Uninstalling apps that you no longer need or use can solve a lot of problems. It can free up some much-needed space on your disk to install other useful apps, keep your system clutter-free, improve PC’s performance, fixes issues caused by buggy apps, and the list goes on.
Plus, Windows 11 comes with a ton of bloatware, most of which you rarely use or never need. So, getting rid of them can save disk space and boost performance on your Windows 11 PC.
There are three types of apps in Windows: Desktop app, Windows app, and Pre-installed (bloatware) apps. Desktop apps are usually the third-party software installed by the users using installers, Windows apps are apps installed by users from the Microsoft Store app, and Pre-installed apps are built-in apps that come pre-installed with the Operating system and are automatically installed when a new user account is created and signed-in.
Fortunately, Windows 11 makes it easy to uninstall desktop apps, pre-installed apps, and any other apps from your computer. In this guide, we will take you through several methods for removing apps from Windows 11.
Uninstall Apps From Windows Search
Let’s start with the quickest way to remove apps from Windows 11 which is from the Windows search. You can simply search for an app and uninstall it from the context menu. Here’s how you can do that:
Click the ‘Start’ button or the ‘Window Search’ button in the taskbar and type the name of the app you want to remove in the search bar.
Then, right-click on the app from the result and select ‘Uninstall’ from the context menu.
Alternatively, you can also select the ‘Uninstall’ option from the right pane.
If you are trying to uninstall a Windows app (installed from Windows Store) or a built-in app (e.g. Skype, Microsoft Teams, etc), Windows will show you an Uninstall pop-up box right in the Search window. Simply, click the ‘Uninstall’ button to remove the app without further confirmation.
However, if you are uninstalling a desktop app or a third-party app (e.g. Chrome, Steam, etc.), it will take you to the Programs and Features control panel.
Here, locate the app you want to remove from the list of apps, select it, and click the ‘Uninstall’ button at the top. Or, right-click and select ‘Uninstall’.
If the User Account Control confirmation dialog shows up, click ‘Yes’. In the app’s Uninstall wizard, click the ‘Uninstall’ button.
If there is an option to delete the app’s data or program preference files in the Uninstaller, select that option to completely remove the app.
Uninstall Apps From the Start Menu
Another quicker way to get rid of apps from Windows 11 is via the Start menu. Here’s how:
Click the Start menu button from the taskbar to open the Start menu. If the app you want to remove is under the Pinned section, right-click on it, and select ‘Uninstall’.
If the app is not pinned to the Start menu, click on the ‘All Apps’ button at the top right corner to reveal all system and third-party apps in the system.
Scroll down the list of apps till you find the app you wish to remove, then right-click on the app and choose ‘Uninstall’.
If it’s a Windows or Pre-loaded app, a pop-up will appear, in that, click ‘Uninstall’ as shown below.
But, if it’s a desktop app (third-party app), the control panel will open up. There, select the software from the list of programs and click the ‘Uninstall’ button at the top or right-click the program name and select ‘Uninstall’.
Uninstalling Apps From Windows Settings
As you know, Windows 11 has a centralized Settings app that allows you to edit and apply various Windows configurations that include repairing, changing, and uninstalling apps. You can also uninstall third-party and built-in applications via App Settings.
Right-click the Start menu and select ‘Settings’ from the pop-up menu or press the Windows key+I and choose ‘Settings’ from the pop-up menu. You can also open settings from the Pinned apps on the Start Menu.
In the left pane of the Settings, open the ‘Apps’ tab and click ‘Installed apps’ on the right pane.
Scroll through the list of installed apps to find the app (e.g. Dynamic Theme) you wish to uninstall. If you have trouble finding the app, search for it in the search bar above.
Then, click the three-dotted menu icon (⋮) next to the corresponding program and select ‘Uninstall’.
Click the ‘Uninstall’ button again on the confirmation prompt to remove the app. After that, follow the on-screen instructions to uninstall the application.
The selected application will now be uninstalled from your computer.
Sometimes, if the application that you are trying to uninstall is set as a default app, the Uninstall button will be greyed out (unavailable). In that case, you need to set another app as the default application before you uninstall the app. Here’s how you do that:
Open the Settings app and go to the ‘Apps’ section on the left and select ‘Default apps’ on the right pane.
