How to Delete a Program That Won't Uninstall

Deletion of a corrupted program failing to uninstall requires manual removal of each program-related file and registry value. The Windows Program Files directory stores all installed setup files, regarding each application. Use vigilance when removing files and folders from this section. Before clearing Windows entries, restart your system to help flush out running processes.

Deleting Start Menu Shortcuts and Desktop Icons

• 1

  Click the "Start" button, then click the "All Programs" link.

• 2

  Right-click on the program's shortcut, then click the "Delete" option.

• 3

  Right-click the program's desktop icon, if applicable, then click the "Delete" option from the menu.

Windows Program Directory

• 1

  Click the "Start" button, then type in the following in the search box:

  "C:\Program Files\[Company Name]\[Software Name]\[Application Name].exe"

• 2

  Right-click the folder, then click the "Open File Location" option from the menu.

• 3

  Right-click the folder name of the program, then click the "Delete" option from the menu.

Windows Registry Removal

• 1

  Click the "Start" button, then type "regedit" in the search box. Press "Enter" on your keyboard to launch the Registry Editor.

• 2

  Click the "Edit" menu and then click the "Find..." option from the menu.

• 3

  Type the following directory path in the "Find what" box:

  "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\[Company Name]\[Application Name]"

• 4

  Right-click the entries in the left-hand pane of the Registry Editor, then click the "Delete" option from the menu one at a time.