-
To uninstall apps on Windows 10, open
Settings
>
Apps
>
Apps & features
, select the app, click
Uninstall,
and click
Uninstall
again. -
Another way to remove an app is to open
Control Panel
>
Uninstall a program
, select the app, and click
Uninstall.
- You can also remove programs on Windows 10 from the Start menu, Windows Package Manager, PowerShell, Command Prompt, and through the Optional features settings page for some specific system apps.
- It s even possible to use third-party tools like Wintoys and Bulk Crap Uninstaller to remove apps and leftover files.
UPDATED 9/4/2024: Uninstalling programs is a crucial feature of Windows 10 that lets you get rid of unnecessary apps from your PC. It can also help you diagnose issues, free up space, and remove bloatware.
Windows 10 offers several options to fully uninstall apps utilizing the Settings app, Control Panel, Windows Package Manager, PowerShell, and even the Command prompt if you won’t be using a certain program or need to reinstall one. Use third-party uninstallers like Wintoys and Bulk Crap Uninstaller if you can’t delete a software, you’re working with a system application, or you’re having trouble uninstalling the app.
I’ll walk you through the various methods for uninstalling Windows 10 apps in this post.
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Method 1: Uninstall apps from Settings
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Method 2: Uninstall apps from Start menu
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Method 3: Uninstall apps from Optional features
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Method 4: Uninstall apps from Windows Package Manager
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Method 5: Uninstall apps from Control Panel
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Method 6: Uninstall apps from PowerShell
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Method 7: Uninstall apps from Command Prompt
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Method 8: Uninstall apps with Wintoys
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Method 9: Uninstall apps with BC Uninstaller
Method 1: Uninstall apps from Settings
Since these are the simplest ways to remove programs, I advise starting with the Settings app’s programs & Features page and the Start menu. You can try the various techniques if you are still unable to get rid of the software.
Follow these instructions to remove an application from Windows 10:
Windows 10’s OpenSettings.
Select “Apps.”
On Apps & Features, click.
In the Apps & Features area, pick the app you want to delete.
To uninstall, click the button.
Press the “Uninstall” button once more.
The application will be deleted from your computer after you finish the procedures.
You might have found a system application that isn’t able to be uninstalled from the Settings if the Uninstall option is grayed out. Nevertheless, you might still be able to get rid of it via third-party tools or the PowerShell technique.
Method 2: Uninstall apps from Start menu
Use these procedures to delete Windows 10 apps from the Start menu:
LaunchStart.
Choose the “Uninstall” button with a right-click on the application.
The Microsoft Store app will be deleted from the computer once you’ve finished the procedures.
Method 3: Uninstall apps from Optional features
Through the Settings program, you may also uninstall system apps that are referred to as features on-demand, such as Notepad, Paint, WordPad, Windows Media Player, and several more.
Use these procedures to get rid of Windows 10’s optional features:
Open the settings.
Select “Apps.”
On Apps & Features, click.
In the Apps & Features area, select the Optional features option.
Choose the program you wish to remove, such as Microsoft Paint, Notepad, or WordPad.
To uninstall, click the button.
The system application won’t be accessible on the device once you’ve finished the instructions.
Method 4: Uninstall apps from Windows Package Manager
Windows Package Manager (winget) is a command-line utility that comes with Windows 10 and was created to automate the process of finding, downloading, installing, uninstalling, upgrading, and customizing software. Its goal is to save you time and frustration.
Follow these instructions to utilize Windows 10’s winget command to delete a program:
LaunchStart.
Look up “Command Prompt,” then right-click on the first result and choose “Run as administrator.”
To get a list of the applications you can remove using the Windows Package Manager, type the following command and hit Enter:
To use Winget to remove an application, use the following command and hit Enter:
ChangeAPP-NAME is the command’s actual name for the application. Quotations are only necessary if the app’s name contains spaces. For instance, on Windows 10, this command removes the Microsoft Teams app:
The application will be deleted from the computer when you finish the procedures. The program uninstaller interface could show up with extra steps to finish the remove if you are deleting a conventional desktop application.
Method 5: Uninstall apps from Control Panel
Only classic apps—not those you download from the Microsoft Store—can be deleted via the Control Panel on Windows 10.
Follow these procedures to remove a traditional desktop program (Win32) from Windows 10:
Launch the Control Panel.
Under the Programs category, select the “Uninstall a program” option.
Choose the Windows 10 application to uninstall.
To uninstall, click the button.
If applicable, proceed with the on-screen instructions.
The Win32 application will be deleted from your computer once you have finished the procedures. To remove other programs, you can always follow the same steps.
Method 6: Uninstall apps from PowerShell
PowerShell is useful because, even though you can use the Settings app to remove both contemporary and traditional apps, you still can’t uninstall many system apps. You can use PowerShell to uninstall system apps, contemporary apps, and other tools in addition to the Settings app and Control Panel.
