Using the Windows Registry, you can permanently uninstall programs and apps to ensure that they do not cause further problems.  In some cases, you might have uninstalled a program through Add/Remove Program, but it still appears in the Control Panel (Run » appwiz.cpl) list. If you try to run the program, it will not work either. It is best to attempt to remove it using the methods discussed in this post if that is the case.

Program location in Windows Registry Uninstall Windows Registry key Uninstall/Remove programs using Windows Registry Completely uninstall the program using Windows Registry Remove programs using Windows Registry Verdict

Program location in Windows Registry

Each program has either a 32-Bit or 64-Bit architecture on your Windows computer. These categories of programs and apps are stored separately, both on the volume and within the Windows Registry. The 32-bit applications and programs are stored in the following locations: System Volume: C:\Program Files (x86)Windows Registry: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
64-bit apps and programs are saved at the following locations: System Volume: C:\Program FilesWindows Registry: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
The CurrentVersion keys further hold sub-keys for different apps and programs. One of the sub-keys is named Uninstall, which contains information pertaining to removing the program. The values within the Uninstall key can be used to remove the entire program permanently from your computer, which is how we shall be deleting any program(s) that may be causing trouble, or are no longer required.

Uninstall Windows Registry key

Before we proceed to the uninstallation process, let us learn how to determine which key belongs to which program, since most sub-keys in the Uninstall key are not named directly with the associated program’s name. If you click on the key under Uninstall, you may find the following parameters (values) and the related information: Note: These are common values. You may see come across some values that are not mentioned in the list below.

DisplayNameDisplayVersionPublisherVersionMinorVersionMajorVersionHelpLinkHelpTelephoneInstallDateInstallLocationInstallSourceURLInfoAboutURLUpdateInfoAuthorizedCDFPrefixCommentsContactEstimatedSizeLanguageModifyPathReadmeQuietUninstallStringUninstallStringSettingsIdentifier

The only parameters you should be interested in are DisplayName, QuietUninstallString, and UninstallString. DisplayName is the identifier that will assist you to recognize to which program the key in the Windows Registry belongs. This means that you will need to click on each key before determining which key is the one that you wish to delete. Note: Some Windows Registries may be named (correctly) after the associated program. The values QuietUninstallString and UninstallString will be used in the process of uninstalling the program further down the article. We can now begin to remove the program that you want to.

Uninstall/Remove programs using Windows Registry

You can uninstall the program through the Windows Registry if you are unable to do so through the program itself, or through the Programs and Features page in the Control Panel. However, if you simply see a program on the Programs and Features page that is no longer installed but still visible, you can delete the associated Windows Registries to remove it from the list. Since both processes involve manipulation of the Windows Registry, it is better to create a restore point before proceeding forward, in case the system is at risk of wrongful Registry manipulation.

Completely uninstall the program using Windows Registry

Since the names of the keys in the Windows Registry are ambiguous, it is better to create a backup of the Registry, and then proceed towards the uninstallation. Here is how to do so: You will now have successfully removed the program and all of its Registries as well.

Remove programs using Windows Registry

Note: This process does not uninstall the program, but simply removes it from the list under the Programs and Features page in the Control Panel. Perform the following steps to remove a program that no longer works on your Windows computer, but is still visible in the Programs and Features list.

Verdict

You can run either the UninstallString‘s or QuiteUninstallString‘s value in the Command Prompt when you want to uninstall a program. QuietUninstallString will simply remove the program without confirming with you. Moreover, we would advise that you adopt these methods when no other method to remove a program has worked since manually working with the Windows Registries can turn out to be deadly for your operating system.