The firmware of many smartphones and tablets running Android contains so-called bloatware: applications pre-installed by the manufacturer of dubious usefulness. As a rule, it is not possible to remove them in the usual way. Therefore, today we want to tell you how to uninstall such programs.
In addition to bloatware, virus software cannot be removed in the usual way: malicious applications use loopholes in the system to pretend to be the administrator of a device for which the uninstallation option is blocked. In some cases, for the same reason, it will not be possible to remove a completely harmless and useful program like Sleep as Android: it needs administrator rights for some options. System applications like the Google search widget, standard dialer or Play Store are also protected from uninstallation by default.
The actual methods for removing uninstallable applications depend on whether your device has root access. It is not required, but with such rights you will be able to get rid of unnecessary system software. Options for devices without root access are somewhat limited, but in this case there is a way out. Let's look at all the methods in more detail.
Method 1: Disable Administrator Rights
Many applications use elevated privileges to control your device, including screen lockers, alarm clocks, some launchers, and often viruses that masquerade as useful software. A program that has been granted access to Android administration cannot be uninstalled in the usual way - if you try to do this, you will see a message stating that uninstallation is impossible due to active device administrator options. What to do in this case? Here's what you need to do.
- Make sure that developer options are enabled on your device. Go to "Settings".
Pay attention to the very bottom of the list - such an option should be there. If it is not there, then do the following. At the very bottom of the list there is an item "About the phone". Enter it.
Scroll to "Build number". Tap on it 5-7 times until you see a message about unlocking developer options.
- Enable USB debugging mode in the developer settings. To do this, go to "Developer Options".
Activate the options using the switch at the top, then scroll through the list and check the box next to "USB Debugging".
- Return to the main settings window and scroll down the list of options to the general block. Tap on an item "Safety".
On Android 8.0 and 8.1 this option is called "Location and Protection".
- Next, you should find the device administrators option. On devices with Android version 7.0 and lower, it is called this "Device Administrators".
In Android Oreo this feature is called "Device Administrator Applications" and is located almost at the very bottom of the window. Enter this settings item.
- A list of applications that are allowed additional functions will appear. As a rule, it contains remote device control, payment systems (S Pay, Google Pay), customization utilities, advanced alarm clocks and other similar software. There will probably be an application on this list that you can’t remove. To disable administrator privileges for him, tap on his name.
On the latest versions of Google's OS, this window looks like this:
- In Android 7.0 and below - there is a button in the lower right corner "Switch off", which you need to press.
- You will automatically return to the previous window. Please note that the check mark next to the program for which you have disabled administrator rights has disappeared.
In Android 8.0 and 8.1 - click on "Disable device admin app".
This means that such a program can be removed in any available way.
This method allows you to get rid of most uninstallable applications, but may not be effective in the case of powerful viruses or bloatware embedded in the firmware.
Method 2: ADB + App Inspector
Complex, but the most effective method of getting rid of uninstallable software without root access. To use it, you will need to download and install Android Debug Bridge on your computer, and the App Inspector application on your phone.
Having done this, you can proceed to the procedure described below.
- Connect your phone to your computer and install drivers for it, if necessary.
- Make sure that the archive with ADB is unpacked to the root of the system disk. Then open "Command line": call "Start" and type the letters in the search field cmd. Right-click on the shortcut and select "Run as administrator".
- In the window "Command line" write the commands sequentially:
cd c:/adb
adb devices
adb shell - Go to the phone. Open App Inspector. A list of all applications available on your phone or tablet will be presented in alphabetical order. Find the one you want to delete among them and tap on its name.
- Take a close look at the line "Package Name"— we will need the information recorded in it later.
- Go back to your computer and "Command line". Type the following command in it:
pm uninstall -k --user 0 *Package Name*
Instead of *Package Name*, enter the information from the corresponding line from the page of the application to be removed in the App Inspector. Make sure the command is entered correctly and press Enter.
- After the procedure, disconnect the device from the computer. The application will be deleted.
