What is it?
Many people have programs on their computer that they no longer use. They take up space and slow your computer down significantly. You can uninstall software to help free up space by removing programs you no longer use. Almost all programs on your computer can be uninstalled. Some people choose to manually uninstall programs from their computer, while others use an uninstaller, which is designed to remove software from a computer. Most software programs today come with their own uninstallers, so it is not necessary to use a third-party uninstaller. To make third-party uninstallers more marketable, most come with other related tools, like a junk file cleaner and a cache cleaner.
How to
To uninstall a program on Windows, first get to the control panel screen. Once you are there, select the “Programs and Features” option. This will bring up every program you currently have installed on your computer. Once you find the program you wish to remove, select it by right clicking, and click the uninstall option. Repeat this process if there are more programs you wish to uninstall. It is a slightly different method when using a Mac. Start by logging in with an administrator account and open your “Applications” folder. Search for the program you wish to uninstall (they are usually represented by a single icon). Once you find it, drag the program to the ‘Trash”, or push the command and delete buttons simultaneously. The “Trash” folder provides some safety in case you delete anything by accident. You can drag the program back out of the trash to use it again. If you are certain you do not need the program (or any other programs in your “Trash”), you can empty the trash to remove them permanently.
Why do it?
Many people have programs on their computer that they no longer use. These programs serve only one purpose: to take up space. This makes your computer much slower and decreases the amount of programs you will be able to install in the future. Some of these programs may be video games you no longer play or other applications you no longer use for various reasons. Uninstalling these programs clears up space, which makes your computer significantly faster. It also means you can install programs that you actually intend on using. Many anti-virus systems also optimize your computer, and can show you which programs you no longer use or haven’t used in a while. This helps determine which programs you should remove.
Risks
The biggest risk factor of uninstalling a program is that you will no longer have it on your computer. It is important to consider the value of the program before you remove it. Some programs, such as old video games, can be removed relatively safely, especially if you have the CDs for them still, as you could download them again in the future if you wish to play them. Other programs, however, may not be able to be reinstalled as easily, and some may require you to pay for them (such as Microsoft Word). It is advisable that you only uninstall programs you installed yourself, and leave all the programs that originally came with the computer.
