How to Remove Unwanted Programs From Windows

By the Revo Cleaner editorial team · Last updated August 30, 2026 · Written for Windows 10 and Windows 11

Unwanted programs accumulate on almost every Windows PC over time, whether from bundled installers, manufacturer bloatware, or apps you forgot you installed. Here's how to identify and remove them efficiently.

Why Unwanted Programs Pile Up

Unwanted software typically arrives in one of three ways: it comes preinstalled by your PC manufacturer (often called bloatware), it gets bundled silently with another installer you agreed to, or it is something you installed intentionally but no longer use. Over months and years, these programs quietly consume disk space, sometimes launch at startup, and can clutter search results and the Start menu. For a closer look at manufacturer bloatware specifically, see what bloatware is and how to remove unwanted apps.

Step 1: Review Your Full List of Installed Programs

Open Settings > Apps > Installed apps on Windows 11, or Settings > Apps > Apps & features on Windows 10, to see every installed program along with its size and install date. Sort by size or by install date to spot large or old programs quickly. If you prefer a more detailed inventory, Control Panel's Programs and Features view or a dedicated tool can show additional information; see how to find programs installed on Windows for other methods, including PowerShell listing commands.

Step 2: Decide What to Remove

Go through the list and flag anything you don't recognize, haven't opened in over a year, or that came preinstalled and duplicates functionality you already have (for example, a second video player or a manufacturer-branded utility you never use). Be cautious with items tied to your hardware, such as drivers, chipset utilities, or laptop-specific power management tools, since removing these can disable useful features.

Step 3: Uninstall Using Built-In Windows Tools

For most programs, select the entry in Settings > Apps and click Uninstall, then follow any prompts from the program's own uninstall wizard. For Microsoft Store apps that resist normal removal, right-click the Start menu tile and choose Uninstall, or use PowerShell's Get-AppxPackage and Remove-AppxPackage commands as described in how to uninstall Windows Store apps.

Step 4: Batch-Remove Multiple Programs at Once

If you have many unwanted programs to remove, doing them one at a time through Settings is slow. A dedicated uninstaller such as Revo Uninstaller supports selecting several programs and queuing them for sequential removal, which saves considerable time compared to the built-in tool. It's worth comparing the two approaches directly; see Revo Uninstaller vs. the Windows built-in uninstaller.

Step 5: Clean Up Leftovers

Standard uninstalls frequently leave behind folders in AppData or ProgramData and orphaned registry keys. After removing a batch of unwanted programs, it is worth checking for these traces, particularly if you are trying to reclaim disk space or keep the registry tidy. See how to remove leftover files after uninstalling a program for the process, and remember to back up with a System Restore point before deleting anything from the registry or system folders.

Step 6: Deal With Stubborn Programs

Occasionally a program refuses to uninstall, throws an error, or has no uninstaller at all. In those cases, see the dedicated guides on forcing an uninstall that won't complete and removing a program with no uninstaller rather than leaving it in place indefinitely.

Step 7: Prevent Unwanted Programs Going Forward

When installing new software, choose the "custom" or "advanced" installation option instead of "express" whenever it's offered, since this usually reveals optional bundled toolbars or utilities you can decline. Uncheck any pre-selected boxes for "recommended" additional software before finishing the install. Reviewing your installed programs list every few months, rather than only when your drive is full, makes ongoing cleanup much less overwhelming.

Keeping Startup Lean Too

Even programs you intend to keep can be set to launch automatically at startup unnecessarily. After cleaning up unwanted software, it is worth reviewing what still launches when Windows boots; see how to stop programs from running at startup for a quick way to speed up your boot time further.

Part of our Windows software removal series. Start with the Windows uninstaller guide or read the overview of Revo Uninstaller.

Revo Cleaner is an independent information resource. Revo Uninstaller is developed by VS Revo Group Ltd.; download the software from the developer's official website.