The only drawback of this method is that it removes the application only for the default user (the “user 0” operator in the command given in the instructions). On the other hand, this is a plus: if you deleted a system application and encountered problems with the device, you can simply reset to factory settings to return the deleted one to its place.
Method 3: Titanium Backup (Root only)
If your device is rooted, the procedure for uninstalling uninstallable programs is greatly simplified: just install Titanium Backup, an advanced application manager that can remove almost any software, on your phone.
This method is the simplest and most convenient solution to the problem of uninstalling programs on Android. The only negative is that the free version of Titanium Backup is somewhat limited in its capabilities, which, however, are sufficient for the procedure described above.
Conclusion
As you can see, uninstallable applications are quite easy to deal with. Finally, let us remind you - do not install dubious software from unknown sources on your phone, as you risk running into a virus.
" and select "Administration". Enter the “Service” section, find the desired program in the long list and, by clicking on it, select the “Stop” command. After that, try uninstalling again through the Control Panel.
There are times when an application cannot be uninstalled and it does not appear in the list of installed programs. Try downloading the program installation file and running it. During the installation process, some programs detect that the application is already installed on the computer and offer to remove it at this stage.
There is another way to remove “unremovable” programs. Download and install one of the programs that are specifically designed to identify problems in such cases and remove them more thoroughly: Revo Uninstaller, Add Remove Plus or similar. Having launched such a program, you will also see a list of applications installed on your computer, and all you have to do is find the ill-fated program and give the command to remove it.
Video on the topic
Related article
Sources:
- how to remove a program from your computer
It often happens that there is not enough space on your hard drive for a certain program or movie. In this case, you need to free up disk space by deleting unnecessary and unused programs.
You will need
- Computer or laptop.
Instructions
Use the search to determine the location of the program - go to the Start menu, enter the name of the program in the search bar, find out where it is located, and find it among the files and folders.
Go to the folder where it was installed from your computer or laptop. You can use both options, but the first is preferable, since by uninstalling programs through the Control Panel, you can be sure that all components of the program you are not using are removed from your computer.
note
Be careful when choosing programs to remove, do not remove important system programs and files, or your antivirus program.
Helpful advice
To avoid having to uninstall programs from your computer, do not install unnecessary or unsafe software.
Sources:
- how to identify an unnecessary program on a disk with
Sometimes a newly downloaded program interferes with the system or the old one stops functioning correctly. Inexperienced users open the Program Files folder on the C: drive, mark unnecessary files and resolutely press the Delete key. The consequences of these actions are sometimes sad.
You will need
- OS Windows, RegCleaner program
Instructions
There is a special option for removal in the Windows XP operating system. Click on the “Start” button and go to “Control Panel”. There, select the “Add or Remove Programs” command.
Mark the program you are going to remove. “Delete” or “Replace/Delete” appears on the right side. Click on the button and then confirm the actions specified by the system.
In OS Windows 7, the program cannot be removed - you can uninstall it, i.e. . The developers probably acted with the best of intentions, believing that any program will be useful for something, and you will want to use it again one day. Click "Start", go to "Control Panel" and open the "Programs" group. Follow the link “Uninstall a program”.
In the window that opens, from the list of installed programs, select the one you decide to delete. The User Account Control window appears. Confirm your choice by clicking the “Yes” button. If during the uninstallation process the system asks you questions, answer in the affirmative.
The developers of many programs themselves write utilities to remove them from the user’s computer. Such utilities are called Uninstall and are supplied in the same package with installation files. If this utility is in the folder with an unnecessary program, just run it and answer the questions that may be asked during the uninstallation process.
If a program was removed incorrectly, traces of it remain in the registry, which can cause system malfunctions. To correct the situation, use registry cleaning programs, for example, RegCleaner, which is distributed free of charge.
