How can I tell whether a program on my PC has been installed?
I have a new PC (with Vista) that came with some pre-loaded programs that I would like to get rid of (NetZero, Earthlink, etc.). They are not listed in the add/remove programs utility, or in the program list. If they were not installed, can I remove them completely by just deleting their folders? How can I tell whether they were installed? I would like to remove all traces of those programs and start with a clean computer.
Installed programs are located in the registry here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
Using "Revo Uninstaller" will remove the registry keys.
After the program is uninstalled you can safely delete the program files.
Hi buddy! you can do that, but don’t forget to remove the registry files and key files that are stored on your computer. Else they may irritate you saying "some file is missing." Please select the best answer so that others may find the solution for the same question.
References :
knowledge
Well you can delete the folders, that should do it. It will leave traces in the registry which can lead to a real annoyance. For that download a program like CCleaner. It shows you everything installed on your computer, and you can clean the registry, and remove unnecessary clutter such as cookies and other temp. files. Its a great program and it can be found on download.com, its free, and its a great addition to any computer.
References :
Installed programs are located in the registry here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths
Using "Revo Uninstaller" will remove the registry keys.
After the program is uninstalled you can safely delete the program files.
References :
http://www.revouninstaller.com