Programme cannot be uninstalled – what to do?

If a programme cannot be uninstalled, there may be problems with the installer programme. Fortunately, the problem can usually be solved quickly.

I can’t uninstall a programme – here’s what you can do in Windows

If you cannot uninstall a programme from your PC, this is no reason to despair. Unless you know the reason for the problem, you need to try different approaches.

• Simply try to uninstall the affected programme a second time and wait until the uninstaller opens. If this does not work, restart the computer and try again.
• If the programme you want to uninstall is still running, close it. If necessary, do this via the task manager. You can reach this with [Ctrl] + [Alt] + [Del] ☻ Task Manager.
• If nothing helps, you can try to reinstall the affected software and thus overwrite the faulty installation. Then try the uninstallation again.
• Some programmes offer an uninstall programme that is located in the installation directory. Open this directory and look for a file that has Uninstaller, Uninstall, Unins or something similar in the file name.
• For particularly stubborn programmes, you can use additional removal tools. The Revo Uninstaller, HiBit Uninstaller or GeekUninstaller are good examples.
• Some developers provide special uninstallation tools for their programmes that can be used to completely remove your software. Anti-virus tools such as Avast or Avira offer such solutions. It is best to check the website of the software to see if there is something suitable.
• If you do not know the programme that cannot be uninstalled, it may also be a virus. In this case, you should check your system with a virus scanner and have pests removed.
• You can also try to reset the PC to an earlier point in time using System Restore. In some cases, the uninstallation will work. However, since this can also reset other programmes and settings, you should not carry out this step without thinking about it.
• If you uninstalled from the Start menu, try uninstalling from the System Preferences instead: Click on the Windows button ☻ Settings ☻ Apps ☻ Installed Apps. Search for the programme in the list and click Uninstall. Some programmes also offer Advanced Options here.

Programmes on Mac: How to uninstall

If you can’t uninstall applications on Mac OS, we have the following tips for you:

• A simple restart of the PC can also help in some cases.
• On the Mac, some developers provide uninstallers for their applications. So if the conventional way of removal fails, you should search for such an uninstaller (e.g. via the Finder) or download it again.
• Afterwards, make sure you have the necessary access rights to uninstall the desired programme.
• The programme may be protected. To do this, right-click on a programme file and uncheck Protected. You must repeat this procedure for all files of the programme.
• You can also try to delete the programme with the terminal. Start the terminal and type sudo rm -rf. Before confirming with [Enter], drag the desired programme folder into the terminal so that the path appears after the command. Afterwards, you can execute the command with [Enter].
• Make sure that the programme you want to uninstall does not contain any special characters in its name. These can cause problems during uninstallation.
• If the programme still cannot be removed, you can try to uninstall it with the AppCleaner.
• Some applications are an integral part of Mac OS and therefore cannot be uninstalled in the traditional way – which is a good thing, because removing them can have a negative impact on the stability of the system.