Launch the program. If you prefer the Russian-language interface, in the main menu select “Options”, “Program language” and “Select language”. The main page displays a list of all programs installed on your computer. Select the checkbox for the program you want to remove and click the “Uninstall” button in the lower right corner. To remove a checkbox, right-click on it.
note
You cannot delete programs from the Programm Files folder by simply marking the file name and pressing the Delete key - this will lead to incorrect operation of the system.
Related article
Extra information on a computer is often a strong irritant. It distracts you from doing your main work, and unnecessary programs can significantly slow down the functioning of your computer and cause serious problems with it. The process of deleting an extra file is quite simple and does not take much time, but removing programs can sometimes require special utilities and additional time.
You will need
- - antivirus program;
- - CCleaner utility.
Instructions
Install an anti-virus program on your computer, update the anti-virus databases, scan your computer and remove any detected viruses. Some files whose origin you doubt will be deleted.
Remove unnecessary files using the “Delete” menu item by right-clicking on the selected file. If they are not removed (for example, files with the .exe extension), end the processes that use these files before deleting them.
Remove unnecessary programs in one of two ways (method 1: “Start” - “All Programs” - “unnecessary” program - “Uninstall ...”; method 2: “Start” - “Control Panel” - “Add or Remove Programs” - “ extra” program – “Delete”). Press the buttons in succession to remove components of the installed program.
Remove unnecessary programs from Startup. Open the System Settings window (Start - Run - mscongif). Select the “Startup” tab and uncheck the boxes next to programs that, in your opinion, should not start automatically after loading the operating system. In this case, to clarify the purpose of the program, you can use the “Command”, which indicates the path to the selected program. Click the "Apply" and OK buttons and close the settings window.
Clean your computer using CCleaner. The program allows you to delete temporary files of the explorer and operating system, delete the latest download paths, and clear the list of entered Internet browser addresses. Check the integrity of the registry using the CCleaner utility; first save an old copy on your hard drive. Remove programs that could not be removed using standard methods.
Video on the topic
note
Before deleting files or folders, make sure they are not intended to be used by the operating system or other programs installed on your computer.
Helpful advice
If the program cannot be removed, use a special utility. Many software manufacturers provide for the development of programs designed for emergency removal of a software product.
Sources:
- how to remove unnecessary items from the menu
From this article you will learn how to remove a program from your computer using standard Windows methods. And also how to remove a program that is not uninstalled and how to find its location.
There are several standard methods to remove programs in Windows 7. There are also special third-party utilities, but we’ll talk about them next time.
Uninstalling a program is easy!
Removing a program from the list of programs and components.
Start menu ⇒ Control Panel
Uninstalling a program.
Here we see a list of installed programs on your computer. Select the one that needs to be removed, to do this, click on it with the left mouse button, and then click on the delete button at the top of the list.
We confirm the action, the program will disappear from the general list.
Next method.
If there is no such file, then we simply delete the folder with the program itself.
- Method No. 2
As a rule, when installing any program, permission is always requested for “ ” on the desktop and in “ ” or without a request it is installed by default.
We move the mouse cursor over the shortcut, right-clicking to call up the “Context Menu”, here you need to select the File Location tab, after which you will immediately find yourself in the file location folder.
You can also use the Properties tab, which will show you the path to the file.
We perform the removal in the same way as in method No. 1.
- Method No. 3
If for some reason the shortcut disappeared or was deleted, then go to the Start Menu, in the search bar we write the name of the program that you need to find, then we carry out all the removal steps described in method No. 2.
How to remove a program that won't uninstall
It happens that the program is not uninstalled in any way, even repeated deletion as an option does not help, there are many effective ways for this, we will now look at some of them.
1. Try to simply cut out the folder with the file and move it to an external medium, for example a flash drive, and then format it, not forgetting to naturally move the necessary information from it before formatting.
2. Removal using the registry. We combine the Win+R keys ⇒ enter Regedit ⇒ OK in the text field.
Select ⇒ Edit ⇒ Find.
In the search bar we write the name of the program ⇒ Find next, and it doesn’t matter at all to write the full name.
Now on the left side of the registry you will see a selected file with the name of the desired program, calmly delete it.
