Can't uninstall a program or errors occur when attempting to uninstall a program

If errors result when attempting to uninstall or remove a program, the Windows Installer CleanUp utility is available to help resolve the issue. This utility removes registry entries associated with the application which, if corrupted, may prevent the uninstallation of that program.

NOTES:

• The Windows Installer CleanUp utility only will work for applications that were installed with a Windows Installer package. Although, most installations use this package.
• Programs installed using a Windows Installer package will install from a setup file which has the file name extension of *.msi.

WARNING: There is a risk of software corruption. After completing this procedure you may need to reinstall some or all applications on your system that were installed using the Windows Installer package.

1. Download the Windows Installer Clean Up utility from Microsoft KB Article ID 290301.
2. Once the download of the Windows Installer Clean Up utility is complete, navigate to the directory where the downloaded file was saved and then depending on the operating system you are running, use one of the following methods to install the Windows Install Clean Up utility:
   • If you are using the Windows Vista® or Windows® 7 operating system, right-click Windows Install Clean Up and then click Run As Administrator.

     NOTE: If prompted for an administrator password or a User Account Control prompt is displayed, type the appropriate password, click Continue or click Yes.

   • If you are using the Windows XP operating system, click Windows Install Clean Up.
3. Once the installation process is complete, depending on the operating system you are running, use one of the following methods to open the Windows Install Clean Up utility:
   • If you are using the Windows Vista or Windows 7 operating system, click the Start button, click All Programs, right-click Windows Install Clean Up and then click Run as Administrator.

     NOTE: If prompted for an administrator password or a User Account Control prompt is displayed, type the appropriate password, click Continue or click Yes.

   • If you are using the Windows XP operating system, click the Start button, click All Programs and then click Windows Install Clean Up.

   NOTE: Programs installed with a Windows Installer package will be displayed in the Windows Installer Clean Up window.

4. In the Windows Installer Clean Up window, click to select the program you wish to uninstall and then click the Remove button
5. In the Windows Installer Clean Up window, click the OK button.
6. When the uninstallation is complete, click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Windows Installer Clean Up window and then restart the computer.
7. Once the computer restarts, open the Windows Install Clean Up application, verify the program you removed no longer appears in the list. If the program still is listed, boot the computer into Safe mode, go back to step 3 and repeat the procedure.

   WARNING: There is a risk of data loss. Configuration settings and files saved to the program folder will be lost if you delete this folder in the next step.

8. If desired, open Windows Explorer, navigate to the program folder for the application you removed and delete it.
9. If desired, the uninstalled program can now be reinstalled.

   NOTES:

   • Before installing or reinstalling a program, consult the program documentation to verify that it is compatible with the operating system.
   • If the program is not compatible, contact the program manufacturer to see if there are updates or newer versions of the software available that will allow it to operate correctly in the operating system.
   • If the program cannot be verified as compatible with the operating system, consider installing it using Compatibility mode in the Windows Vista® or Windows® 7 operating systems or the Program Compatibility Wizard in the Windows XP operating system.