Next, select the app you want to remove as the default application. For example, we are selecting the ‘Media Player’ app.
Now, you will see the list of file types supported by the app and their default apps.
Now, click on desired file type or link type and choose your alternate default app for the file type. Repeat the process for all files types that has the concerned app (Media Player) as the default app.
Once you are done, go back to the Installed apps settings page, and uninstall the program.
Uninstall Apps from the Control Panel
Windows 11 also includes the legacy Control Panel which used to be the primary place for controlling all of Windows configurations, now Microsoft is slowly migrating much of its components and settings to the Settings app. However, you can still use it to uninstall stubborn legacy or modern programs from your system.
Open the Start menu or click the Search icon and search for the ‘Control Panel’ on the search bar. From the results, click on ‘Control Panel’ under the Best Match section to launch the program.
In the Control panel, set the ‘View by’ option to ‘Category’ and click the ‘Uninstall a program’ option under Programs.
If the Control Panel view is set to large or small icons, select ‘Programs and Features’ settings.
Either way, it will open the Programs and Features control panel where you can change or uninstall a program. From the list of programs, pick the program you wish to uninstall and double-click on it or select the app ‘Uninstall’ (or Uninstall/Change) at the top.
If you are removing a pre-loaded app, you will see a confirmation box and click ‘Yes’ on that. If you are removing an external application, then follow the instructions on the wizard to complete the uninstallation process.
Clean up Your System after Uninstalling an App
After uninstalling an app or program, you may be left with temporary files, log files, settings, cache, and registry items on various locations of your system so that you don’t have to set up the program from scratch if you were to reinstall it in the future. However, these files will clutter your system over time. If you are not going to reinstall the uninstalled software, it’s best to delete these temporary files.
You can check the following location and delete any folder or files related to the uninstalled programs:
- C:\Program Files (x86)
- C:\Program Files
- C:\ProgramData
- /Documents
- C:\Users\USER NAME\AppData\Local
- C:\Users\USER NAME\AppData\LocalLow
- C:\Users\USER NAME\AppData\Roaming
Uninstall a Program Using the ‘.exe’ file
In some cases, the older programs, adware, or third-party applications won’t show up on the Settings app or Control Panel for you to uninstall. In such cases, you can uninstall them from the app’s location using the executable file (Uninstaller). Let us see how we can do that:
Find the app’s shortcut that you use to open the app, right-click on it, and select ‘Open file location’.
Alternatively, you can open Windows Explorer and manually locate where the app is installed. Once you found the app’s installation files, look for a .exe file with any of the following names:
- uninstall.exe
- setup.exe
- setup.msi
- unins000.exe
- (app name).exe/msi
- uninstaller.exe
Then, double-click on the file to launch the uninstaller and follow the uninstaller instructions to remove the application. If you can’t find the uninstaller file, then simply select and delete all the app’s files.
Uninstall Built-In Apps on Windows 11 using Windows PowerShell
Have you ever tried uninstalling built-in apps (such as Cortana, Microsoft Edge, Xbox Game Bar, Phone Link, etc.) in Windows 11, only to find out that the uninstall option doesn’t exist in Settings or Control Panel for them? It is because Microsoft doesn’t offer any option to uninstall certain built-in applications.
Some of these apps are useful while others are unnecessary and take up too many system resources. Fortunately, you can use Windows PowerShell to get rid of these pre-installed software.
Open the Start menu and search for ‘PowerShell’ in the Windows search. Then, click ‘Run as Administrator’ below the search results on the right. Or, right-click the result and select ‘Run as Administrator’. And choose ‘Yes’ when you see the User Account Control prompt.
When the PowerShell window opens, type the following command and hit Enter.
Get-AppxPackageTo uninstall an app in PowerShell, you will need either the correct app name or the full package name. The above command lists every system app on your Windows 11 PC and its details including full app name, full package, version, publisher, architecture, etc.
For your convenience, type the below command to get the list of only the app names and their corresponding full package name:
Get-AppxPackage | Select Name, PackageFullNameAs you can see below, the above command only lists the app’s full name and its full package name (for current user account).
To get the list of apps on a specific user, type the below command:
Get-AppXPackage -User Trece | Select Name, PackageFullNameOr, type the below command to get the list of all the apps along with their app package information:
Get-AppXPackage -User Trece Where replace Trece with the user name of your account.
