Guidelines To Uninstall Software From Your PC

One of the most important tasks to help in speeding up a slow computer is uninstalling unwanted software. This is an important activity because when you install a new program, several files and folders are added to the disk and several configuration-related entries are added to the Windows registry. When you do not use a program, all this data unnecessarily eats up disk space.
Additionally, a few programs may add startup services that may feed on your system resources and contribute to the deteriorating performance of your computer. If this was not enough, failure to update programs you do not use may also make your computer vulnerable to malware infections and unauthorized access by hackers.
One important point that you must consider while uninstalling programs is that you use only legitimate methods to perform program removal. Failure to do this can lead to an incomplete program removal and a hard disk that is left with the clutter of orphaned files and folders. There are many different ways in which you can uninstall programs. Discussed below are some of the most commonly used methods:
* Add Or Remove Programs: This is the most commonly used utility. Primarily, because it ships with your Windows operating system and comprises a comprehensive list of almost everything that is installed on your computer. You can launch the utility from the Control Panel or by running the appwiz.cpl command. For example, if you want to uninstall Office 2007, you would use the add or remove utility. You may also look for a program uninstall shortcut in the Program’s folder in the Start menu to launch its uninstaller.
* Program Uninstaller Tool: Many software manufacturer’s, such as Symantec develop specific tools to help you completely remove their products. You can download these tools from the manufacturer’s web site and then run them to remove your program. For example, if you want to completely uninstall Norton Internet Security Center, you may download its uninstall tool from the Symantec Web site.
There are also some third-party uninstaller tools available that you can download from the Internet. These tools are quite useful, especially if you want to remove programs with damaged uninstall files. Program uninstaller tools are designed to scan your entire hard disk and registry to weed out all data related to the program you are trying to remove and ensure complete removal of the program.
* Antispyware Tool: There are some programs that install on your system without your knowledge. These programs are usually spyware and adware and are known to track your PC activities, cause problems while browsing the Web, and also slow down your system considerably. To get rid of these programs and also to prevent them from installing, you need a reliable antispyware tool. You must keep this tool updated with the latest database and run regular scans to ensure that your PC is free from them at all times.
* Registry Tool: At times, there may be some software that you cannot remove by using any of the methods listed above. You will have to remove these programs by directly editing the registry using the Windows Registry Editor (regedit) tool. For instance, many users want to know ‘how to uninstall DirectX 9 update from Windows XP?’ For this, in the Registry Editor tool, delete the ‘HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DirectX’ registry entry and then restart your PC. Doing this will remove DirectX 9 and restore the default DirectX version on your XP computer.
Additionally, it is recommended that after performing a program removal using any of the methods discussed above, you use a good, third-party registry tool to scan and remove any orphaned registry entries to ensure complete program removal.