Uninstalling programs effectively
Whether you’ve accidentally installed an application or just need some space, the easiest solution is to simply uninstall the program. While plenty of computer users know how to do so, it can be confusing if you’re new to the world of computers. But there are a few ways to uninstall an application.
The Control Panel approach
In Windows XP, you’ll need to click ‘Start’ in the lower-left corner, ‘Settings’ and then ‘Control Panel’. From there, you’ll need to double-click on ‘Add/Remove Programs’. A list of programs will then appear and you’ll then need to right-click and select ‘uninstall’ to remove the selected program. In Windows Vista and 7, you’ll need to click the ‘Windows’ icon in the bottom-left corner and then click on ‘Control Panel’. You’ll then need to double-click ‘Programs and Features’, which will bring up a list of applications installed on your computer. From there, you’ll need to right-click on your desired application and select ‘uninstall’.
In both operating systems, a dialogue will appear, confirming your decision.
The Program Files approach
The first thing you’ll want to do is to navigate to the folder of the program you’d like to uninstall. Most programs can be found in ‘C:\Program Files’. From there, you’ll need to find the relevant folder, which will either be named after the program itself or after the developers. For example, if I’m looking for the VLC Media Player folder, it can be found in the ‘VideoLAN’ folder (named after the developer). Now, logic dictates that you should simply delete the folder if you want to get rid of the program. However, computers and logic don’t go together well – you’ll need to find the uninstall application.
Uninstall applications usually have the word ‘uninstall.exe’ or a variation of the word, such as ‘unins000.exe’ or ‘uninst.exe’ in it. Double-clicking it should bring up a few steps, such as confirming the uninstall process and whether you’d like to retain any miscellaneous data.
A dedicated uninstall program
In most cases, these two steps are all you’ll need to uninstall an application. However, some pesky programs tend to leave data behind or simply can’t be removed in a straightforward way, taking up more space and making your computer run slower. That’s where Revo Uninstaller comes in. This freeware application is pretty straightforward, listing all programs on your computer, with users simply needing to right-click to uninstall. Revo Uninstaller can also remove registry files and other leftover data, freeing
up space and giving you a tiny speed boost. To download the application, simply click here and download the freeware version.
—Article courtesy of iafrica.com
#uninstall #windows
Psyber Consulting 