Sooner or later we all come across the fact that we need to get rid of programs that we no longer need. It's important to remember to avoid making mistakes when uninstalling programs and to remove unnecessary software from time to time. Otherwise the system gets junked and over time the consequences will get worse and the lags will get tougher.

We'll figure out how to completely uninstall a program so that nothing is left from it. First, we'll take a look at newbie options, and then a more efficient way for advanced users with even removing Windows 10's built-in apps.

Watch the video version below or skip on to read the guide.

How to Uninstall APPS on Windows 10?

Watch on


Standard programs

You probably know that programs need to be uninstalled correctly. It's not really a good idea to just pick up and delete a program folder. This is because the app is installed on your computer, and creates not only a folder with the program in a specified location, but also create folders and files in special Windows sections, which store various temporary files, saves, settings and so on. They also make entries in Windows registry.

First, let's look at the easiest ways using the Windows operating system itself, following some simple steps.

  1. Option 1: Settings

This method of removal is suitable for all Windows operating systems since Windows seven.

Go through "Start" to "Settings", find "Apps" and here we see a list of programs. Find the program you don't need, click on it, then click "Uninstall", confirm. The program to uninstall the application you have chosen will start.

But the program will not be removed completely, there is still something left in folders and in the registry. Still, this option is much better than just deleting the program folder from your computer. So if you are a beginner, remember that it is important to use the correct uninstallation of programs through the section in "Settings".

  1. Option 2: Control Panel

In the search box, type "Control Panel" and select it from the list of results. Select "Programs", then "Programs and Features". Find the program you don't need, right-click and click "Uninstall". Then the standard uninstall happens.

  1. Option 3: CMD

This method is for advanced users and requires a deep knowledge of how Windows works. CMD is a command-line interpreter that can be used extensively to fix various system problems, including uninstalling software.

Type "CMD" in the search box and select the appropriate item from the list of results. Then right-click on the CMD icon and select the "Run as administrator" option. Now run the command line utility called "wmic" and press "Enter". You will use it to remove the program you don't need. You should get a line like this "wmic:root\cli>". Next you need to see what programs are installed and what programs this utility sees in the system.

To do this you enter "product get name" in the active line and press "Enter". Wait a few seconds and you should see a list of all installed programs.

Then enter the following text in the active line: "product where name (which will bring up the command to uninstall the program) ="Enter the name of the program you want to uninstall, one by one that is listed above, you can copy it" and add the "call uninstall" command, then press "Enter".

Type "Y" to confirm and press "Enter" to start the uninstall process. The program is uninstalled.

  1. Option 4: Registry

You can also use the registry to remove applications in Windows. Type "regedit" or "Registry Editor" in the Windows search box. Select an item from the list, then right click on the registry editor icon and select the "Run as administrator" option. Locate the registry section and select the folder of the application to uninstall.

Here's the trick: sometimes the list does not contain the name of the application, but the name of the developer company, or a set of symbols. To find the application, click on the symbol folder and in the "DisplayName" registry parameter you see the application name itself.

Next, double-click the registry parameter "UninstallString", and copy the values. Then close the registry editor. Right-click in the "Start" menu and click "Run". Paste the copied values into the text box of the popup window and click "OK". And follow the removal instructions.

But even after deleting applications, there are still traces of it in the registry, because cluttering the registry can have a negative impact on the performance of the operating system, they need to be removed.

And so, what you need to do: press the key combination "Win+R" on your keyboard to open the "Run" window and enter the command "regedit" and press "Ok". Or you can type this query in Windows search and run "Registry Editor".

On the left you will see several folders, you are interested in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" and "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE".

In "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" you click on the arrow on the left and find the folder "SOFTWARE". Open this folder, now you have a big list to work with, look through each item and delete the ones you don't want. But you should know exactly what programs you have removed and actually their traces need to be removed from the registry.

