Uninstalling Software from Your Computer: A Simple Guide for Permanent Removal

Most Windows users need to uninstall software from time to time. The more software you install, the less free hard drive space you have on your PC or laptop. Removing software from your computer permanently can help you reclaim free hard drive space.

There are different ways you can uninstall software in Windows. Most users are probably already familiar with the built-in Programs and Features uninstaller. But using this uninstaller isn’t always the best way to remove software from your system, and sometimes you may want to try different solutions that might even be more effective. Here are seven ways you can remove software packages in Windows 11.

How to Uninstall Software from Your Computer

Apart from using the in-built Windows tools to uninstall software from your computer system, you can also leverage third-party software to remove applications more effectively and thoroughly.

1. Uninstall Software from Control Panel

Control Panel is one of the methods almost all Windows users are familiar with when it comes to uninstalling software. Control Panel includes the Programs and Features applet, which is the solution you can use to uninstall most popular software on your computer.

Programs and Features may seem a bit dated compared to some third-party uninstallers, but it’s still a quick and easy solution. However, this tool doesn’t always remove absolutely every file, folder, and registry entry for the uninstalled software.

To uninstall software through Programs and Features, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Press the Windows + R key combination to launch the Run dialog box. Type appwiz.cpl in the Open field and click the Open button to bring up the Programs and Features window.

Step 2: From the list of installed applications, select the software you want to remove.

Step 3: Click the Uninstall button, click the Yes button in the confirmation dialog box.

Step 4: The uninstallation wizard will then open, follow the prompts to complete the uninstallation process and remove that software from your system.

2. Uninstall Software from Settings

Since you can’t remove Microsoft Store apps via the Programs and Features tool, you’ll need to uninstall some software through the Settings app. The Settings app includes the Apps & features feature, where you can select and uninstall apps from your system.

Step 1: Press the Windows + I key combination to launch the Settings app.

Step 2: On the Settings window that appears, select the Apps option in the left pane.

Step 3: Next, select the Apps & features option to view a list of installed applications.

Step 4: Click the three-dot button to the right of the app name, from the drop-down menu select the Uninstall option, and follow the instructions on the screen to completely remove the app from your system.

3. Uninstall Software from File Explorer

Most desktop software after installation will come with an Uninstall.exe file in the installation directory itself or in the Start menu under the same software installation folder. This file has the function of always uninstalling that software when needed. To do so, you just need to find the Uninstall.exe file of the software in Explorer. This is how you remove software via File Explorer.

Step 1: Press the Windows + E key combination to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Navigate to the installation directory of the software you want to uninstall. If during the software installation you don’t change the default installation directory, it will most likely be in the C\Program Files directory.

Step 3: Then find the Uninstall.exe file in the software folder and double-click on this file to open the uninstall window.

Step 4: Select the necessary options in the uninstaller window to completely remove the software from the system.

4. Uninstall Software from the Start Menu

The Start menu is where most of the software and apps installed on a user’s PC or laptop are listed by default. This menu also provides convenient Uninstall shortcuts to uninstall the software. Here are the steps to remove software via the Uninstall shortcut from the Start menu.

Step 1: Access the Start menu on the taskbar.

Step 2: Select the All apps menu option in the upper-right corner of the Start menu to access a list of all installed software and apps on the system.

Step 3: Select the software or app folder name you want to remove. From the expanded menu, right-click on the *.exe file of the software or app you want to remove and select Uninstall to run the uninstaller from your system.

5. Uninstall Software from the Command Prompt

One way to uninstall software from your computer permanently is to use the Command Prompt command-line tool. This method is only suitable for those who are familiar with using command lines on Windows, not for those who are familiar with using the graphical interface like the methods above.

Step 1: Click on the magnifying glass icon on the taskbar to activate the search tool. Enter cmd in the search box.

Step 2: From the search results displayed, click the Run as administrator option on the right pane to run the command window with administrator privileges.

Step 3: From the command window, type the wmic command and press Enter.

Step 4: Next, enter the command below and press Enter.

Step 5: From the list of installed software on the system, write down the name of the software you want to uninstall from the list.

Step 6: Then enter the command below and press Enter.

In which replace program name with the name of the software you need to uninstall that you noted down in step 5. For example, if you want to uninstall Epic Games Launcher, then the above statement would be

Step 7: Next, press the Y key and press Enter to confirm.

3. Using Third-Party Uninstallers

Software and applications often have many directories and files scattered throughout the system, including Registry keys. The uninstall features built into Windows don’t necessarily remove all these leftovers, so a third-party uninstaller is needed to completely remove