And then the program itself using one of the methods described above. You shouldn’t delete anything unnecessary in the registry, so as not to harm the OS, without any experiments at all!
3. You can use system recovery to return your computer to the state of the time before you installed the program you are uninstalling.
This method is good if the program was installed recently.
4. Uninstalling in Safe Mode, what is Safe Mode and how to enter it, read first.
When you enter this mode, we use the methods described above for searching and deleting the program.
An error may occur during deletion, then you can try changing the name of the folder being deleted and restarting the computer repeating the same deletion steps.
5. Regarding games, it happens that there is no way to delete a game, but the solution is quite simple!
Just insert the game disc into the drive, launch it, find the delete option, that’s all.
It happens that when deleting, something like this appears, where it is written that the operation cannot be completed because this folder or file is open in another program, and it is not clear which one.
There are several solutions, the most radical is to simply restart the computer, which is not always convenient for a number of reasons.
Therefore, we will use the Start menu, in the search bar we write Resource Monitor ⇒ Launch it ⇒ select the CPU tab.
In the search bar we write the name of the program; in my example it is “3DMark”. The search result showed that as many as four files use “BitComet”.
Right-click on one of the four running processes, click End Process, that’s all!
This is not a complete list of methods for deleting programs, folders and files. But for a novice user who doesn’t know how to remove unnecessary programs, this post will be of great help.
All the removal methods provided do not have a 100% guarantee that they will work for everyone, but they are actually effective and all work.
Write in the comments about your methods.
Working on a computer involves installing a variety of programs. Some of them are used constantly, while others are installed for one-time use. But do not forget that any program takes up a certain space in the computer’s memory, and a device filled with many unnecessary programs works slower. Therefore, it is important to periodically clean your computer of unnecessary programs.
What programs need to be removed
First, you need to decide which programs can and should be removed:- Automatically installed apps with really useful programs - browsers, file managers. These applications often not only take up disk space, but are also set to autorun. This significantly slows down the computer's startup and operation.
- Programs whose license has expired . Most specialized programs have a limited license period or have a free trial period. After a certain period, the program will no longer work, therefore, you need to either purchase a license again or delete the program. If you are not going to use it in the next few months, the second option is preferable.
- Unused programs downloaded previously to perform one or two tasks . Often this file converters, various photo editors, players. In some cases, training programs and applications.
Try to check your computer every 2-3 months for unnecessary programs and remove them.
A fairly easy and quick way to clean your computer. To remove programs this way, you must follow these steps:
- Open the “Start” menu using a special icon in the lower left corner or using the “Win” button (sometimes the Windows logo is shown on the button instead of an inscription).
- Find and launch “Control Panel”.
- Select “Programs” – “Uninstall programs” when viewing in “Category” view. When viewing mode “Large icons” or “Small icons” - “Programs and Features”.
- Select the required program from the list and click on the “Delete/Change” button, which is located at the top of the table.
- Next, you will be asked to confirm the removal of the program. In some cases, a reboot will be necessary to complete the process. You can confirm the deletion or postpone.
Removing using special shortcuts
A more complex method that involves opening the program’s working folder. Each program places its executable files and other documentation in special folders on hard drives. Often this folder contains the “Uninstall” executable file. By running it, you can remove this or that program.There are two ways to find this file:
- Open “Start” and find the folder of the required program. Open it, find and run the “Uninstall” file. Confirm deletion and, if necessary, restart the computer.
- Click on the shortcut and open the context menu using the right button. Select "Properties" from the menu. Then go to the “Shortcut” tab and look at the “Working Folder” item. Open the folder at the specified address, which contains the “Uninstall” file.
Cleaning using uninstallers
Today, there are a lot of free applications that not only completely remove the program, but also clean the computer registry of changes made by it.CCleaner
CCleaner is considered one of the most popular utilities. With its help, you can not only delete unnecessary files and applications, but also temporary files, clean the system cache and registry.To work, you need to launch CCleaner and select “Service” in the menu on the left. Then all you have to do is look through the list of programs installed on your computer and select the one you need. In the menu on the right, select “Uninstall” and then confirm the removal of the program.