A very important point, before making any changes to the registry, you need to make a backup copy. To do this, highlight the registry branch you are going to edit. In this case, it is the "SOFTWARE" folder, where the software records are stored. Go to the menu "File" choose "Export", specify the name of the file, anything, for example: "qwerty".

You choose where to save it, let's go to "Desktop" and press "Save". The file appears on the desktop, to import it into the registry, just double-click on it with the left mouse button and agree to make changes. Find the unnecessary folder, click the right mouse button and select the Delete option and press "Ok".

Now perform the same actions in the folder "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE". If you doubt something, do not know what this program is, it is better not to touch it. Only remove items you are sure about.

  1. Option 5: PowerShell

Now, let's move on to how to remove Windows embedded applications using the PowerShell utility. Type "Windows PowerShell" into the search box and select it from the list of results. Right click the icon and select "Run as administrator", or find the same option in the right menu.

Here you see the "Windows PowerShell" shell is running. Use the command "Get-AppxPackage", and press "Enter". This command will show you a list of all the standard applications that are currently installed on your computer. But for easy reading of the list, you can separate the lines by parameters such as "Name" and "PackageFullName". To do this, type "Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullName" and press "Enter".

Once you have examined the list of installed programs and applications, move on to uninstalling them. The command looks like this: "Get-AppxPackage the name of the program you want to remove, for example: *XboxApp* | Remove-AppxPackage". If you want to remove an application for all users, add the "-allusers" parameter. Press Enter.

Well, if you want to remove all the built-in applications, run the following command:

Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackage

and press "Enter".

Uninstallers for Windows

The best and most reliable approach is to use uninstallation software - special third-party programs. Let's take a look at some very popular and free uninstallers for Windows. With their help, you will be able to completely remove any programs from your computer. Also, some utilities have additional features, such as: monitoring new installations, uninstalling built-in applications and system cleanup features and so on.

  1. Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller is one of our most popular programs and it's counted among the best tools for uninstalling programs in Windows. After you start Revo Uninstaller, in the main item "Uninstaller" you will see a list of all installed programs that you can uninstall. There is a separate "Windows Apps" tab for uninstalling built-in applications.

To uninstall a program you don't need, find it in the list, right-click and press "Uninstall" in the popup window or press "Uninstall" in the top menu. Then a window opens where you can create a restore point and registry items by clicking "Select all" and press "Delete".

  1. CCleaner Free

Let's deal with another very popular cleanup and removal tool. This program is CCleaner Free. First of all, it is not a removal program, but it is effective for cleaning outdated files, cookies, disabling unnecessary autoloading programs, fixing the registry and much more.

And so, to remove a program with CCleaner Free go to "Tools". As you can see all the programs installed on your computer are loaded. The first tab "Uninstall", here you can remove both classic applications and embedded ones. Select the program you don't want, left click on it and then in the top right corner click on the "Uninstall" button.

Pay attention, do not press the "Delete" button, it will only remove the program entry from the list, not the program itself. After starting the uninstaller, follow its prompts. Thus the program is removed from your computer.

  1. Geek Uninstaller Free

Geek Uninstaller Free is a small, free utility to quickly and efficiently remove unwanted programs from your computer. Geek Uninstaller Free does not have as much functionality as those mentioned above, but it will be enough to remove unnecessary software. This utility does not require installation on your computer, as it is a single file and it will be useful for those who don't want third-party software on their computer.

Select the program you are going to uninstall, right-click on it or select "Action" in the top menu. Then, in the popup window, click "Uninstall". The program's built-in uninstaller will launch and the usual uninstallation will take place.

Once the process is complete, Geek Uninstaller Free will start scanning the system for remaining files, folders, registry items. After that the scan results will be shown, click "Finish". All the program is removed from your computer completely, without leaving any traces.

Summing up

These are the main options for removing programs on Windows 10 and a few third-party ones. As you can see there are quite a few, but at the same time, most are simple and any user will be able to deal with them. Remember, if you don't know what this program is or if you have doubts about something, it is better not to touch it. Uninstall only those items and programs that you are sure about.