Tech Reference

How to properly uninstall programs on Windows 10, to protect your computer and free up space

Written by Dave Johnson edited by John Lynch
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There's an easy way to uninstall most programs from Windows. Business Insider
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Sometimes, your Windows programs can seem like guests at the Hotel California — they can never leave. 

After all, installing a new program is as easy as double-clicking the installation icon, but it's not obvious how to uninstall unwanted programs when they're no longer needed. 

One thing you should never do is simply find the program's folder and delete it. A Windows program contains many files that are installed in various locations on the computer. 

If you delete a program folder manually, you'll only be deleting some of the files, and will potentially cause problems with Windows. 

Here's the correct way to uninstall any program in Windows 10. 

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

Windows 10 Home (From $129.99 on Amazon)

How to uninstall a program on Windows 10

1. Start Settings from the Start menu. 

2. Click "Apps."

uninstall 1
Open Settings to uninstall a program.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

3. In the pane on the left, click "Apps & features."

uninstall 2
You can find all the programs installed on your computer in the Apps & features page.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

4. In the Apps & features pane on the right, find a program you want to uninstall and click on it. Then click "Uninstall." You may need to confirm by clicking "Uninstall" in the pop-up window. 

uninstall 3
Click Uninstall to remove an unwanted program.  Dave Johnson/Business Insider

5. Windows will uninstall the program, deleting all of its files and data. In some cases, the program may have its own custom uninstaller, which should open when you click "Uninstall." When it's complete, the program will disappear from the list. 

If the Uninstall button is grey and not clickable, that generally means it's built into Windows and can't be removed. 

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Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.