What is it?
When a program starts slowing down your computer or you no longer use it, then it may be time to remove it entirely. The simplest way to remove a program is to uninstall it. While almost all programs installed on Windows PCs come with an uninstall option, sometimes they are not removed entirely from your computer. When you install a program, it comes with a ton of files that are located all around your system. In order to remove programs entirely, you have to remove them from the registry.
How to
Editing the Registry should be used as a last resort. Try uninstalling the program first. Open the control panel, select “Programs and Features”, and then go to the “Uninstall a program” link. Select the program you wish to remove, and then click on “Uninstall”. If the program you wish to remove is still there even after attempting to uninstall it, however, it is time to remove it from the Registry. From the Start Menu, select “Run”, and type the word “regedit” in the dialog box. Click “Edit” and select “Find”, and make sure the boxes labelled “Keys, Values, and Data” is selected, but unselect the “Match whole string box”. Enter the program name you are searching for and select “Find Next”. Right click on the program and select “Delete”. Press “F3” to repeat the search to make sure you get every last file. Once you have finished, restart your computer, and the program will have been completely removed!
Why do it?
Old programs can slow down your computer significantly. They also take up a lot of space on your hard drive, which may make it difficult to install new programs. Programs on your computer that you no longer use serve only one purpose: to take up space. Some of these programs may be video games you no longer play or other programs you no longer use for various reasons. Many anti-virus systems optimize your computer’s performance, and can show you which programs you no longer use or haven’t used in a while. This can help you determine what programs you should remove. Before you remove any program however, be sure that you no longer need it, and if you ever do need it again, you can easily get it back.
Risks
When you try to uninstall a program, if a window pops up that says something along the lines of “uninstalling this program could harm other software”, it is probably a bad idea to remove it, unless you are absolutely positive that it will not affect any other programs you use. It is also not a good idea to remove any programs that originally came with your computer.
If you remove them and find out that you actually need it again, it may be difficult or cost you money to get that program back. Try to only delete programs that you still have access to and can download again for free if need be. Using the Registry should be a last resort option, as removing the wrong keys or programs can seriously affect the performance of your computer.