Use these procedures to uninstall a software using Windows 10’s PowerShell:
LaunchStart.
Look up “PowerShell,” then right-click on the first result and select “Run as administrator.”
To see every app that is installed on your smartphone, type the following command and hit Enter:
If you want a list of all the Windows apps that are installed for every user, type the following command and hit Enter:
It may be intimidating to view the lengthy list of apps in the output, but you must do this in order to identify which apps you wish to remove. For instance, you will see that the system name is Microsoft if you wish to remove the Camera app.Camerain the listing in Windows.
To remove an application, use the following command and hit Enter:
As stated in the previous step, be sure to substitute the application’s real name for PROGRAM-NAME in the command. For instance, in Windows 10, this command removes Cortana:
The app will no longer be accessible on your device once you finish the steps, but you can always use the Microsoft Store to reinstall it.
Method 7: Uninstall apps from Command Prompt
Alternatively, you can also use Command Prompt to uninstall applications using theWindows Management Instrumentation Command-line (WMIC) tool, but only classic desktop programs, not Microsoft Store apps.
Use these procedures to uninstall apps using Windows 10’s WMIC command-line tool:
LaunchStart.
Look up “Command Prompt,” then right-click on the first result and choose “Run as administrator.”
To start the WMIC tool, type the following command and hit Enter:
To view a list of all installed applications, use the following command and hit Enter:
To remove an application, use the following command and hit Enter:
As stated in the previous step, be sure to substitute the application’s real name for PROGRAM-NAME in the command. For instance, the Microsoft Edge Dev app gets deleted by this command:
TypeYto confirm the uninstall process.
Once you complete the steps, the program you specified in the command will be uninstalled from Windows 10.
Method 8: Uninstall apps with Wintoys
Wintoys is a non-Microsoft software that makes it easier to remove first- and third-party applications, as well as those apps that Microsoft considers essential for the system, and blocks users from uninstalling them. In addition, the app provides other ways to optimize the operating system, such as tweaking settings and access tools to repair the system quickly.
You caninstallWintoysfrom the Microsoft Storeor through theWindows Package Managerwith thewinget install –id 9P8LTPGCBZXDcommand.
To remove apps with the Wintoys tool, use these steps:
OpenWintoys.
Select “Apps.”
Click the menu (three-dots) button and select theUninstalloption.
If applicable, proceed with the on-screen instructions.
After you complete the steps, the app will uninstall immediately without confirmation from Windows 10. The menu also includes options to terminate the application, open the folder location, reset, and more.
The Wintoys app works on Windows 10 andWindows 11. This guide will walk you througheverything you need to knowabout how to use the app.
Method 9: Uninstall apps with BC Uninstaller
The Bulk Crap Uninstaller (BCU or BC Uninstaller) is a third-party open-source advanced tool that allows you to uninstall one or multiple applications in bulk without minimal interaction on your part. The app can also clean leftover files and entries, detect orphaned apps, and more. This third-party uninstaller software has been around for a long time, and it works on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, and 11.
The BC Uninstaller is available onGitHub, and you can download the installer or portable (recommended) from different download sources, such asOSDN. Once you download the application, select the.zipfile on File Explorer, click theExtract allbutton, and continue with the on-screen directions tocomplete the unzip process.
To uninstall apps through Bulk Crap Uninstaller on Windows 10, use these steps:
OpenFile Explorer.
Open the folder containing the Bulk Crap Uninstaller files.
Double-click theBCUninstaller.exeto launch the app.
(Optional) Under the Filters section, choose the options to filter and find the apps to remove from Windows 10.
Select the app from the list.
Click theUninstallbutton.
Click theContinuebutton.
Click theKill allbutton to close other apps and services (if applicable).
(Optional) Select the uninstall settings.
Click theContinuebutton.
Click theBegin Uninstallationbutton.
Continue with the on-screen directions (if applicable).
Once you complete the steps, depending on the settings, the Bulk Crap Uninstaller will continue removing the app from Windows 10. After removing the app, You may be prompted to scan for leftover files. If this is the case, it s recommended to proceed to make sure the app and other files are completely removed from the system.
Sometimes, you may need special tools to remove specific apps. For example, if you re havingproblems removing the Microsoft 365 or Office apps, Microsoft offers the Recovery Assistant tool that contains specially crafted scripts to uninstall the suite of apps completely.
In addition, other applications may require specific instructions, depending on how they were built. Sometimes, you have to remove packages in a specific sequence. Otherwise, you may not be able to uninstall it correctly. In these cases, it s recommended to check with the software vendor for specific instructions.
Finally, there are those standalone apps that can run without being installed. In these cases, you can simply delete the folder with the components to completely remove them from Windows 10.
If nothing seems to work, the app is causing problems, and you have had the same setup for a long time, perhaps it s time to perform aclean install of Windows 10, which removes all the apps from the computer and helps you to start with a fresh copy that can also resolve performance and other issues.
Update September 4, 2024:This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.