Look at it: your computer’s hard drive is so full it’s about to burst! Explain to me why you haven’t taken action yet. There are very heavy programs that you haven’t used for months: why haven’t you deleted them? Maybe I understood! You’re new to the computer world and you don’t know how to uninstall a program from your PC , right? So don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place, at a time that couldn’t have been better.
With today’s tutorial, in fact, we will discover together how to remove any type of application from a Windows PC and a Mac. I assure you that it is one of the simplest and fastest practices that can be implemented on a computer, so don’t be afraid and start immediately to work: you’ll find all the instructions you need right below.
How do you say? You already know how to uninstall programs from your computer but are there some software that don’t want to be deleted? In the guide I will also deal with this type of problem, but now let’s not waste too much time talking and let’s move straight to action. Take five minutes of free time and put into practice the suggestions I am about to give you, I assure you that you will not regret it.
Index
- How to uninstall a program on PC
- How to uninstall a program from your Mac
- How to uninstall a program that won’t uninstall
How to uninstall a program on PC
To begin with, let’s find out how to uninstall a program from your PC . Below, therefore, you will find an explanation of how to carry out the operation in question on Windows , both on the most recent versions of the operating system and on older ones.
How to uninstall a program on Windows 11
Do you want to know how to uninstall a program from Windows 11 ? Then know that you have several methods available: you can act directly via the application menu, use the appropriate Settings section or proceed via the classic Control Panel.
To use the first method, first click on the Start button (the Windows flag located in the taskbar) and press the additional All apps button in the box that opens. From the list that appears, locate the application you want to delete, right-click on it and, from the menu that appears, select the Uninstall item .
Alternatively, you can act from the Apps section of Settings . To do this, press the Start button, then select the Settings icon and then click on the App item located in the list on the left. Now select the Apps and features item , then locate the application to unblock from the displayed list, click on the icon (⋮) and select the Uninstall item (twice consecutively). To conclude, press the Yes button in the message that appears on the screen.
Finally, you can use the Control Panel: to do so, press the Start button, type “Control Panel” in the search field and press the Open item . Now select the Uninstall program item under Programs , find the one you want to uninstall from the list and left -click on it twice . Then press the Yes button in the message that appears on the screen.
Do you need more information on how to uninstall a Windows 11 program ? Then you can read my tutorial specifically dedicated to the topic, where you will find all the procedures described in detail.
How to uninstall a program on Windows 10
If you want to uninstall a program on Windows 10 , the first step you need to take is to click on the Start button (the one with the Windows flag ) located in the bottom left corner of the taskbar , then you need to locate the icon program you want to remove, right-click on it, select the uninstall item from the menu that opens and confirm. If it is an application from the Microsoft Store, it will be removed instantly.
If, however, it is an application installed via a classic installation package, the application management menu will open (which can also be reached by going to Windows Settings and clicking on the App icon ). Then. locate the program to be deleted again (if necessary, you can help yourself with the search field and you can use the drop-down menus at the top to sort the applications differently and to filter them by unit).
Then, click on the name of the application you want to remove and press the Uninstall button that appears (twice consecutively). Please note that in the case of applications not installed through the Microsoft Store , you may subsequently be offered a guided removal procedure. In this case, to complete it, it is usually enough to always click on the Next or Next button .
Finally, even on Windows 10 you can use the classic Control Panel as seen before for Windows 11. For more information you can read my post on how to uninstall programs on Windows 10 , which I’m sure will help you.
How to uninstall a program on Windows 7
As an alternative to the procedure that I have already described to you in the previous step or if you intend to uninstall a program on Windows 7 or in any case on a version prior to Windows 10 , you can succeed in your aim by proceeding as follows: click on the Start button (the one with the Windows flag ) located in the bottom left corner of the taskbar and select the Control Panel link from the menu that appears.
In the window that is now shown on your desktop, click on Programs and features and/or Uninstall a program (depending on the type of view set via the drop-down menu at the top left), after which the list of applications installed on the PC.
In the new screen that appears, locate the program you want to remove. If you can’t find it, you can help yourself by sorting the programs by size, installation date, name, etc. by clicking on the appropriate tab found in the list of software installed on the PC.
Next, click on the name of the program , then press the Uninstall or Uninstall/Change button at the top and follow the wizard that is proposed to you. Generally, to complete the removal of a program, just always click on Next .
Do you want some more clarification? Then read my guide on how to uninstall a program on Windows 7 , where you will find everything you need to know.
How to uninstall a program from your Mac
Do you own an Apple-branded computer and would like to understand how to uninstall a program from your Mac ? I’ll explain right away how to do it… it’s one of the easiest things in the world, believe me!
If the software you want to remove was downloaded from the Mac App Store , open the Launchpad by clicking on the relevant icon on the Dock bar, hold down the left mouse button on the icon of the application to be uninstalled and wait for the latter to you start to “dance”. Then click on the (x) button that appears on the icon and press the Delete button in the menu that opens, to complete the operation.
