How to Manually Remove Programs from the Add/Remove Programs List

This article applies to Windows 2000. Support for Windows 2000 ends on July 13, 2010. The Windows 2000 End-of-Support Solution Center is a starting point for planning your migration strategy from Windows 2000. For more information see the Microsoft Support Lifecycle Policy.

Summary

This article describes how to manually remove items from the Add/Remove Programs tool if the item is still displayed after you try to remove the item from Add/Remove Programs.

More Information

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
Programs that are compatible with Windows may have an uninstallation program or feature. The Add/Remove programs tool lists all of the Windows-compatible programs that have an uninstall program or feature. You may need to manually remove the program from the Add/Remove Programs list if you uninstall a program and the registry key that is used to display the program name is not removed correctly:

Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then press ENTER.

Locate and click the following registry key:

After you click the Uninstall registry key, click Export Registry File on the Registry menu.

In the Export Registry File dialog box, click Desktop in the Save in box, type uninstall in the File name box, and then click Save.

Each key under Uninstall represents a program that appears in Add/Remove Programs. To determine which program that each key represents, click the key, and then view the following values:

DisplayName — the value data for the DisplayName key is the name that is listed in Add/Remove Programs

UninstallString — the value data for the UninstallString key is the program that is used to uninstall the program

After you identify the registry key that represents the program that is still in Add/Remove Programs, right-click the key, and then click Delete.

After you delete the key, click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.

In Add/Remove Programs, verify that the program for which you deleted the registry key is not listed.

Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows 10

There are different ways to remove apps and programs, so if you can’t find the one you’re looking for, you can try another location. Note that some apps and programs are built into Windows and can’t be uninstalled. You can try to repair a program first, if it’s just not running correctly.

Uninstall from the Start menu

Select Start and look for the app or program in the list shown.

Press and hold (or right-click) on the app, then select Uninstall.

Uninstall from the Settings page

Select Start , then select Settings > Apps > Apps & features. Or just click the shortcut link at the bottom of this article.

Select the app you want to remove, and then select Uninstall.

Uninstall from the Control Panel (for programs)

In the search box on the taskbar, type Control Panel and select it from the results.

Select Programs > Programs and Features.

Press and hold (or right-click) on the program you want to remove and select Uninstall or Uninstall/ Change. Then follow the directions on the screen.

If you get an error message when you’re uninstalling, try the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter.

If you’re trying to remove malware, see Stay protected with Windows Security to find out how to run a scan. Or if you use another antivirus software program, check their virus protection options.

How to manage/remove startup Programs in Windows 7

«knwetlk» wrote in message news:c2ff3fd1-3e32-46d9-9522-ec05034a2db1.

> How do I manage programs that startup on Windows 7

First, note that you should be concerned with *all* programs that start
automatically, not just with those that go into the system tray. Not all
autostarting programs manifest themselves by an icon in the tray.

On each program you don’t want to start automatically, check its Options to
see if it has the choice not to start (make sure you actually choose the
option not to run it, not just a «don’t show icon» option). Many can easily
and best be stopped that way. If that doesn’t work, run MSCONFIG from the
Start | Run line, and on the Startup tab, uncheck the programs you don’t
want to start automatically.

However, if I were you, I wouldn’t do this just for the purpose of running
the minimum number of programs. Despite what many people tell you, you
should be concerned, not with how *many* of these programs you run, but
*which*. Some of them can hurt performance severely, but others have no
effect on performance.

Don’t just stop programs from running willy-nilly. What you should do is
determine what each program is, what its value is to you, and what the cost
in performance is of its running all the time. You can try google searches
and ask about specifics here.

Once you have that information, you can make an intelligent informed
decision about what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of.

—
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP (Windows Desktop Experience) since 2003

How To Remove Programs From Startup In Windows 10

Last Updated on September 25, 2020 by admin 5 Comments

One of the better ways to improve Windows boot time is to stop unwanted programs from loading with Windows operating system. Programs like Skype, Evernote, and TeamViewer automatically start with Windows operating system with default settings.

In previous Windows 7 previous versions, the option to remove or disable startup entries was present under System Configuration utility. In Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10, the same has been moved under Task Manager.

In this guide, we will see the top four easy ways to remove programs from the startup in Windows 10.

Method 1 of 4

Disable startup programs using Task Manager

Step 1: Open Task Manager by simultaneously pressing Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys. Alternatively, right-click on the empty spot of the taskbar and then click Task Manager to open the same.

Step 2: If the Task Manager is launched with a minimal view, click More details button to view the actual Task Manager.

Step 3: Click on the Startup tab to switch to the same.

Step 4: Here, right-click on the program entry that you want to stop from loading with Windows 10 and then click Disable option to remove it from the Windows 10 startup folder. That’s it!

Method 2 of 4

Disable startup programs via the Settings app

Step 1: Navigate to Settings app > Apps > Startup.

Step 2: Turn off apps that you don’t want to load with Windows 10 by moving the slider to the off position.

