How to uninstall programs in Windows correctly? What files can you safely delete from your computer? Is it possible to delete the program files x86 folder
From time to time, users encounter a problem when, after removing a program, its remnants interfere with the work of other programs or even the operating system.
This problem can manifest itself in different ways. For example, when installing a new version or program from another manufacturer, a message may appear that an old version of it has been found on the computer (or a product from another manufacturer), after which the installation process is interrupted. There are also cases when, after removing a program, the context menu items of the remote program remain in the Explorer context menu. Trying to run them results in an error.
This is due to the fact that there are traces (remnants) of the deleted program in the system, which interfere with the work. They can be located both in the system registry and on disks.
This is most often encountered by antivirus users when, when switching from one antivirus package to another, a message appears stating that a version from another manufacturer is already installed on the computer. After such a message, the installation process is interrupted.
How to fix the situation and remove the incorrectly removed program?
1. Checking the list of installed programs
First, we need to make sure that we have actually uninstalled the program. While this is an obvious step, there are times when an app next to it is deleted by mistake. To rule out this misunderstanding, you just need to check the list again.
To do this, run the uninstaller tool and try to find there the name of the application that we want to remove. If it is not there, then move on.
2. We are looking for special removal utilities from manufacturers
When it comes to antivirus or protection tools, the developers of such programs often create specialized utilities to completely remove their own products. As a rule, they are called something like this:% AntivirusName% Removal Tool. Instead of% AntivirusName%, you must substitute the name of the antivirus product.
Such utilities are just created in order to completely remove the product from the system. And antivirus developers try to keep such products up to date, because users often need them. It is recommended to use them in the first place if you want to remove the antivirus solution completely.
Below is a list of links to such utilities for several popular antivirus solutions.
3. Removing remnants of deleted programs in the Reg Organizer uninstaller
If we are not talking about antiviruses, but about a simple application program, then there is a chance that the data on traces (residues) are available in the database of the uninstall tool in Reg Organizer.
To do this, launch Reg Organizer and go to the uninstaller tool. On the left side panel there will be an item "Traces of already deleted programs".
If after the name of the item you see a non-zero value in brackets, then the Reg Organizer utility was able to find the remnants of some programs. Check if there is a program among them that you want to remove.
If the removal of leftovers through Reg Organizer did not help or the leftovers for the program you need were not found, then go to the next step.
4. Manual search for residuals on the disk
Now let's move on to manual methods for finding residuals. First, let's check the disks for traces of the program that we want to completely remove from the system. To do this, we will use the usual Explorer (or any other file manager convenient for you).
C: \ Program Files \ and C: \ Program Files (x86) \
These folders contain the main working files of the applications.
We need to find and delete the folder with the name of the program. You just sequentially go through the folders in Program Files and, if you find the one you need, delete it.
In doing so, you need to remember the name of the manufacturer of the product, because sometimes they place the program folders in a shared folder with the manufacturer's name.
% AppData% and% LocalAppData%
These folders are used to store files that are created while the application is running. These can be configuration files for your system, logs, and more.
To open them, just enter% appdata% or% localappdata% in the address bar of the Explorer and press Enter. The operating system will automatically redirect you to the appropriate folder on disk in your user profile.
We open consecutively the folders% appdata% and% localappdata% in Explorer and look inside these folders for the name of the manufacturer or directly the name of the product whose remnants we want to delete.
Most often, in AppData / LocalAppData, first there is a folder with the name of the manufacturer, and already in it there is a folder with the name of the product itself.
Some programs are installed entirely in% AppData% instead of Program Files.
After you find the folders with the product name in AppData / LocalAppData, just delete them.
5. Manual search for traces in the registry using Reg Organizer
In the system registry, you can also find many traces of programs that were removed a long time ago. To find them, run Reg Organizer and select the Registry Editor tool.
