User question
Hello.
I installed one game, and now I can't remove it (I tried it through Add / Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel). When uninstalling, it writes: "The operation is impossible, the installer file is damaged ...". I tried to manually find the folder with the game and delete it - an error appeared that there was no access.
So what's now?
Veronica, Moscow.
Good day!
In fact, many applications (especially games) are not always uninstalled through the START menu or through "Add or remove programs" on Windows. Apparently, the application developers believe that the main thing is that the program is installed and launched correctly, and you can not even think about uninstalling - let the user puzzle over this ...
However, I cannot fail to note the fact that the game installer could have been damaged (for example, by a virus or incorrect installation), and because of this, it became impossible to uninstall in the classical way.
In this article I will consider what you can do with this ...
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How to uninstall a program that cannot be removed
❶ Try restarting your computer and try again
The advice is trivial, but still it works in some cases. Please note that sometimes Windows offers to remove a program from the list (in the "Programs and Features" section in the Control Panel) - if you agree to this, keep in mind that the program files themselves and entries in the registry remain on your hard disk (and in in some cases, they will need to be manually removed later).
Software uninstall error window
By the way, in Windows 10, you can uninstall any program through the system settings. To open them - click Win + i .
Then go to section "Applications / Applications and Features" and you will see a complete list of installed software (see screenshot below) .
Windows 10 - apps - apps and features
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❷ Check Task Manager
A number of programs cannot be removed while they are running and running. Moreover, it sometimes happens that the program itself seems to be closed, but its process is running (for example, due to the incorrect termination of the application). To find out if your uninstalled application is running, go to the task manager and check it with your own eyes.
Note: to call the task manager - press the combination of buttons Win + Shift + Esc.
If the program is found in the task manager, just close it (the "End task" command) and try again to uninstall it in the classic way.
Close the program process before uninstalling it
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❸ Use specialized software
If all of the above could not remove the program, then I recommend switching to specialized utilities. There are quite a few of them, but I recommend staying on the following: IObit Uninstaller, Geek Uninstaller, CCleaner, Revo Uninstaller. And in my (more modest 👌) opinion - IObit Uninstaller is one of the best!
IObit Uninstaller
Website: //ru.iobit.com/advanceduninstaller.php
A very powerful utility for monitoring the state of the system and removing various applications in Windows. It will help to cope even with the software in which errors, failures, incorrect installation, etc. were found. (that is, it will help out in cases when Windows itself cannot cope!).
Another significant plus of IObit Uninstaller not only removes the program itself, but also cleans up all the tails behind it (registry entries, temporary files, installation folder, etc.). In addition, specials are built into the program. a protection module that monitors the installation of add-ons in browsers and controls their autoloading. In general, 10 out of 10 points!
Main advantages:
- Quick and easy removal of unnecessary programs and add-ons / toolbars in the browser;
- The presence of the option "deep scan" and "forced removal" of non-removable programs;
- Powerful scanning of the system for the presence of "tails" in the registry;
- The program is free and works in all versions of Windows: 7, 8, 10.
How to uninstall a program using IObit Uninstaller
I will now consider the removal process itself. Let's say you decided to uninstall an application. I will consider all the steps in order.
1) Run IObit Uninstaller.
2) We find this application in the list of all installed programs: this can be done using the tabs on the left in the menu, or using the search bar.
Note: when the application is found - click on the trash can icon 
to start the uninstallation process (see screenshot below).
IObit Uninstaller - list of programs, start uninstallation / Clickable
3) Next, the program will ask again if this application needs to be removed. By the way, please note that before uninstalling the application, you can create a restore point (just in case).
IObit Uninstaller - uninstall
4) After the program is removed, IObit Uninstaller will automatically scan the system registry to find "tails": various entries, temporary files and other data left over from the removed application. Usually, it lasts no more than 10-15 seconds.
After scanning, you will see that a dozen more files remain on the disk, and perhaps there are entries in the registry (see screen below). It is recommended to delete them all as well!
IObit Uninstaller - automatically found the remaining registry entries (tails)
Note!
When you uninstall programs through the standard Windows installer, how much garbage remains in the system ...
5) At the end of the procedure, you will see a short report - all residual files have been successfully deleted.
Successful removal of the application (report)
File Locations and RegEdit
By the way, note that the IObit Uninstaller utility has two very useful links:
- "Open file location" - helps to quickly find the folder on the disk where the program is installed;
- "Open in RegEdit" - the registry editor automatically opens with a branch that contains its parameters.
Location of the application and its branches in the registry
Thus, using the IObit Uninstaller utility, you can manually delete information from the registry and files from the disk of any of the programs (in some cases, it helps a lot).
In general, I recommend using it!
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That's all for now ...
Happy work!
👣
First publication: 12/11/2016
Correction of the article: 02/19/2019
