2011年7月9日星期六

Can not uninstall norton 360 - How to uninstall norton 360 from your PC?

Yesterday a friend of my told me on phone that he can not uninstall Norton 360 because it has expired but continually pops up some annoying messages each time he opened the Internet or ran a program on his computer. It has made his computer run pretty slow. However, he could not uninstall it from the Add or Remove Programs even though it was listed there. So, how to completely uninstall the Norton 360? Don't worry, the following are the most effective ways to deal with it.

Method one, reinstall and then uninstall Norton 360 with utility of Add or Remove Programs on Control Panel with instruction below:

Go to the Start menu and select Control Panel

Select and click on the Add or Remove Programs

Highlight the Norton 360 and select "Remove"

Follow the onscreen steps to finish the removal.

Find out and manually delete the five directories:

1.C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared
2.C:\Program Files\Symantec
3.C:\Program Files\Norton
4.C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Norton or C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec
5.C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\NAV or C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\NIS

(Note:the Application Datas in them are hidden)

In case you couldn't find out the find directories, make hidden files and folders shown on your computer before conduct the manual removal with the steps described here:

1.open "My Computer", click "Tools" icon on the tool bar and select "Folder Options...".
2.click on "View button, select" Show hidden files and folders" under the folder list of "Hidden files and folders", last, select "Apply" to make it work.

Method two, forcibly uninstall the five directories(one by one) as mentioned in method one with a Norton removal tool in case you can't make reinstall the Norton 360 or you are not allowed to conduct the manual removal ( in the step six of method one). Besides, the hidden files and folders need to be shown up before the forcible uninstall.

All in all, the most effective way to fully and safely uninstall Norton 360 is to find a proper Norton uninstall tool which can do the normal uninstall and forcible uninstall.

How to uninstall uninstall media player 10 beta quickly from your computer?

Most from the time, media player 10 beta does not come onto your pc with a built-in uninstall option, which would allow it to be only a small difficult getting uninstalled. Here, maybe you will get useful uninstall media player 10 beta how to force uninstall media player 10 beta with other purposes out of your computer.

Performing the below actions can help you to definitely uninstall media player 10 beta out of your pc manually.

1. Click on Start and then Control Panel
2. Double click on Add/Remove purposes and then the program in the list.
3. Click media player 10 beta or Change button to begin the uninstall process.

Then, please go to:

1) Start button and select Run.
2) Type "regedit" in the command box and press Enter
3) Then expand the HKEY neighborhood MACHINE, as well as next to SOFTWARE. Here, you will see each of the purposes locate on your computer. And locate no issue whether there are associated entries to advertising Player. If so, straight best click it to select "Delete" to eradicate them.
4) Then expand the HKEY_CURRENT_USER and hold out the identical above steps.

The above actions help you to definitely delete the associated registry entries out of your computer. But please do remember to create a backup from the house windows registry: Registry / Export Registry, spend less it on your Desktop or someplace else before modifying the house windows registry. And do not modify house windows registry when you like if you actually have no knowledge on computers. If this could be the case for you, you could hold out the below actions to force uninstall media player 10 beta out of your computer.

1. Down one of the most potent uninstaller on your computer.
2. Install the uninstall by subsequent the installation wizard.
3 Launch it and then click on "Force Uninstall" tab.
4. Locate the folder of advertising participant and then click "Next".
5. Follow the on-screen actions to finish off the uninstall process.

Professional uninstallers are established for all PC end users to completely uninstall what they do not want out of your pc easily, with out associated entries getting left in the pc records or house windows registry. This uninstaller allows you to definitely straight uninstall purposes from their directories, that is not accessible in other uninstallers.

2011年6月20日星期一

How to Fully Uninstall the Unnecessary Software from Your PC?

Have you actually felt frustrated about how to uninstall programs that you don’t desire to utilize any more? a few of the app is not comparable when you demand. on this case, you desire to uninstall that app from your computer.

Maybe you will believe how the uninstalling operation is so easy. Thus, you go toward Add/Remove Function using the Control Panel in your Windows System, click the button to cut back that app from your computer. Unfortunately, you can not remove the app entirely as a carry out result of there are registry information of the app are left over your computer. That suggests you can not uninstall the app successfully. But, don’t worry. I will introduce some very helpful tips to help you force uninstall that app that you don’t like.