CCleaner is a free program that does not take up much space on your computer.
Revo Uninstaller
Another free file removal program is Revo Uninstaller. Its peculiarity is that it allows you to remove even hard-to-remove programs that contain errors in the code or are infected with viruses. The application is distributed free of charge.
Working with this application involves the following actions:
- Open Revo Uninstaller.
- In the dialog box provided, find the program you want to remove and right-click on it.
- Then select "Delete".
- The program will begin analyzing the program, after which the application uninstaller will start working.
- In the “Uninstall a program” dialog, select the necessary actions with the application. If you are prompted to restart your computer, refuse it by clicking on the “Restart later” button. Why reject the reboot? So that Revo Uninstaller can scan the system and find the files remaining after uninstalling the program.
- After removal, select the scanning mode, preferably in the “Advanced” mode.
- Wait until the scan finishes. It may take from 5 minutes to half an hour, depending on the amount of memory on your computer.
- When the scan is complete, look at the results displayed in the "Remaining Registry Entries Found" window.
- Mark all entries and click "Delete".
- Check and delete entries in the Found Remaining Files window.
Other popular applications
You can also remove unnecessary programs using the following applications:- IObit Uninstaller;
- Uninstall Tool;
- ZSoft Uninstaller;
- Absolute Uninstaller;
- Advanced Uninstaller PRO.
How to properly remove programs? (video)
Find out where the programs installed on your computer are located and how to properly remove them using the Control Panel, as well as using the working program folders in the following video:
From time to time, users encounter a problem when, after uninstalling a program, its remnants interfere with the operation of other programs or even the operating system.
This problem can manifest itself in different ways. For example, when installing a new version or program from another manufacturer, a message may appear that an old version (or a product from another manufacturer) was found on the computer, after which the installation process is interrupted. There are also cases when, after deleting a program, the context menu items of the deleted program remain in the Explorer context menu. Trying to run them results in an error.
This is due to the fact that there are traces (remnants) of the deleted program in the system, which interfere with work. They can be located both in the system registry and on disks.
Most often, antivirus users encounter this when, when switching from one antivirus package to another, a message appears stating that a version from another manufacturer is already installed on the computer. After this message, the installation process is interrupted.
How to correct the situation and remove the incorrectly deleted program?
1. Check the list of installed programs
First, we need to make sure that we really uninstalled the program. Although this is an obvious step, there are times when an app next to it in the list is mistakenly deleted. To eliminate this misunderstanding, you just need to check the list again.
To do this, launch the program removal tool and try to find there the name of the application that we want to remove. If it is not there, then move on.
2. We are looking for special removal utilities from manufacturers
When it comes to antiviruses or security tools, the developers of such programs often create specialized utilities to completely remove their own products. As a rule, they are called something like this: %AntivirusName% Removal Tool. Instead of %AntivirusName% you need to substitute the name of the antivirus product.
Such utilities are precisely designed to completely remove a product from the system. And antivirus developers try to keep such products up to date, because users often need them. They are the ones that are recommended to be used first if you want to remove the antivirus solution completely.
Below is a list of links to such utilities for several popular antivirus solutions.
3. Removing remnants of deleted programs in the Reg Organizer uninstaller
If we are not talking about antiviruses, but about a simple application program, then there is a chance that data on traces (residues) is available in the database of the program removal tool in Reg Organizer.
To do this, launch Reg Organizer and go to the uninstall tool. On the left side panel there will be an item “Traces of already deleted programs”.
If after the name of the item you see a non-zero value in brackets, then the Reg Organizer utility managed to find the remains of some programs. Check to see if the program you want to remove is among them.
If deleting remnants through Reg Organizer did not help or remnants for the program you needed were not found, then go to the next point.