In the upper right corner there is a line for entering a search query. There we will enter the name of the program or the name of the manufacturer. But first, we need to set up the search so as not to get a mountain of unnecessary keys, among which it will be problematic to find anything.
Open the search settings and leave a tick only in front of the "Key names" item in the "Where to search" block. This will instruct the program to search for matches only in the names of the keys, which will significantly reduce the number of entries in the search results and simplify work with them.
As soon as the settings are changed, enter a search query in the form of the name of the manufacturer or the name of the program (it is better to start with the first one) and start the search.
As a result, you will receive a small list of registry keys, the names of which contain the name of the manufacturer's company or the name of the program itself. You need to find those that satisfy the following construction:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ %The name of the company%\%The name of the program%
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ WOW6432Node \ %The name of the company%\%The name of the program%
HKEY_USERS \% DEPTH-NUMBER% \ Software \ %The name of the company%\%The name of the program%
HKEY_USERS \% DEPTH-NUMBER% \ Software \ WOW6432Node \ %The name of the company%\%The name of the program%
Legend:
%The name of the company%- the name of the manufacturer of the program, the remnants of which must be removed. Doesn't always exist. Instead, there may be a field% Program name%.
%The name of the program%- the name of the program, the remnants of which must be removed.
% NUMBER-WITH-DEPHISES%- user ID in the HKEY_USERS key.
Those keys that satisfy the above constructions should be ticked off and deleted using the context menu (invoked by the right mouse button).
You can also check and, if detected, delete references to the remote program in the keys located at the following addresses:
\ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall \
\ SOFTWARE \ WOW6432Node \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall \
Data deletion through the Reg Organizer registry editor is performed with the obligatory creation of a backup copy, which, if necessary, can be restored through the "Undo Changes Center", which is launched in the lower right corner of the main window.
6. Automatic registry cleaning in Reg Organizer
The last step in the search for traces of the deleted program in the registry is automatic cleaning using Reg Organizer. The utility analyzes key registry keys and looks for links to non-existent / deleted files, so that they can then be correctly deleted.
This is useful in cases where the remote program is recorded in the startup, context menu, file extension associations, and other similar sections.
Registry cleaning is carried out completely automatically, therefore it does not require user intervention. You just need to be patient while the utility conducts a deep analysis of the system registry in search of links to deleted files and folders.
When you delete keys while cleaning the registry, Reg Organizer automatically creates a backup copy of the deleted data, which can be restored if necessary via the "Undo Changes Center" (opens in the lower right corner of the main program window).
This procedure is performed last. This is due to the fact that it searches for links to deleted files. If you first clean the registry, and only then delete the files, then traces in the menu, startup and other places will remain, since at the time of cleaning the registry files were present on the disk.
This article is aimed at computer literacy beginners who are just starting to learn a computer. It will focus on how to remove programs from a computer on which the Windows operating system is installed. Yes, the actions are in principle very simple and for any experienced user it will just spit. But beginners still have similar questions, especially when the program for some reason cannot be removed through the standard Windows tools and you have to delete it manually.
Most programs for use in Windows need to be installed on your computer. This process involves unpacking the program and copying the files and folders necessary for its operation to the required areas of the Windows system.
If you are not familiar with installing programs, then I recommend that you read a separate article -.
The removal process is then performed as well. Through a special Windows tool, the selected program is deleted, namely, the previously copied files and folders that were necessary for the operation of this program are deleted.
But there are also programs that do not initially require their installation on a computer. For their work, you need only one or several files located in any folder on your computer. To remove such additional Windows tools, you do not need to and you just need to delete the file itself through which the program is launched or the entire folder with this program.
The process for uninstalling installed programs is very similar for all versions of Windows.
Removing programs installed on a Windows computer
Now I will show you the process of removing installed programs for older versions of Windows (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8) and for the newer - Windows 10. Let's start with the older ones.