To get the list of apps on all user accounts, type this command:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers | Select Name, PackageFullNameor
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers 
Now, scroll through the list to find the app you want to uninstall. However, if you find it difficult to locate a single app from a list of hundreds of apps, do this:
Right-click the Windows Powershell title bar, go to ‘Edit’, and select ‘Find’ from the sub-menu.
In the Find window, type the name of the app (or a related keyword) you want to uninstall and click ‘Find Next’. For example, we are typing ‘Amazon’ in the box. PowerShell will take you to the app in the list and highlight the text that matches your search. You can also keep clicking the ‘Find Next’ to find other instances of the search words.
Now, note down the app’s Name and FullPackageName because that’s what you will need to remove the program.
After locating the app in the list, highlight and copy the PackageFullName.
To uninstall individual apps use the following command:
Remove-AppxPackage <PackageFullName>Example:
Here, replace <PackageFullName> with the actual full package name you just copied.
Remove-Appxpackage AmazonVideo.PrimeVideo_1.0.95.0_x64__pwbj9vvecjh7j
The process will be over shortly and the app will be removed from the computer.
If you wish to remove the program from a specific account or all user accounts as well as current account, use this command instead:
Get-AppxPackage <App_Name> | Remove-AppxPackageWhere replace <App_Name> with the name of the app, you want to remove. You can locate the app in the list, highlight the app’s ‘Name’, and press Ctrl+C to copy the name.
Example:
Now, replace <App_Name> with the actual full package name you just copied.
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection | Remove-AppxPackage
Using Wildcards to Uninstall Apps:
You can also use wildcards (*) with the part of the app name or keyword to save you the time from looking for the app in the list. Instead of typing the whole name of the app or package name, you can use wildcards to simplify the commands. For instance, instead of typing the whole name like ‘Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection’ for the app name parameter, you can just write this:
Get-AppxPackage *Solitaire* | Remove-AppxPackageor
Get-AppxPackage *SolitaireCollection* | Remove-AppxPackage
To uninstall an app from any specific user account, use the below command:
Get-AppxPackage -user <UserName> <AppName> | Remove-AppxPackageHere replace <UserName> with the name of the user account and <AppName> with the name of the app or keyword with wildcards:
Get-AppxPackage -user Robert *Solitaire* | Remove-AppxPackageTo uninstall an app from all user accounts, enter the below command:
Get-AppxPackage -alluser *Solitaire* | Remove-AppxPackage
When you manually write commands, you are prone to make mistakes instead, you can just use the below list of commands to uninstall various pre-installed apps from Windows 11.
| Application | Removal command |
|---|---|
| 3D Builder | Get-AppxPackage *3dbuilder* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Sway | Get-AppxPackage *sway* | remove-AppxPackage |
| Alarms & Clock | Get-AppxPackage *alarms* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Calculator | Get-AppxPackage *calculator* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Calendar and Mail | Get-AppxPackage *communicationsapps* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Get Office | Get-AppxPackage *officehub* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| AV1 Codec | Get-AppxPackage *AV1VideoExtension* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| VP9 Video Extensions | Get-AppxPackage *VP9VideoExtensions* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| News app | Get-AppxPackage *BingNews* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Weather | Get-AppxPackage *BingWeather* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Sports | Get-AppxPackage *bingsports* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| News, Sports, and Weather apps | Get-AppxPackage *bing* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| WebP image support | Get-AppxPackage *WebpImageExtension* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| HEIF image support | Get-AppxPackage *HEIFImageExtension* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Music app | Get-AppxPackage *ZuneMusic* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Movies and TV | Get-AppxPackage *ZuneVideo* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Get Help app | Get-AppxPackage *GetHelp* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Voice Recorder | Get-AppxPackage *WindowsSoundRecorder* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Photos | Get-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| MS Office | Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftOfficeHub* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Camera | Get-AppxPackage *camera* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Skype | Get-AppxPackage *skype* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Maps | Get-AppxPackage *maps* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Microsoft Solitaire Collection | Get-AppxPackage *solitaire* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Get Started | Get-AppxPackage *getstarted* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| OneNote | Get-AppxPackage *onenote* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| People | Get-AppxPackage *people* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Your Phone Companion | Get-AppxPackage *yourphone* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Microsoft Store | Get-AppxPackage *windowsstore* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Voice Recorder | Get-AppxPackage *soundrecorder* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Screen & Sketch/Snipping tool | Get-AppxPackage *ScreenSketch* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Spotify | Get-AppxPackage *SpotifyAB.SpotifyMusic* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Microsoft Edge | Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftEdge* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Teams/Chat | Get-AppxPackage *Teams* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Microsoft To-Do | Get-AppxPackage *Todos* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Sticky Notes | Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftStickyNotes* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Feedback Hub | Get-AppxPackage *WindowsFeedbackHub* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| PowerAutomate | Get-AppxPackage *PowerAutomateDesktop* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Xbox Game Callable | Get-AppxPackage *XboxGameCallable* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Xbox Gaming Overlay | Get-AppxPackage *XboxGamingOverlay* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Xbox TCUI | Get-AppxPackage *Xbox.TCUI* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Windows Terminal | Get-AppxPackage *WindowsTerminal* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Xbox Speech To Text Overlay | Get-AppxPackage *XboxSpeechToTextOverlay* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Xbox and all related apps | Get-AppxPackage *Xbox* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| MS Paint | Get-AppxPackage *Paint* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Notepad | Get-AppxPackage *WindowsNotepad* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| ECApp | Get-AppxPackage *ECApp* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Mixed Reality Portal | Get-AppxPackage *MixedReality* | Remove-AppxPackage |
| Screen Sketch | Get-AppxPackage *ScreenSketch* | Remove-AppxPackage |
Remove All Pre-Installed Apps
If you want to remove all pre-installed apps from the current user with a single command, then use the below command:
Get-AppxPackage | Remove-AppxPackageIf you want to remove all pre-installed / default apps from all user accounts on your computer, then use the following command:
Get-AppxPackage -allusers | Remove-AppxPackageTo remove all inbuilt apps from a specific user account, type this command:
Get-AppxPackage -user <Username> | Remove-AppxPackageIf you don’t want to remove all pre-installed apps and keep a few specific apps, you can do that by using the ‘where-object’ cmdlet with the Get-AppxPackage cmdlet in the command. To do this use the following commands
To remove all apps while keeping a single app (e.g. Calculator), enter this command:
Get-AppxPackage | where-object {$_.name –notlike “*calculator*”} | Remove-AppxPackage
If you want to keep more than one app, add a where-object {$_.name –notlike “*app_name*”} parameter in the command for each app you want to keep:
Get-AppxPackage | where-object {$_.name –notlike “*skype*”} | where-object {$_.name –notlike “*store*”} | where-object {$_.name –notlike “*Windows.Photos*”} | Remove-AppxPackageRemove a Program From New User Accounts
Even if you uninstall specific built-in apps from all the current user accounts, Windows will reinstall those apps in the future user accounts.
To remove an app from new accounts created in the future, type the below command:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage –online | where-object {$_.packagename –like "*AppName*"} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage –onlinewhere replace AppName with the name of the app you want to remove from future accounts.
Example:
Get-AppxProvisionedPackage –online | where-object {$_.packagename –like "*Windows.Photos*"} | Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage –onlineReinstall/Restore All Built-in Apps
Now, if you want to reinstall the pre-installed apps that you uninstalled on Windows PowerShell, you can do that with a single command. Make sure to run PowerShell in administrative mode, and then copy-paste this command and press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers| Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
This command reinstalls all the pre-loaded apps in your Windows 11.
The reinstalling process is comparatively lengthier. You may encounter numerous error messages on the Windows PowerShell page. But don’t worry. Give the process as much time as possible, and allow it to complete.
Wait until the list of commands come down to the Windows system command, then check if the previously uninstalled built-in applications are back on the apps list. After the process is complete, restart your PC.
The reinstalled apps will appear with a ‘New’ label on the apps list until their opened.
Uninstall Windows 11 Apps using Command Prompt
You can also delete apps on Windows 11 through the Windows Management Instrumentation command-line tool in Command Prompt. Follow these instructions to remove apps through the command prompt:
Click on the ‘Search’ icon on the taskbar and type ‘cmd’ or ‘Command prompt’. From the result, right-click ‘Command Prompt’ and select ‘Run as Administrator’. If you see the UAC prompt, click ‘Yes’ to confirm.