If the software to be deleted was not downloaded from the Mac App Store, however, you must open the macOS Applications folder, selecting it from the Finder sidebar , and drag the icon of the application to be deleted to the Trash , located at the bottom of right of the Dock bar. In conclusion, right click on the Trash icon and empty the latter by selecting the Empty Trash item (twice).
Another way you have to uninstall a program on “bitten apple” computers is to use the tool to manage storage space, the one that Apple has decided to include in its operating system starting with macOS Sierra. You can use it both to delete applications from the Mac App Store and those distributed from external sources.
To use it, click on the Settings icon and select the General > Space items . In the window that appears, click on the icon (i) next to the Applications item . In the additional window that appears, locate the application you want to remove, select it, press the Delete button (twice consecutively) and that’s it.
For further information, read my tutorial on how to uninstall a program from Mac , which may help you.
How to uninstall a program that won’t uninstall
Sometimes it happens that the standard removal procedure does not do its job fully and that uninstalled software leaves unwanted traces on the disk. To uninstall a program that cannot be uninstalled , therefore, you need to turn to specific third-party tools, both on Windows and on macOS. To find out more, continue reading, you will find everything explained in detail below.
Official uninstaller
Some more complex programs, i.e. those that become more deeply rooted in the system, require the use of the official uninstaller , made available directly by the software houses of your interest. For example, if you need to uninstall the antivirus in use on your PC but using the system’s default functions you can’t get rid of it, it’s evidently because you have to resort to using the appropriate utility.
As far as Windows is concerned , uninstallation tools are usually files in .exe format with a weight of a few MB or even a few KB. To use them, simply double click on them and follow the on-screen wizard, which allows you to delete all the folders, files and registry keys of the application for which they were designed.
To find the removal utility, it is generally sufficient to visit the website of the relevant manufacturer or do some Google searches. In this regard, however, I invite you to proceed with the download only and exclusively if the utility is hosted on an official software forum or on the relevant website. In all other cases, forget it, as the utility may work bad or, in the worst case scenario, cause problems on Windows or bring viruses as a gift.
On macOS , however, applications can include an uninstallation script directly in their .dmg package (the one downloaded from the software’s official website and which contains the application before installing it on the computer) or in the settings menu.
Revo Uninstaller (Windows)
If you are using Windows and you need to uninstall a program that you cannot remove in any other way or that you fear may leave traces on the system, I advise you to use Revo Uninstaller . It is a tool through which you can remove any software installed on your PC, even those that seem impossible to uninstall, all without leaving residual files and unused keys in the registry. It is also available in a portable version and is free, but is also available in some paid variants (with prices starting from $24.95), which allow you to take advantage of extra features.
To download the program on your PC, connect to its official website and click on the Portable button located next to Revo Uninstaller Freeware .
Once the download is complete, extract the ZIP archive obtained into a folder of your choice and launch the .exe ( Application ) file inside. In the window that now appears on your screen, click first on the Yes button and then on the OK button .
Now that you see the main software window on the desktop, if the interface is not translated, remedy this immediately by clicking on the Options button located at the top, selecting Italian from the Current language menu located at the top and pressing the OK button .
Then, identify the program you want to remove from the list of software installed on the PC that is offered to you. If you can’t find it, you can help yourself with the Search bar at the top. At this point, click on the icon of the software you are interested in, press the Uninstall button located at the top, then the Continue button in the further window that opens and, if possible, complete the standard uninstallation procedure of the application.
At the end of the uninstallation process of the selected program, choose the scanning mode for any residual elements you prefer, then click on the Scan button located at the bottom right and wait for all the files, folders and registry keys to be found which refer to the software you just removed.
Next, click on the Delete and Yes buttons to remove all the items found by Revo Uninstaller, wait for the residual files of the program that are still left on the PC to be shown and repeat the procedure.
If you need to delete an application taken from the Microsoft Store, however, first click on the Windows App item at the top of the Revo Uninstaller window, then select the application you are interested in from the list and press the Uninstall button always located at the top .
Please note that, by default, Revo Uninstaller creates a restore point before removing an application’s data. Sometimes, however, the creation of the restore point fails, which is why I recommend that you act manually before using the program, proceeding as I explained in my guides on how to create a restore point .
CleanMyMac
Even on macOS , if you are unable to uninstall a program or in any case to prevent an application from leaving unwanted traces on the computer disk, you can resort to using CleanMyMac its many functions, in addition to freeing up disk space and protecting the Mac from malware, also allows you to completely uninstall programs without leaving residual files.
CleanMyMac _ _ To overcome this limit, you must purchase the full paid version, which however is also included in Setapp : a platform which, in exchange for a small monthly or annual fee, allows you to access many paid applications for macOS. More information here .
That said , once you have downloaded CleanMyMac _ _ _
Now select the Uninstallation item from the side menu, then press the Show all [number] applications button and click on the > button relating to the program to be removed; If you are sure to proceed, put the check mark next to the name of the software and click on the Uninstall button . For more information on how CleanMyMac