How to force uninstall the app if you can not uninstall the app with standard way?

At the beginning, you need to spend extra attention that this method is suitable for the experienced computer users to handle. If you desire to damage your PC by accident, you must be cautious anytime you hold the operation as following.

1) actions a single is to click start in your Windows method and to click Run using the Menu (If you're using Windows Vista then press Win+R in your keyboard).

2) actions two is to sort Regidit and Press Enter.

3) On the left facet will be the registry settings tree, use it to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall

4) within that essential you'll uncover a great offer of keys that belong to different programs. Some are named after the program's name, other people as a combination of numbers and letters that tends to make no sense. Look through every single of them till you uncover a single which has the essential DisplayName (on the right) along with your program's name in it.

5) a single important problem will be the essential UninstallString - this essential points toward uninstall program, along using the log file usually resides using precisely the exact same folder as that program.

6) If you remove the essential in which you've discovered the DisplayName essential using the value identical to your program's name, then your plan won't display up on the Add/Remove programs list.

Some programs create new entries using the Windows registry to store their configuration options, these entries can usually be discovered using the HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftware or in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARE - try to find the app name or the name of the business that made the software. Don't remove Microsoft regardless of the fact that that consists of Windows settings as well.

At last but not least, you will uncover all information that are actually copied. after which you need to available the folder in which the uninstall app should be. Meanwhile, you need to try to find information that are named uninstall.log or setup.log. The build plan information are actually copied into your Windows system. remove the information along using the plan will be eliminated entirely from your PC.

How to force uninstall the unnecessary app instantly from your computer?

As a standard computer user, maybe you are not sure that one could look after the manual force uninstalling method. Therefore, I introduce the most effective and effective way here.

There are lots of app elimination options using the market. Unfortunately, most of them are not reputable as they are able to not help you to remove the app thoroughly. The most very helpful app elimination tool can instantly scan and remove the now-defunct registry entries and related information completely.

With its potent Force Uninstall Utility,the amazingly best elimination tool can fully and easily remove all the programs, programs and app in your PC.

Simple Instructions to Uninstall Google Chrome Extensions

Most of the yahoo and google Chrome users install some add-on/extension at some place of your time and tries to uninstall it once they as a last place discovered how the installed add-on is of no use to them. So, then comes the place to Uninstall yahoo and google Chrome Extensions which is nearly much like Firefox Add-on uninstalltion.

And in the event you wish to delete/remove or completely uninstall any of the previous installed add-ons for yahoo and google chrome, just stick to the straightforward steps right here and you also are on the method to uninstall the undesirable extensions in a pretty small volume of time.

To Uninstall yahoo and google Chrome Extensions please stick to the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Open a new tab in Chrome and type in “chrome://extensions/” without which include the rates inside tackle bar to open the inbuilt extension manager in Chrome. You can do exactly the same exact by clicking on the ‘Extensions’ key inside resources part of Chrome.

Step 2: inside Chrome Extensions Manager page, you will appear across options to uninstall chrome extensions that are already installed for your profile, appear across the kinds which you wish to Uninstall and click on the Uninstall key beside to it to reduce that extension.

I think this certainly helps you out to uninstall any chrome extensions in a faster way. You can refer for the screenshot for more details.


2011年6月18日星期六

How to Remove Avira Premium Security Suite?


Avira GmbH is a German antivirus software and Avira's powerplant has long been licensed to Ashampoo antivirus, Ad-Aware, and Webroot WebWasher. Avira is among the the most widely employed antivirus programs and can secure your private computer smoothly. But how to uninstall Avira or remove Avira completely out of your computer? People consistently face troubles all through the complete uninstall or remove Avira completely. This web page tells you the simplest method to cut back Avira Antivirus Premium or Remove Avira Premium safety Suite completely out of your completely by following some simple steps.

Why must uninstall / remove Avira Antivirus Premium or Remove Avira Premium safety Suite?

