It is very easy to to manage and uninstall programs on Windows. In this blog post we will learn how to navigate to do this within settings.
Navigation
There are two ways to get to the settings on a PC.
If the search bar is enabled simply type the word “add” or “uninstall”. This will cause “Add or Remove Programs” to appear at the top.
Clicking this will take you directly to the screen we are looking for.
If the search bar is not enabled, navigate to settings by clicking the cog wheel on the start menu.
Then click the search bar on the top of the settings menu, and type “add” or “uninstall”.
Understanding the Options
Now that we have reached the Apps & features menu, let’s go over the interface. First, how to sort the programs.
When in the Apps & Features menu, a list of all the programs installed on the computer will appear.
There will also be a search bar at the top. This eliminates the need to scroll through the entire list.
Underneath the search bar there will be sorting options, as well as a filter option.
The sorting option will reorder the list based on 3 parameters, Name, Size, or Install Date.
Name based sorting makes it easy to find a program the user knows the name of.
Size based sorting is helpful for cleaning out storage space and understanding how much space each program takes.
Sorting by install date offers another interesting dynamic that can help troubleshoot issues that have begun recently and may be related to recently installed software.
For example if malicious software is downloaded on a specific date and the user remembers, they can often use this to locate it.
If a program is causing issues on the computer and the user can remember when they started, it can also help with figuring that out.
Windows can also be set to only allow programs from the Microsoft store. These apps should be the most carefully vetted.
Although Microsoft recommends “The Microsoft Store only”, it is not the best setting for everyone. This setting limits the user, and will not even allow the downloading of Google Chrome, which is a safe, popular program.
The Uninstallation Process
Now that the list is understood, simply press on the app that is to be removed.
This will bring up a couple options, move, modify, and uninstall. Sometimes an option will be greyed out and unavailable depending on the program.
With the program selected, press uninstall and a dialogue box will confirm the action.
A blue progress bar will then display itself and the program will be removed.
Certain programs will require their own uninstaller. This will pop up after the dialogue box confirming the uninstall.
Malwarebytes is an example of a program like this.
Once pressed allow the program to process its removal.
If needed, check out the Microsoft Support Page for more information how to uninstall programs on windows.
If you would like more information from us with this process, just call or email and we’ll be happy to assist you!
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