Add and remove programs in Windows Uninstall or change programs in Vista
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This article, Add and remove programs in Windows, was last updated on 30 July 2008 and is now out of date and held in our online archive for reference. Explore our latest Technology articles.
1Launch the uninstallation tools
Make sure you have Administrator access before attempting to uninstall a program. This is because you need authorisation before making certain changes to your PC.
Once you have the Administrator password or are logged on as the Administrator, click the Windows icon in the bottom left corner and then click on Control Panel.
Once this opens, click on Programs and then Uninstall a program.
2Uninstall a program
Browse through the list of programs until you find the one you want to remove and click the Uninstall button above the list of programs.
You may be asked if you really want to remove the program. If you click Yes, then the removal process should begin.
3Change or repair a program
Depending on the program selected, you may be able to change (add or remove certain tools, for example) or repair it by clicking the appropriate button above the list of programs.
You can then follow the on-screen instructions applicable to that program.
4Repairing a program
If, for some reason, the program you've downloaded has become corrupted, then click the Repair button. If it isn't showing up then the best thing to do is to uninstall the program (as in step 3) and reinstall it (see below).
5Installing a program
If you downloaded a program's installation file from the internet, simply double-click the installation file to start the process. If the program came on a CD or DVD, popping it into your computer's disc drive may automatically start the install wizard.
If not, browse the contents of the disc and look for the appropriate file to open; it's usually called setup.exe or install.exe.
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