Avira Antivirus Premium or Avira Premium safety Suite users, occasionally must remove Avira Antivirus Premium or to cut back Avira Premium safety Suite with the following reasons:

If Avira Antivirus Premium or Avira Premium safety Suite is severely impacted by some trojans or virus (most from the time the viruses are impacted by the external program or software), then you must uninstall the Avira Antivirus Premium or Avira Premium safety Suite and must reinstall the Avira Antivirus Premium or Avira Premium safety Suite.
should you must switch from Avira Antivirus Premium or Avira Premium safety Suite to other antivirus or web safety then you must have to uninstall or remove the Avira Antivirus Premium or Avira Premium safety Suite firstly and then you can set up another desired antivirus software or safety software.

Steps to Uninstall /Remove Avira Antivirus Premium or Remove Avira Premium safety Suite

Avira doesn’t have a removing system but they do provide a registry cleaner to cut back traces of Avira so that you can reinstall and then uninstall. This system is in German, you’ll have to click for the key called “Keys auslesen” to research the registry for any issues. Then location checkmarks following with the registry entries you desire to remove and click the “Löschen” key to remove the keys.

Fail to Uninstall Programs - How to Forcibly Uninstall Corrupted Programs?

Lots of men and girls have this type of the difficulty – when attempting to uninstall programs they do not want thru the glass windows “Add/Remove programs” or with their package uninstallers, some may unable to ascertain them outlined while in the “Add/Remove programs list”, or some may still can find these stubborn programs show up every time on boot quickly after the un-installation. once they make an effort to remove this type of programs again, what wait around for them is the stroke that there are some mistakes occur, for example, missing necessary files, you are not permitted to uninstall the programs, or even ask for you to definitely install the programs again. So they have no idea how they might get rid of this type of programs from their computers. If this take place to you, nicely then I am very sorry to inform that your programs are corrupted, and as many grownup males and girls know, it is quite difficult to forcibly uninstall corrupted programs. However, it doesn’t mean which you can not get an fast way.

Manually uninstall programs by yourself:

If you realize clearly about how exactly individual computer works, particularly the Registry, nicely then you definitely can make an effort to uninstall a program by first deleting its document from the drives after which go to modify or remove some associated registry entries and registry key. This works effectively in removing some easy-programmed software, but for all those people corrupted programs this type of as anti-virus programs and IE, which combine using the operating technique very well, it might not work. What’s more, since the Registry is among the the most important elements within a computer, if you make an effort to modify something in it, you need to consider your own risk.

Forcibly uninstall corrupted programs with hassle free:

Definitely, an established third-party uninstaller can preserve you a lot of trouble to uninstall corrupted programs. But you must be cautious to decide on one, because there are numerous junks while in the Internet, they might not uninstall programs completely but make difficulties even worse, and if the program is corrupted, you may find it not outlined while in the “Uninstaller” tab. But an uninstaller called best Uninstall Tool can assistance you manage this difficulty easily, and I consider the Symantec Antivirus as an example: quickly after you install, and register finest Uninstall Tool –-- boot your PC while in the safe and sound mode (especially needed in uninstalling antivirus programs) --- Use the “Force Uninstall” purpose to discover where the corrupted Symantec locates while in the drives then begin the removal, you can fully uninstall corrupted Symantec and any other corrupted programs in this way.

2011年6月17日星期五

How can I uninstall or remove Avast antiviurs totally?

To protect your computer, you require an antivirus software. So, countless people use Avast! to safe their computes type viruses, spy-wares, Trojans etc. Avast! offers 60-day free trial to take advantage of the good antivirus. countless people use it and and get satisfied. Sometimes, it necessities to uninstall this computer software or remove this computer software if you desire to take advantage of one more antivirus computer software or if you require to reinstall the antivirus computer software again. Sometimes, you uninstall it also it success. But when you try to install one more antivirus then you are unable to install the new antivirus and a message is shown that just one antivirus is previously existed and suggests to uninstall the old antivirus entirely and try to install the new antivirus once more later. are you currently facing this kind of problem? This web page describes the procedure to uninstall or remove Avast antivirus entirely from your computer. Just, keep reading...

Steps to uninstall or remove Avast! totally

You can remove or uninstall Avast! antivirus entirely away from your individual computer by pursuing the methods below. Firstly, try method one and later method 2.
Method 1: Uninstall type control panel

Click on begin menu and then go to control Panel.
come throughout include or Remove software and click on it.
a brand new window will be opened and come throughout Avast! over the installed program lists. solitary click on it and then click on Remove button.
After successful uninstallation, Restart your PC.