Once the Command Prompt opens, type the below command and press Enter to load the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) utility in the CMD:
WMICYou will now be in wmic:root\cli as shown below.
After that, type the next command to get the list of all the apps that have been recognized by WMIC:
product get nameHowever, the tool doesn’t recognize every application installed on your system.
Once you get the list of apps and programs, note down the exact name of the app you’d like to uninstall.
Next, run the following command and replace AppName with the name of the app (the one you noted down earlier) you want to uninstall:
product where name="AppName" call uninstallor, if you want to uninstall the app without UI interactive:
product where name="AppName" call uninstall/nointeractiveAnd make sure to include double quotes around the app name in the above command.
Example:
Product where name="Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable - x86 10.0.40219" call uninstall
After that, WMIC will prompt you for confirmation. Simply, type Y and press Enter to confirm the action or N to cancel.
Then, if you see the ‘Method execution successful’ message in CMD, it means the program has been uninstalled from your computer.
Uninstall Apps using Winget
Windows Package Manager (Winget) command-line tool that allows you to download, install, upgrade, uninstall and configure applications on Windows 11. Winget also enables you to delete non-removable default apps from your Windows 11 PC.
Winget is a command-line utility that can be run on both Command Prompt and PowerShell. You can run winget on either the Command prompt/ PowerShell standalone app or Windows Terminal.
To start with, open Windows Terminal by right-clicking the Start button and selecting ‘Terminal (Admin)’ from the pop-up menu.
Once the PowerShell or CMD launches in the Terminal, type the following command and hit Enter to get the list of apps installed on your computer:
winget list
If this is the first time you are using winget, it will ask you to accept the source agreements terms. Hit Y and Enter to accept the terms and continue.
Winget will show you the list of apps with name, package id, version, upgradable version, and the source.
You can also type the below command to get the list of apps with only the name and ID information:
winget uninstall
Once you get the list of names, note down the exact ‘Name’ or ‘ID’ ( which is used to specify the application) of the app you want to uninstall.
The syntax for Uninstalling the app:
winget uninstall [[-q] <query>] [<options>]To get more information and view options for the uninstall command, pass the help -? argument after the command name:
winget uninstall -?
The following options are available for the uninstall command:
-m,--manifest: The path to the manifest of the package--id: Filter results by id--name: Filter results by name--moniker: Filter results by moniker-v,--version: Use the specified version; default is the latest version-s,--source: Find package using the specified source-e,--exact: Find package using exact match-i,--interactive: Request interactive installation; user input may be needed-h,--silent: Request silent installation-o,--log: Log location (if supported)--header: Optional Windows-Package-Manager REST source HTTP header--accept-source-agreements: Accept all source agreements during source operations
You can use the above options to further refine your selection of the correct application you want to uninstall.
Example 1:
For example, to uninstall the ‘Dynamic Wallpaper’ application, we are using the below command:
winget uninstall "Phone Link"Here, replace Phone Link with the name of your program. Since the query (App name) has a space, we enclosed it in double quotation marks.
And the application will be removed in the background.
Example 2:
In this example, we want to uninstall ‘Notepad++’, but there are two applications with the same name ‘Notepad’ and ‘Notepad++’ on the computer. So winget will ask you to specify the exact application.
You can use the --name option to specify the app with a specific name you want to uninstall from your PC.
winget uninstall --name Notepad++ -eYou can also add the exact query -e option to limit the selection to an exact app name.
Example 3:
If you have multiple applications with the same name, you can use the application ID to specify the correct application.
For instance, if you are trying to remove a specific Xbox application, you need to specify the exact app you want to remove using options. Because Windows 11 has 6 Xbox related apps and winget doesn’t know which one to delete.
When you list the ‘Xbox’ applications on your computer using winget list xbox command, you will get multiple results.
To uninstall the ‘Xbox Game Bar Plugin’ package, you can use the --id option to specify the application ID:
winget uninstall --id=Microsoft.XboxGameOverlay_8wekyb3d8bbwe
Example 4:
Sometimes, when you uninstall a program, it can leave tons of software residue files like history, registries, save files, etc. Depending on the software, the uninstaller can give you options to clear additional settings and data. To do that, you will need to use the interactive wizard for uninstalling apps.