Removing installed programs on versions of Windows prior to Windows 10
To uninstall programs in these versions of Windows, we need the corresponding Windows Uninstall Tool. The easiest way to find it is through the Windows Control Panel, and that, in turn, through the Windows Search.
Therefore, the first step is to open the "Control Panel".
In older versions of Windows (Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7), the Control Panel is located in the Start menu.
You can also find it through the search in the "Start" menu, typing there the query "control panel".
In Windows 8, the control panel is easier to find just through the search, in the same way by entering the query "control panel". Search in this system is opened using the hotkeys Win + S.
Going into the control panel, open the "Uninstall the program" section.
A list of all programs installed on the computer will appear (if there are many of them, the list will be loaded gradually). Now you just need to select the program you want to remove from the list (1) and click the “Remove” button (2) at the top of the list.
Further, the uninstallation process already depends on the program that you are uninstalling, but usually you just need to agree to the uninstallation in one or several subsequent windows. For example, I am now uninstalling the Google Chrome program (this is a browser for browsing sites on the Internet) and after clicking the "Delete" button, a window like this appeared, where I marked the parameters I needed and again confirmed the deletion with the "Delete" button:
Removing installed programs in the Windows 10 operating system
In the Windows 10 operating system, a completely new menu with system settings has been added, through which you can also uninstall programs. At the same time, the old method of uninstalling programs through the control panel also remained. Let's consider a new way.
You can read an overview of the Windows 10 operating system from me in the article -.
Go to the "Start" menu and open "Options" there.
In the next window, select "System".
Then open the Applications and Features tab (1). A list of all programs installed on your system will appear on the right in the window (2).
Select the program you want to uninstall from the list and click Uninstall.
Further, the uninstallation process already depends on the program that you are uninstalling, but usually you just need to agree to the uninstallation in one or several subsequent windows. For example, when you uninstall the Google Chrome program (this is a browser for browsing sites on the Internet) and after clicking the "Delete" button, this window appears, where I marked the parameters I needed and again confirmed the deletion with the "Delete" button:
If suddenly, for some reason, you cannot uninstall a program in Windows 10 in the above way, then uninstall it in the old way, as in older versions of Windows - through the control panel. This is described in the previous section of this material -.
What should I do if the program cannot be removed from the Windows computer in the standard way?
Sometimes there are situations when, when trying to uninstall a program through the Windows Control Panel, an error occurs. In this case, the program is not removed from the computer and remains in the list. In this case, you can try to uninstall the program manually by deleting the folder itself with this program from your computer.
Programs in Windows are installed either in the C: \ Program Files folder, or in a similar C: \ Program Files (x86). Open Windows Explorer (you can through the icon or the "Computer" button) and go to the "Computer" section (1), if you do not find yourself there right away. Next, open the "C:" drive (2).
If there are two folders, then you should first open one and see if there is a folder with the name of the program that you want to delete, and if not, then look in the second folder.
Usually most of the programs are located in the C: \ Program Files (x86) folder
Looking through the list of folders, you need to find the one that is also called (or approximately the same) as the program that you wanted to uninstall and you couldn't. For example, your Skype was not uninstalled in the usual way due to some kind of error. In the C: \ Program Files (x86) folder we see a folder named "Skype". So we are trying to remove it manually. It should work.
If the program folder is not manually deleted due to any access errors, you can try to go to this folder and delete several files from there.
After that, do not forget to go to Control Panel (for Windows versions up to 10) or Settings> System> Apps and Features for Windows 10 and from there try to uninstall the program again. The program will need to be removed from the list of all programs.
Conclusion
Removing programs from Windows is a very simple and straightforward process if you look at the eyes of a more or less experienced computer user. And if you look through the eyes of a beginner, then the removal process can even mean a simple removal of shortcuts (program icons) from the desktop, which have nothing to do with the program itself. In my practice, I have seen this many times. Therefore, it is important to know how to uninstall programs correctly!