Method 3 of 4

Delete startup programs from Startup folder

As said before, shortcuts of programs that start with Windows 10 are mostly saved in a folder called Startup. You can delete a program shortcut from this folder to stop the program from starting with Windows 10. Here is how to do it. Note that you might not be able to find all applications that startup Windows under the Startup folder. If you can’t find the program shortcut that you’re looking for, please follow the instructions in other methods.

Step 1: Open Run command box by simultaneously pressing the Windows logo and R keys.

Step 2: In the field, type shell:startup, and then press Enter key to open the Startup folder.

Step 3: Select the program shortcut that you want to remove from Windows 10 startup, and then press Delete key.

Method 4 of 4

Remove startup programs using CCleaner

Many of the popular Windows optimization utilities like CCleaner and Glary Utilities help you remove programs from Windows startup. In this guide, we will see how to remove startup programs using the popular CCleaner (free).

Step 1: Download CCleaner and install the same, if not installed already.

Step 2: Launch CCleaner, click Tools and then click Startup.

Step 3: Under the Windows tab, select the entry of the program that you want to remove from startup, and then click the Disable button.

Filed Under: Windows 10 Tagged: Tips

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Comments

JESSICA DREIER says

The program isn’t showing in my startup folder but is showing in my Task Manager – Startup tab.

none worked for me
after disabling 2 entries in startup’s task manager, I wanted to delete the disabled entries without succes because I can’ t find them anywhere. not in ccleaner, not in autorun, not in regedit, not in startup windows folders.
I really can’t understand why is it so difficult for windows to add a delete context menu option in its startup tab of task manager.
thanks anyway

Shubham Vilankar says

Thanks For Your Suggestion of CCleaner It permanantly deleted my windows startup programs which i was trying to delete a couple of months before.
Thanks

jhonny Adeniyi says

On my Acer / Aspire 15 laptop’s Startup, (it’s installed Windows 10) it attempts preparing automatic repair by itself, but turns off within few seconds.

I’ve already tried F4 in order to boot into safe mode, though unsuccessfully – It looks like the laptop cannot read F4 at that early stage; the same thing happens with Shift F8, Shift F10 and Win R.

It happens to be, that F2 & F12 are enabled; so, for example this way, I can now access the Windows Boot Manager’s first screen. However, after I select Option #1, the system attempts that, but again the laptop turns itself off within few seconds.

I can see the battery looks OKAY !

So, please, do you know any tip, (or have any suggestions maybe) that may help me boot my laptop into Safe mode with Command Prompt or boot it from USB or boot it to any other advanced Startup option? Also, do you think there might be a virus in the Windows 10 Startup Folder?

In advance, thank you so much for your time and help.

thank you, did not know how to remove leftovers from speedfan app at startup, very nice how to

How to Disable Startup Apps on Windows 10

Windows 10 is a fast and responsive operating system. But if you have a lot of apps set to start up when you log in, it can bog down the boot process substantially. Many apps you install will add themselves to the boot process. Let’s review how to disable startup programs/apps on Windows 10 and make the boot process fast again.

How to Disable Startup Apps on Windows 10

Click the Start button and choose Settings or you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + I to open Settings.

Once Settings has opened, click on Apps.

On the next screen click on Startup in the left panel. And on the right, all of the installed apps that are set to startup during boot will be listed. You can scroll through the list and turn off the ones you don’t want to run.

Next to each one, you will see the app’s impact on the startup process. For example, here you can see Microsoft OneDrive has a high impact. That can help you in determining which apps you allow to run or not during startup.

It’s also worth noting that there is an option to sort apps by name, startup impact, or status.

Disable Startup Apps via Task Manager

You can also use the old school method of disabling startup apps as you can on older versions of Windows. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Right-click on an empty area on the taskbar and select Task Manager.

Step 2: When Task Manager comes up, click the Startup tab, and look through the list of programs and apps that are enabled to run during startup. Then to stop them from running, either highlight the app and click the Disable button or right-click on one, and select Disable from the menu.

Task Manager in Windows 10 also provides a few more options in determining if you want to disable an app from startup or not. Like in Settings, you can sort by startup impact, name, or status; but you can also sort by publisher. And if you want to add more columns to sort by you can right-click a column header and check what you want to add. For example, here I added a “CPU at startup” column.

Over time you might install so many programs you forget what they’re for. And Task Manager allows you to open an app’s file location and properties. And if that doesn’t help, you can search for the app online. Just right-click on an app and choose the information you need.

After setting up a new computer I will disable all but a few programs. Another thing to remember after installing a new app is to go in see if it added itself to startup. Then you can disable it if it’s something you need to access quickly. Or if you notice your PC isn’t starting up as fast as it used to, this is a good place to look first. Run through the list and disable anything that isn’t necessary – especially apps that have a high startup impact.

I often get the question: “Which apps need to be enabled?” and the answer is simple: None! You can disable them all and Windows will start up normally. However, some things you want at the ready, won’t be. You’ll need to start them up manually.

It’s not a perfect science, but you can experiment and see which apps are delaying the startup process when you log in.

Not on Windows 10 yet? Check out our articles on how to disable startup programs on Windows 7 (which is no longer supported) or Windows 8.1.