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How-to

How to uninstall a program on Windows

Adware, fake system optimisers and other unwanted programs are usually ordinary Windows programs that can be removed the normal way. The hard part is finding the right one and making sure it does not come back. Steps for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Not linked from a removal guide yet · Updated October 3, 2026

When you need this

  • A removal guide on this site tells you to uninstall a program it names, or programs installed around the time the problem started.
  • Pop-ups, a changed browser or a "PC optimiser" appeared after you installed free software.
  • A program you do not remember installing shows up in your list of apps.
Windows 11Windows 10

Windows 11

Written for Windows 11, versions 24H2 and 25H2. Steps checked against Microsoft Support documentation for Windows 11 on October 3, 2026.

Before you start: close the program if it is running (also its icon next to the clock), and sign in with an administrator account.

  1. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps.

  2. Find the program you want to remove.

    Sort the list by install date to see what was added recently, and read the publisher under each name. See how to spot the unwanted one if you are not sure.

  3. Click More (the three dots) next to it and choose Uninstall, then confirm.

  4. If the program's own uninstaller opens, follow it to the end.

    Untick or decline anything it offers on the way out: keeping "recommended" software, a survey that installs something else, or a reinstall.

  5. Restart the PC and open Installed apps again to check that the entry is gone.

Some programs cannot be removed from Settings. For those, use Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features (see Control Panel below).

Did it come back after a restart? See the program comes back.

Sources

Windows 10

Written for Windows 10, version 22H2. Steps checked against Microsoft Support documentation for Windows 10 on October 3, 2026.

Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on October 14, 2025 (paid Extended Security Updates run to October 12, 2027). The steps below still work.

  1. Open Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features.

  2. Find the program you want to remove.

    Sort the list by install date and look at the publisher. See how to spot the unwanted one.

  3. Click the program, then Uninstall, and confirm.

  4. Follow the program's own uninstaller if it opens, and decline any offers in it.

  5. Restart the PC and check the list again.

If Settings does not remove it, use Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features (see Control Panel).

If the uninstall fails with an error, Microsoft still offers its Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter for Windows 10 (see the uninstall fails).

Sources

If the steps did not help

How to spot the unwanted one

  • Install date. Sort by date and look at what appeared when the pop-ups, redirects or the new "optimiser" started, or right after you installed something free.
  • Publisher. A blank publisher, a meaningless one, or one that does not match the program's name is a warning sign.
  • Name. Vague names ("Search", "Manager", "Helper", "Updater") or names dressed up as part of Windows, which you do not remember installing.
  • Do not remove what you do not recognise just because it is unfamiliar. Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable, .NET, drivers (graphics, chipset, audio) and your PC maker's support tools are needed by other software. Search the exact name on this site first.

Control Panel (Windows 11 and 10)

Control Panel lists classic desktop programs with more detail and removes some that Settings cannot.

  1. Type Control Panel in the search box on the taskbar and open it.

  2. Choose Programs > Programs and Features.

  3. Click the column header for the install date to sort by it, and check the publisher column.

  4. Right-click the program and choose Uninstall (or Uninstall/Change), then follow the prompts.

The uninstall fails or shows an error

  • Restart the PC and try again; close the program first, including from the icons next to the clock.
  • Windows 11: Microsoft's current advice is to restart, try Advanced options > Repair or Reset where the app offers them, uninstall again from Installed apps, and follow any troubleshooter Windows suggests in the error. Microsoft no longer offers the separate Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter download on its Windows 11 page.
  • Windows 10: the Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter can still be downloaded from Microsoft's Windows 10 instructions. It repairs entries that block removal.
  • If the program is malware or an unwanted program, a security scan often removes it where the normal uninstall cannot.
  • Command line (advanced): winget uninstall --name "exact name" can remove programs that were not installed with winget. Do not follow older advice to use wmic: Microsoft has removed WMIC from current Windows 11 versions.

"Uninstall" is greyed out or missing

  • Some built-in Windows apps cannot be uninstalled. They are not adware.
  • Some entries can only be removed from Control Panel (see above).
  • On a work or school PC an administrator may block removal: ask your IT department.
  • An entry without any working uninstall option: run a security scan, then see the uninstall fails.

The program comes back after a restart

  1. Open Settings > Apps > Startup and switch off anything that belongs to the removed program.

    Or right-click Start > Task Manager > Startup apps, select it and choose Disable.

  2. An entry called "We couldn't find this app" in that list is left over from a program whose files are gone; switching it off is safe.

  3. Programs that reinstall themselves often use a scheduled task. In Task Scheduler > Task Scheduler Library, disable (do not delete) only a task whose name and action clearly point to the removed program's folder.

  4. Run a full scan with a security tool: reinstalling programs often come back through a component that a scan finds.

  5. Check your browsers too: the same bundle often adds an extension. See how to remove a browser extension.

The program is not in your list

Many unwanted programs install only for the account that ran the installer, because that needs no administrator prompt. If another person's account on the same PC shows the pop-ups, sign in to that account and uninstall it there.

Leftover folders

After uninstalling and restarting, you can check these folders for one with the exact name of the program or its publisher: C:\Program Files, C:\Program Files (x86), C:\ProgramData, and in your user profile %LOCALAPPDATA%, %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs and %APPDATA% (type these into the File Explorer address bar).

  • Move only that exact folder to the Recycle Bin, so it can be restored if needed.
  • Never delete Windows, Microsoft, Common Files or driver folders.
  • Do not use "registry cleaners" and do not delete registry entries by hand.

Questions

Is it safe to uninstall programs I do not recognise?

Not always. Runtimes such as Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable and .NET, drivers and your PC maker's tools are needed by other software. Remove what appeared together with the problem, and search an unfamiliar name before removing it.

Do I need Safe Mode to uninstall adware?

Usually not. Windows Installer does not run in Safe Mode by default, so many uninstallers fail there. Safe Mode helps when a program prevents its own removal: you can stop it from starting, delete leftovers or run a scan.

Does uninstalling remove the browser extension too?

Not always. Bundled adware often installs a browser extension separately. Check each browser after uninstalling: remove a browser extension.

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