Method 2: Uninstall or remove by employing Perfect Uninstaller

Sometimes, it's hard to uninstall Avast! from control panel. Moreover, occasionally the antivirus it's shown that uninstallation is completed. But when you desire to install other antivirus software, then it's not possible to install the new antivirus also it shows the message to uninstall the prior antivirus. For this kind of situation, stick to the pursuing steps:

Download Perfect Uninstaller and save it for your computer.Perfect Uninstaller is critically a utility of Avast! removal tool. To obtain this utility, click here.
Now, you require to Restart your individual computer and begin glass windows in safe mode.
Run the executable document (Perfect Uninstaller, which you downloaded in actions 1).
type the dropdown menu choose the Avast! merchandise which you are using and then key in the path where Avast installed.

At last, click on Uninstall and restart your individual computer when uninstallation is completed.

By pursuing the above steps, you can simply remove Avast or uninstall Avast entirely type your computer.

How to Force Uninstall Norton Internet Security 2008/2009/2010 from Your PC?

Since I have employed Norton Internet protection 2008 for just about any single year, I nonetheless discovered some troubles in my computer, so I want to uninstall Norton Internet protection 2008 and give other antispyware software program a chance. Considering that, this plan takes a good deal of pc resources, so it gets my best priority to uninstall Norton Internet protection 2008 from my PC, after browse thru the Internet, I tried the methods below:

Method one: Uninstall Norton Internet protection 2008 thru Add/remove Programs
1) Go to Start and then choose out manage Panel - Add/Remove Programs
2) locate Norton Internet protection 2008 in the dropdown checklist as nicely as click Remove/Change symbol to proceed the removal.
3) Follow the on-Screen prompts to accomplish the removal.

Method two: Uninstall Norton Internet protection 2008 with its non-public uninstaller
Start -> All Programs -> Norton Internet protection 2008 -> Uninstall

The methods above are simple and free, but I discovered which they can not uninstall Norton Internet protection 2008 thoroughly, each time I boot my PC, I nonetheless can see the concept that prompts me to set up Norton Internet protection 2008, then I remove it again, however it nonetheless hangs there. How come? I hold on to research the solution in the Internet.

Some tell me that I require to go on to hold out the removal so regarding thoroughly clean each of the traces:

The very first procedure would be to key in the Registry: it requires deleting the Windows registry entries as nicely as modifying the registry keys associated to Norton Internet protection 2008. In addition, I require to delete each of the associated files associated. And this really is readily available to cut back Norton Internet protection 2008/2009/2010 and all Norton products.

1. C:Program FilesCommon FilesSymantec Shared

2. C:Program FilesSymantec

3. C:Program FilesNorton

4. C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataNorton or C:Documents and SettingsAll UsersApplication DataSymantec

5. C:WINDOWSsystem32driversNAV or C:WINDOWSsystem32driversNIS

(Note:the app Datas in them are hidden)

In case you couldn't locate out the above directories, make hidden files and folders revealed in your pc previous to conduct the guide Norton removal with the actions described above

However, because I am not only a pc geek, this approach is fairly challenging for me. Then I look for one more very much easier way. I read many comments in some associated forums, and individuals there advise me to use a professional uninstall tool. I choose just one recognised as greatest Norton Uninstall Tool which capabilities a free trial out of your yahoo Search. And follow the tutorial on its site, with the “Force Uninstall” Function of greatest Uninstall Tool, I did remove Norton Internet protection 2008 totally in the protected mode. greatest Uninstall Tool is really a amazing uninstall tool to uninstall any undesirable programs, you can possess a try yourself.

2011年5月7日星期六

How to uninstall Windows live easily?

Most of the time, you may need to uninstall Windows live if your subscription has expired or your current installation has gone corrupt. Due to a large number of products installed with MacAfee, sometimes it is difficult to ensure a complete uninstall just by using the normal uninstallation process. In this article, you will learn about the methods that you can use to ensure that all Windows live components are removed from the system when you uninstall them.

Method one: How to manually uninstall Windows live?

1. Close the Windows live program running before removing the application. Any running application will not be uninstalled, because active processes cannot be deleted.

2. Browse the ‘Start’ menu. Find and select the ‘Control Panel’ icon.

3. Click on ‘Add or Remove Programs’ icon. This will open the list of programs currently installed on the computer. Scroll down the menu to look for the Windows live application on the list.

