that you install using .exe, .msi files … downloaded from software download sites, not apps downloaded from Windows Store on Windows 10, Windows 8/Windows 8.1.

To do this, you access the menu Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features. On Windows 10, go to Control Panel, you will see Programs and Features always without going through Programs.

In the Programs and Features window, double-click the name of the program or utility you want to remove from the system, or right-click the name and select Uninstall And follow the instructions.

2. Uninstall programs with Uninstall shortcuts

Most desktop-side programs, after installation, create a shortcut with a name Uninstall. The name of the Uninstall file will also appear in the program’s folder on the Start menu (in Windows Vista, Windows 7) or the Start screen (in Windows 8 / Windows 8.1).

To uninstall any program, you need to select the correct file named Uninstall of that program to remove the program / utility from the system.

3. Uninstall with the program’s Uninstall.exe file

There are many programs available (especially the programs that create Uninstall shortcuts) there will be an executable file named uninstall.exe. This file is always found in the installation directory of that program / utility.

Sometimes this uninstaller gets abbreviated name, maybe uninst.exe like below:

Just double click on the uninstall.exe file in that program’s installation directory and follow the necessary steps to uninstall the program from the system.

4. Uninstall the program using the MSI installation file

Some programs (like the 64 bit version of 7 Zipsetup.exe file will not be used for installation. Instead, the installation file will have the extension “* .Msi”. This format is used by Windows Installer, a special installation format that is reserved by Microsoft for its Windows operating system.

Hence, the installation files are in the form “* .msi“it will be easy to uninstall by right-clicking on the file and choosing the command Uninstall.

Deleting programs from your system from the msi file can also be activated from the command line. By activating the Command Prompt feature with admin rights and then entering the command “msiexec / x“followed by the name of the file as shown in the image below.

5. Uninstall apps from the Micosoft Store and programs from the Start screen

All of the methods above are mostly used only for desktop side programs. If you want to remove applications from the Start screen, you must do the following:

Right click or hold tile of the application on the Start screen to remove, the bottom of the screen will display a menu, just press the Uninstall button. Immediately the application will be removed from the system. In case the app wants to remove no more tiles on the Start screen, simply search for the app’s name Right click or click and hold on the tile’s name in the search results, then press Uninstall.

For computers without a touchscreen, Windows 8.1 displays a traditional right-click menu when right-clicking the tile of a Modern application, and then selecting a command. Uninstall to remove that application.

You can also perform the same steps with other desktop applications that are displayed on the Start screen. However, when choosing an order Uninstall then Windows 8.1 will switch to windows Programs and Features in Control Panel, from which the software can be uninstalled.

With Windows 10, you can uninstall software from the Start menu very quickly, click on the Start menu, scroll down to browse the application list and find what you want to remove, right-click on the application, select Uninstall, and then follow uninstall instructions are okay.

6. Uninstall Modern apps from PC Settings

In Windows 8.1, you can also use PC Settings to remove Modern apps from the Windows Store. By the way PC Settings>Search and apps>App sizes.

The right side will see a list of all the applications installed on the device. Click to select the application you want to remove and then press the button Uninstall.

Then press the button Uninstall to confirm removal of the application from the system.

7. Uninstall in Apps & features

You can also go Settings> Apps> Apps & features to easily see all the programs you can uninstall. This screen shows you both Windows Universal and standard desktop applications, so you’ll find every program installed on your PC here. Scroll down the list to find the program you want to remove, then click it and select Uninstall.

8. Use a dedicated software

There is quite a bit of software that can be used to remove other programs. Some software even have the ability to remove leftover files from the Windows software uninstall process as well as other registry entries, including some outstanding software such as IObit Uninstaller, Ashampoo Uninstaller, Revo Uninstaller…

Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller can completely and clean desktop applications, Windows applications and even browser extensions. The free version offers the basic features and can be a good place to start. For $ 24.95 (VND 574,000), the Pro version can remove browser extensions and the remainder of uninstalled programs. For $ 29.95 (VND 689,000), the Pro Portable version can run on multiple computers and from USB.

Revo Uninstaller can remove previously installed programs and the interface shows you all the applications on the system, making it easy to find the applications you want to remove. The program can even help install programs, allowing it to track the entire installation process for more accurate application uninstallation in the future.

To remove a program with Revo, double-click on the program you want to remove or right-click on it and select Uninstall. First, Revo creates a restore point that you can go back to, if it deletes related files and registry entries beyond your expectations. Next, Revo invokes the program’s own uninstall process to remove it.

Then, Revo will scan the Registry for the remaining settings and ask if you want to delete them. For this you can choose 3 modes – Safe, Moderate or Advanced – depending on how active the program you want. Then, Revo will scan the remaining files to delete them.

IObit Uninstaller

IObit Uninstaller can remove desktop and Windows Universal applications. The free version provides basic features, such as the ability to scan the remains of an uninstalled program. Priced at $ 19.99 / year, the Pro version fits 3 PCs and has more features, such as support for stubborn programs and browser plug-ins.

IObit Uninstaller’s main screen offers many views and options. You can view all installed programs, recently installed programs, large programs that take up a lot of space, and programs that are not frequently used. The monitor also points you to Windows applications and browser plug-ins. There’s even a section for software updates where you can check if your program is up to date.

To use IObit Uninstaller, select the program you want to remove and then click the button Uninstall. IObit uses the program’s own uninstall process to remove it, removing any unnecessary files, registry entries, and settings during the process.

Ashampoo UnInstaller

Ashampoo UnInstaller can clean desktop apps and Windows apps with no leftover files or settings. It sells for $ 21 (483,000 dong), although you can try it out before you buy with a 30-day free trial.

On the home screen, you can see all installed applications, recently installed programs, large applications and even Windows updates. You can also check the list of all Windows applications and browser plug-ins. Ashampoo UnInstaller can also monitor the installation process to make it easier to remove programs.

To try out Ashampoo UnInstaller, select a program you want to remove and click the button Uninstall. You can choose to perform an additional intensive cleaning to try removing any traces of the program. The program’s own uninstall process will run, leaving Ashampoo UnInstaller to remove leftover files and Registry settings.