4. Manually search for leftovers on the disk
Now let's move on to manual methods of searching for residues. First, let's check the disks for traces of the program that we want to completely remove from the system. To do this, we will use regular Explorer (or any other file manager convenient for you).
C:\Program Files\ and C:\Program Files (x86)\
These folders store the main working application files.
We need to find and delete the folder with the program name. Just sequentially go through the folders in Program Files and when you find the one you need, delete it.
When doing this, you need to remember the name of the manufacturer of the product, because sometimes they place program folders in a shared folder with the name of the manufacturer.
%AppData% and %LocalAppData%
These folders are used to store files that are created while the application is running. These could be configuration files for your system, logs, and more.
To open them, just enter %appdata% or %localappdata% in the address bar of Explorer and press Enter. The operating system will automatically redirect you to the appropriate disk folder in your user profile.
We open the %appdata% and %localappdata% folders sequentially in Explorer and look inside these folders for the name of the manufacturer or directly the name of the product whose remains we want to delete.
Most often, AppData/LocalAppData first contains a folder with the name of the manufacturing company, and already in it there is a folder with the name of the product itself.
Some programs are installed entirely in %AppData% instead of Program Files.
Once you have found the product name folders in AppData/LocalAppData, simply delete them.
5. Manually searching for traces in the registry using Reg Organizer
In the system registry you can also find many traces of programs that were deleted a long time ago. To find them, launch Reg Organizer and select the “Registry Editor” tool.
In the upper right corner there is a line for entering a search query. There we will enter the name of the program or the name of the manufacturer. But first we need to set up the search so as not to get a mountain of unnecessary keys, among which it will be difficult to find anything.
Open the search settings and leave a checkmark only opposite the “Key names” item in the “Where to search” block. This will give the program a command to look for matches only in the names of the keys, which will significantly reduce the number of entries in the search results and simplify working with them.
As soon as the settings are changed, enter a search query in the form of the name of the manufacturer or the name of the program (it is better to start with the first) and start the search.
As a result, you will receive a small list of registry keys, the names of which contain the name of the manufacturer's company or the name of the program itself. You need to find those that satisfy the following construction:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ %Company name%\%The name of the program%
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\ %Company name%\%The name of the program%
HKEY_USERS\%NUMBER-WITH-HYPHEN%\Software\ %Company name%\%The name of the program%
HKEY_USERS\%NUMBER-HYPHEN%\Software\WOW6432Node\ %Company name%\%The name of the program%
Designations:
%Company name%— the name of the company that produced the program, the remains of which need to be removed. Doesn't always exist. Instead, there may be a %Program Name% field.
%The name of the program%— the name of the program whose remains need to be removed.
%NUMBER-WITH-HYPHENS%— user identifier in the HKEY_USERS key.
Those keys that satisfy the above structures must be checked and deleted using the context menu (called with the right mouse button).
You can also check and, if detected, remove references to the remote program in the keys located at the following addresses:
\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
Deleting data through the Reg Organizer registry editor requires the creation of a backup copy, which, if necessary, can be restored through the “Undo Changes Center”, which launches in the lower right corner of the main window.
6. Automatic registry cleaning in Reg Organizer
The last step in searching for traces of a deleted program in the registry is automatic cleaning using Reg Organizer. The utility analyzes key registry sections and looks for references to non-existent/deleted files in order to then correctly delete them.
This is useful in cases where the remote program is recorded in startup, context menu, file extension associations, and other similar sections.
Registry cleaning is carried out completely automatically and therefore does not require user intervention. You just need to be patient while the utility conducts a deep analysis of the system registry in search of links to deleted files and folders.
When deleting keys while cleaning the registry, Reg Organizer automatically creates a backup copy of the deleted data, which can be restored if necessary through the “Undo Changes Center” (opens in the lower right corner of the main program window).
This procedure is performed last. This is due to the fact that it searches for links to deleted files. If you first clean the registry and then delete files, traces will remain in the menu, startup and other places, since the files were present on the disk at the time of cleaning the registry.