4. Clicking on the list item will open the selected program’s ‘add/remove’ options. Click the ‘remove’ button on the Windows live product to uninstall. The process will start and as it performs, it will also show the progress of the uninstallation.

5. when the uninstall process is done, it will prompt the user to restart the computer. This is done so that the system registry may be deleted of the program entry.

Windows live should now be uninstalled from your system after the reboot. If in case the system uninstaller was not able to remove it... Read more here...

uninstall Ie8 on my Windows computer

Are you facing problems to completely uninstall Ie8 from your computer? It is a fact that Ie8 is a little difficult to be uninstalled for it always combines well with the operating system. However, you are in the perfectly right place here for a setup plan to thoroughly uninstall Ie8 from your computer.

How to uninstall Ie8 with normal way?

1. Go to Start and then Control Panel

2.Click on “Add/Remove Programs”

3.Find Ie8 in the list and then click “Remove”

By following the uninstall wizard, you can easily uninstall Ie8 from your computer. But sometime, this method won’t work when you can not find it in the list. Maybe you can try uninstalling the program by deleting its folder. But please note that this action will leave down some associated registry keys in Windows registry, which will mess your computer. In such situation, it is recommended that you can perform the below steps to uninstall Ie8 automatically.

How to completely uninstall Ie8?

1.Install Perfect Uninstaller on your computer.

2.Click the “Force Uninstall” tab and the find the folder of Ie8.

3. Click “Next” and then follow the steps to finish the removal.

With the above steps, Ie8 will be completely uninstalled from your computer. But do you know why used Perfect Uninstaller?

Why used Perfect Uninstaller?

Perfect Uninstaller is...Read more here...

How to uninstall Microsoft office?

Are you in need to uninstall Microsoft office from your computer but do not know what you should do? If this is the case for you, you are in the right place here because you will find detailed uninstall tutorials to force uninstall Microsoft office thoroughly from your computer.

You can uninstall Microsoft office in two ways: uninstall it by yourself (manually) or uninstall it with a professional uninstaller(automatically).

1. Uninstall Microsoft office by yourself.

No matter which program, once installed on the computer, it normally can be located on Add/Remove Programs. That is where you can uninstall the unwanted programs from the computer. To uninstall Microsoft office from your computer, you can go to Start ->Control Pane and then uninstall it from the Add/remove Programs list. However, this can be very time-consuming and may be a little difficult to proceed. That is because even though Microsoft office has disappeared from the list, you also need to scan your drivers and Windows registry so as to make sure that the program has been fully removed.

And modifying Windows registry can be very risky for once you have mis-deleted some needed files, then it is likely that you may result in total computer corruption. This will cause you a large amount to pay for a computer technician to get back your system.

Therefore, it is highly recommended that if you want to uninstall Microsoft office thoroughly...Read more here...

2011年5月6日星期五

How to Uninstall Norton Antivirus & Internet Security without problems?

Are you in a need to fully remove and uninstall Norton Antivirus or the internet security version but you really don’t know how to do this? If you really need to remove this program then I’ve setup a step by step Norton removal plan for you so you can successfully uninstall Norton.

However, whether you want to remove the antivirus or the internet security feature, keep in mind that this will result in no protection for your computer. Be carefully when browsing the internet.

How To Uninstall Norton Antivirus & Internet Security

1 - Go to the “Start Menu” on the bottom left of your computer’s screen.
2 - Locate and click on “Control Panel”.
3 - Find the “Add Or Remove Programs” icon and double-click it.
4 - Here you’ll see a whole list of programs & applications that are installed on your computer. Find and select the antivirus, or the internet security version and click “Uninstall”.
5 - Confirm that you want to uninstall the program by clicking on “Remove”.

This is how easy it works. However, sometimes it can happen that the uninstall fails. This can be because it simply failed, or because there are some files left on your registry and on your hard-drive that are Norton related. What do you need to do now to uninstall and to remove Norton from your computer?

How To Uninstall Norton Antivirus & Internet Security Plan B

The best option that you can do in order to successfully do this, is to get an uninstaller software. This way, the uninstaller will fully uninstall Norton from your computer by 3 easy steps that are automated.