Have a nice day and great mood! :)
What is the Program Files (x86) folder on the C drive?- this question arises quite often. In fact, there are two folders on the system disk at the same time - Program Files and Program Files (x86), which raises questions.
The folder itself Program Files By default, it is intended in the Windows operating system to place files of installed programs in it. This means that when you install a program on a computer, then almost always the program will be placed in Program Files... But where did another such folder come from? To answer this question, I'll start a little from afar :)
Without diving into the reason for this division, I will say that at present there are two versions of Windows: 32-bit and 64-bit (or "bit").
The main significant difference for us between these versions of Windows is that the 64-bit version can work with more than 4 GB of RAM, while the 32-bit version only supports up to 4 GB of RAM.
But not only the operating system, but also the programs have bit capacity. That is, many programs have two versions - 32-bit and 64-bit.
Accordingly, the limitation on working with memory in one way or another applies to programs, and if we go a little deeper into the topic, then the situation looks like this ...
If 32-bit Windows and, accordingly, 32-bit programs are installed on the computer, then no more than 3GB of RAM will be available for the programs to work, and even if the computer has 8GB, the remaining 5GB will be idle.
If 64-bit Windows is installed, then it will support both 32-bit and 64-bit programs and applications. Moreover, all the RAM installed on the computer is available for applications.
That is, in 32-bit Windows you can work only with 32-bit programs, and in 64-bit - both with those and with others.
Well, now let's go back to our folders ...
Two folders Program Files and Program Files (x86) only available on 64-bit Windows. I think you already guessed why.
Into the folder Program Files 64-bit programs are installed by default, and in Program Files (x86), respectively, 32-bit.
Therefore, you do not need to do anything with this folder, and it quite naturally appeared on your computer after installing a 64-bit operating system.
When you start browsing your drive, where the operating system is installed, you can discover a lot. For example, some time ago I talked about. Today, let's talk about a folder called Program Files (x86): what is in it and can it be deleted?
You can find a folder called Program Files (x86) in the root of the system drive, usually it is drive C. You probably know that the Program Files folder itself is necessary to install various programs - by default, programs are installed in it. But this is a folder without any postscripts, and here we are talking about a folder with an additional name x86. Moreover, if you have a folder with this name, it means that at the root you will find the Program Files folder without any additional notes.
The casket, as they say, opens simply. There are two versions of the Windows operating system -. In short, the difference between them is that in one cycle of processor time, the system can process a command of 32 or 64 bits, respectively. In addition, a 64-bit operating system supports a much larger amount of RAM, while a 32-bit operating system supports no more than 4 GB (in fact, even less).
If we are talking about a 32-bit version of Windows, then it only supports 32-bit programs. Accordingly, if you want to run a 64-bit program on a 32-bit system, you will get an error. True, in many cases such an application can still be launched, but perhaps "dancing with a tambourine." A 64-bit operating system supports both 32-bit and 64-bit programs and applications. Accordingly, 32-bit programs and applications are installed in the Program Files (x86) folder, and 64-bit programs are installed in Program Files. It is for this reason that you see two folders at once with virtually the same names at the root of the folder. And this is not a bug or glitch of the system, as some users believe. By the way, the Program Files (x86) folder takes its name from the early Intel processors: 8086, 80186, 80286, etc. So, in any case, it is considered.
How do I delete the Program Files (x86) folder?
This folder is deleted as easily as other folders. You may need administrator rights. Another question - why do this if 32-bit applications are installed in this folder? In addition, already installed applications will be deleted along with the folder. Why do you need all this?
In my opinion, this folder should not be touched at all. In the end, it doesn't bother anyone.
Some programs, when installed on a computer, do not "inform" the operating system of their presence and do not appear in the Add / Remove Programs menu ("Programs and Features" for Windows Vista and Windows 7). Of course, this does not mean at all that they cannot be deleted.
How to put a lattice on a laptop How to type a hash symbol on a laptop
Windows operating system All types of Windows
Where is the file sharing site on the computer