To uninstall an application in an interactive mode, run the below command:
winget uninstall Notepad++ -e --interactive
If you want to suppress all UI and remove an application in silent mode, run the below command:
winget uninstall Notepad++ -e -hUninstall Apps via Registry Editor in Windows 11
Another way to uninstall an app or program in Windows 11 is by using the Registry Editor which is mostly used by advanced users but anyone who wants to delete all traces of an app from their system can use this method. Here are the steps to remove a program through Registry Editor:
You can head over to the Start Menu, search ‘Registry Editor’, and open it from the result. Or, press Windows+R, type ‘regedit’ and hit Enter.
And click ‘Yes’, if you see the User Account Control prompt.
In the Registry Editor, navigate to the following locations one by one using the left pane (You can also copy-paste the path in the address field):
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWAREComputer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SoftwareComputer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UninstallComputer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\UninstallWhen you are at each location, find and delete the folders (sub-keys) relating to the app or program you wish to uninstall. Right-click the folder and select ‘Delete’.
If you can’t find the folder with the app name, then, the app might be named as a random alphanumeric string of characters just like the one in the below screenshot.
Then, click ‘Yes’ in the confirmation pop-up window to delete the folder and its contents.
After the sub-key has been deleted, restart your PC. Once the system restarts, the app will be removed.
You can also use the Registry Editor to remove the leftover registry items after uninstalling the program using other methods.
Uninstall Optional Apps and Features via Settings
Windows 11 also includes optional features and programs which include programs like Wordpad, Steps Recorder, Legacy Windows Media Player, and others. These features can be removed via the Settings app using the below steps:
Open the Settings app using the Windows+I keys. In Settings, select ‘Apps’ on the left pane and click ‘Optional features’ on the right.
Under the Installed features section, click on the app you want to remove.
Then, click the ‘Uninstall’ button under the app.
Uninstall Programs via Third-Party Uninstallers
If none of the above methods has worked, you can also completely remove apps on Windows 11 with the help of third-party uninstallers. There are numerous 3rd party tools available online that can force uninstall stubborn apps. These tools can also remove residual files and junk files that the Windows uninstaller usually misses.
Using Windows or an app’s uninstaller will leave too many junk files, temporary files, folders, and registry items in your system which will accumulate over time taking too much of your disk space.
If you are trying to remove adware or malware from your system, the third-party tool is the best way to do it because they can completely delete the program removing all its related files from the system.
Here are some of the trusted uninstallers you can use to remove apps and programs:
For example, let’s see how to uninstall programs using Revo Uninstaller:
Download the Revo uninstaller from the above link and install it. Then, launch the app. Select the app you want to remove and click the ‘Uninstall’ button at the menu bar.
If you want to create a system restore point before uninstalling the app, make sure to select the checkbox and click ‘Continue’.
The application’s own uninstaller will pop up asking you for a confirmation, click ‘Uninstall’ in that.
Next, select one of the three modes to scan your computer for leftover files, folders, and registries: Scan, Moderate, and Advanced. Each subsequent mode performs a more thorough search. Then, select ‘Scan’.
Once the scan is complete, Revo will show you a list of leftover Registry items. Click ‘Select All’ and click ‘Delete’ to clear the leftover registries.
Then, click ‘Yes’ on the confirmation box.
After that, Revo will display the leftover folders and files list. Again, click ‘Select All’ and then, ‘Delete’.
Again, click ‘Yes’ on the confirmation box to delete the leftover files.
The application or the program will be completely uninstalled and all its residual files will also be cleared.
Unable to Uninstall Applications on Windows 11?
Sometimes, certain programs or apps can’t be uninstalled properly from Windows 11 due to several reasons. It could be that the application has become corrupted or damaged, the app shares files with other apps, or the program leaves unnecessary files or corrupted files behind, etc.
However, there are a few ways that can help you uninstall stubborn programs on Windows 11 that won’t uninstall.
Uninstall After Closing App Instances and Processes in Task Manager
Before uninstalling, you need to make sure that every instance or process of the program is closed. It can be done by the Task Manager. Here’s how:
Right-click the Start Menu and select ‘Task Manager’ from the pop-up menu. Alternatively, you can press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc shortcut.