Firstly, the uninstaller will start removing Norton. Once that has been done, the uninstaller will scan both your registry, and your hard-drive. If the uninstaller found any related files, then it will delete them immediately.

How to uninstall programs from vista system?

There are two ways to uninstall a program in Vista; the wrong way and the right way. Unfortunately, though, too many people uninstall a program using the wrong ways, which can lead to poor performance and problems on the computer. These wrong ways are delete the program's folder or just deleting the icons. When you attempt to remove a program in this way, there will be a large amount of configuration information left in the Windows Registry as well as files that may be installed in locations other than the program's folder. These orphan files and Registry data have the chance of causing conflicts on your computer thus leading to problems.

The proper way to uninstall a program is to use the uninstall routine that is bundled with the program itself. This will remove the files, Windows Registry information, and other configuration from your computer so that there are no conflicts in the future. When a program is installed in Windows, it will add information to the Windows Registry on the proper way to uninstall it. You can then use Windows Vista's Programs and Features control panel to properly uninstall the program. This tutorial will walk you through using this control panel so that you uninstall programs correctly. This method has not changed too much from previous version of Windows, but there have been some changes in Vista, which should be outlined.


How to uninstall a program in Windows Vista

To see a list of the programs that we can uninstall we must first open the Programs and Features control panel. To do this you should follow these steps:

Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this: Vista Start Button

When the Start Menu opens click on the Control Panel menu option.

When the Control Panel window opens click on the Uninstall a program option option under the Programs category. This option is shown by the arrow in the image below. If you are using the Classic View of the Control Panel, then you would double-click on the Programs and Features icon instead.


Vista Control Panel

You will now be at the Programs and Features, or Uninstall or change a program, screen as shown below. From this screen you can uninstall programs, view installed updates, examine your digital locker, and turn Windows features on and off.

Vista Programs and Features Screen
Figure 1. Programs and Features Screen

This screen contains a list of the programs installed on your computer, the company that developed it, and when it was installed. This screen also contains four options in the left navigation bar that are unrelated to uninstalling a program. These four options are:

View Installed Updates - If you click on this option you will come to a screen that shows the installed updates and Ultimate Extras. From this screen you then have the ability to uninstall them. More information about this screen can be found in this tutorial.

Get new programs online at Windows Marketplace - If you click on this link your web browser will open and go to the Windows Marketplace homepage. From here you can purchase and download software.

View purchased software (digital locker) - When you purchase software at the Windows Marketplace, the software will be added to your digital locker. You can manage these programs from this screen.

Turn Windows features on or off - Windows Vista is installed with certain features enabled and disabled by default. By clicking on this option you can manage that Vista features you want enabled. More information can be found at this tutorial.

Now that we know what all the options in this screen do, lets start learning how to uninstall a program. The first step is look through the list of programs for the one that you would like to uninstall and then left-click on it once so that it becomes highlighted. Once you highlight a program you will see two new options next to the Organize and View button called Uninstall and Change. I have pointed those out with arrows in the image below.


Selected entry in the programs list
Figure 2. Select entry in the program list

If you press the Change button, the program will launch it's setup so that you can modify how the program is presently installed. It is important to note that the Change button does not uninstall a program, but rather allows you to modify how it is currently installed. If you want to uninstall the program you should instead click on the Uninstall button. Once you click on the uninstall button you will be presented with a confirmation asking if you would like to continue as shown in Figure 3 below. For those who like shortcuts, you could just double-click on an entry to start this process as well. For some programs when choose to uninstall it, Windows may prompt you with a message stating Windows needs your permission to continue. At this screen you should click on the Continue button.

Confirmation screen to continue with the uninstall
Figure 3. Confirmation screen to continue with the uninstall

If you do not want to continue, then you should press the No button, and you will come back to the list of programs. If you press the Yes button Vista will start the uninstall routine for the program and begin to remove it. An uninstall screen will typically now open and may ask you questions about how the program should be uninstalled. You typically want to remove the entire program except any data that you may need in the future. As each program's uninstall process is different, it is advised that you read each screen carefully and continue with the uninstall process. When uninstalling certain programs you may receive a prompt from Windows stating An unidentified programs wants access to your computer. When you receive this as you uninstall the program, you should click on the Allow button, as it is the uninstaller being started.

The program will now continue to uninstall, and when completed you will be back at the list of programs installed on your computer. You will notice, though, that the program you just uninstalled is no longer listed. At this point you can either uninstall another programs or close the Programs and Features screen.

When examining the list of programs in your Uninstall list, if you are unsure as to what a program is, you can search for its name in our Uninstall Database.

Conclusion

Now that know the proper way to uninstall a program you can avoid leaving errant files and configuration information on the computer when you would like to remove a program. This also allows you to clear up some extra disk space, if needed, by uninstalling any programs that you do not need. If you need help uninstalling a program in Vista, then feel free to ask about it in our Windows Vista help forums.

Uninstall Programs - How to force uninstall a program you cannot uninstall?

At one point or another this happens to every computer user in the world: You install a program, find out that you don't like it, or need it, or that it's plain useless for the task you wanted to use it for, and you want to uninstall it. So you open up the Windows Add/Remove tool, click the button to uninstall the program... and find out that you cannot uninstall the program. In this article I will try to explain how to force uninstall a program, that you cannot uninstall using the Windows Add/Remove tool. Before that, however, I will try to explain what happens during installation.

What you need to know to uninstall a program manually

There are several things that happen during the installation of a program. First, of course, is the copying of files to the specified program folder (which is usually somewhere inside the Program Files folder). Also some files such as shared libraries (.dll files) can be copied into a folder inside Program Files called Common Files and some files such as drivers or shared libraries (again) are copied into the ‘WINDOWS\System32' and ‘WINDOWS\System32\drivers' folders. After that the installer makes some changes inside the windows registry. The windows registry is a unified place where all the settings for programs and for windows itself are stored. The installer can make changes inside the registry for several reasons. For example if a shared library needs to be registered. Or if certain types of files need to be associated with the program being installed, so that the user could open them (e.g. if you install Microsoft Word, then you will be able to open Microsoft Word documents). After this is done, a key is added to the windows registry in a place where the Windows Add/Remove tool looks for installed programs. During the installation all these operations are logged in a special file (e.g. setup.log), and the installation program usually puts that file inside the application's folder along with the uninstaller. When a user tries to remove a program through the Add/Remove tool, windows looks for the registered uninstaller inside the registry, and executes it. The uninstaller goes through the log file and undoes all the changes done during installation. That is, it deletes all the files that have been copied, all the registry keys the installer created etc.

However, if there is no log file, or if there is no record of the changes made to the registry the uninstaller might fail to uninstall the program, and it will stay there untill it is removed by other means.
So if a program won't uninstall, how do you perform a force uninstall?

Well, if you know how to work with the windows registry, you probably can perform a manual force uninstall.

Before I go into detail about how to do this manually, I'd like to say that this is pretty advanced stuff, and if you're not a power user, then perhaps you should consider using specialized software such as the Perfect Uninstaller which allows you to do this in just a few clicks.

If you are a power user, then let's continue. First, let's see how to remove the program from the list of installed programs. To do that you need to open the registry browser:

Click Start and choose Run in the menu (If you're using Windows Vista then press Win+R on your keyboard).
Type regedit and hit Enter.
On the left side is the registry settings tree, use it to go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Inside that key you'll find a lot of keys that belong to different programs. Some are named after the program's name, others as a mix of numbers and letters that makes no sense. Look through each of them until you find one that has the key DisplayName (on the right) with your program's name in it.
Notice the key UninstallString - this key points to the uninstall program, and the log file usually resides in the same folder as that program.
If you delete the key in which you've found the DisplayName key with the value equal to your program's name, then your program won't appear on the Add/Remove programs list.

Some programs create new entries in the registry to store their configuration options, these entries can usually be found in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software or in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE - look for the program name or the name of the company that made the software. Don't delete Microsoft though - that contains Windows settings as well.

Next we have to find all the files that have been copied. Open the folder in which the uninstall program should be, and look for files which are named uninstal.log or setup.log or something similar. The list of files that have been installed is inside this file, you can open it in your notepad and find all of the files that have been copied onto your system. Delete the files and you'll get rid of the program almost fully.

Again, I'd like to stress that if you're new to the windows registry and all of this stuff, and if you don't feel like experimenting with your computer, then, again, please consider using either the Perfect Uninstaller or similar software, I do not want to be responsible for breaking your computer.