When the Task Manager opens, switch to the ‘Details’ tab on the left by clicking on it. Now, look for the program or process related to the program in the list of apps. Then, select the program you want to end completely and click ‘End task’ from the top or right-click the app and select ‘End Task’.
Confirm the action by clicking ‘End process’.
This will force close the program thus, enabling you to remove the apps.
Uninstall in Safe mode
Another reason why apps may not uninstall is third-party involvement which can be holding certain apps from uninstalling. If this is the case, you will need to boot your system in Safe Mode and then try to uninstall your required applications. Here’s how you can accomplish that:
To boot your system into Safe Mode, hit the Windows key+R to open the Run command box. Then, enter msconfig in the dialog box and click ‘OK’.
In the ‘System Configuration’ box, switch to the ‘Boot’ tab and click the box in front of ‘Safe Boot’ under Boot options to enable the option. Then, click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’
After that, click ‘Restart’ in the confirmation box to reboot your system into safe mode now, or click ‘Exit without restart’ to restart your PC later.
Once your PC restarts in safe mode, login into your PC. Now, you need to start the Windows installer service which might not be running in the safe mode. To do that, follow these steps:
Search for ‘cmd’ or ‘command prompt’ in the Windows search and click on ‘Run as administrator’ for the command prompt app in the search results.
Once the Command Prompt window opens, type the below commands one by one and press Enter to execute each one of them.
REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Minimal\MSIServer" /VE /T REG_SZ /F /D "Service"REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Network\MSIServer" /VE /T REG_SZ /F /D "Service"net start msiserver
Once you successfully execute the above commands, the Windows Installer service will be running in the background which means you can install and uninstall apps.
Now, close the Command Prompt and try uninstalling that stubborn application using any of the above methods.
After uninstalling the app, you need to disable safe mode and reboot your system in normal mode. To do that, open the System Configuration tool again by running the Run command box, typing ‘msconfig‘ in the dialog box and clicking ‘OK’.
In the ‘System Configuration’ box, go to the ‘Boot’ tab and disable the ‘Safe Boot’ option under Boot options. Then, click ‘Apply’ and then ‘OK’
Then, click ‘Restart’ in the confirmation box to restart your system in normal boot.
Run the Microsoft Uninstaller Troubleshooter
You can also use Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter to fix issues you are facing when installing or removing programs. The tool is also useful for fixing most program and driver incompatibility issues as well as corrupted registry keys. Let us see how to use uninstaller troubleshooter on your Windows 11:
First, download the program installer and uninstaller troubleshooter using this link.
Once the troubleshooter is downloaded, navigate to the downloaded file named ‘MicrosoftProgram_Install_and_Uninstall.meta.diagcab’ on your device. Then, double-click on it to run the troubleshooter.
Once the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter launches, click on ‘Advanced’ at the bottom of the wizard.
Then, make sure the ‘Apply repairs automatically’ option is selected and click ‘Next’.
Next, select ‘Uninstallting’ on the next step.
After that, select the program that’s causing the problem from the list and click ‘Next’.
In the next step, select the ‘Yes, try uninstall’ option and follow the on-screen instructions to finish the troubleshooting process.
The troubleshooter will automatically detect and solve the issue for you.
Use System Restore to Uninstall Apps
If you are still having issues uninstalling the program, you can use System Restore to undo the recent changes or system corruption that may be causing the problem. System Restore can restore your PC to an earlier point in time before the stubborn app or program was installed on your computer.
Click the Start menu and search for ‘System restore’ in the Windows search and select the ‘Create a restore point’ control panel in the result.
When the System Properties control panel appears, click the ‘System Restore’ button.
The tool may suggest a recommended restore point if you have one. If you want that you can select the ‘Recommended restore’ option or ‘Choose a different restore point’ option if you wish to use a different one and click ‘Next’. If you don’t see the suggestion, then simply click ‘Next’ to continue.
In the next window, you will see a list of restore points, choose the desired one and click ‘Next’. If you see the program that is not uninstalling, choose that restore point or before that and click ‘Next’.
Finally, click the ‘Finish’ button to start the restoration process.
Now, your system will be restored to the state it was in before the select event and the problematic app will be removed from your computer.
That’s it.
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