Manual deletion on Windows 7 OS?

Hi,

I used to use Windows a while back (wasn't too savvy), switched to Mac OS X and got pretty familiar with it, and now I am trying learn Windows and it's very overwhelming but I'm getting there.

How do I fully delete a program manually? The way I do it is I uninstall the program via Control Panel and then go to Program Files on C: and delete any folders there that are related. Would this be proper, and is there anywhere else I should check for files, maybe a search I could do?

I realize that there are programs that will uninstall specific programs such as common bloatware, but what is the best way to go about deleting something that I have installed? Switching over from Mac OS X, Applications that claim to delete all of the files associated with other Applications generally blow, and don't do a good job at all, and the best way is to do it manually, hence my speculation.

The reason I ask is because I have removed some bloatware from a new computer (just Norton) and want to make sure I did okay and I also want to try out different browsers, and will ultimately have to uninstall one or the other.

Thank you. ^^

 

Yes, generally run the uninstaller and then delete any residual folders left behind, if any.

If you just want to try out browsers, get a USB stick and try the portable versions: Internet | PortableApps.com - Portable software for USB, portable and cloud drives.

 

Thanks for the reply,

I don't think it would be to much of a hassle to fully install each browser and uninstall it if I do not wish to use it. I know Safari and Firefox pretty well, and just want to try out Chrome really on Windows as I hear it's pretty damn good. Thanks for the suggestion nevertheless.

 

Search your computer for instances of the program's name. Chrome does not install into the C:/Program Files/ folder, nor does it store its user data there, for example.

 

How would I do a full computer search (including system files and all) in Windows 7?

 

After removing, open Windows Explorer and search for the program (top right)

 

Alright, thank you for the help.

 

This program also does a nice job and it's free. I use it instead of Control Panel to uninstall programs and it does a nice job finding left behind files and registry entries left behind by the program.

Download Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Free and Full Download - Uninstall software, remove programs, solve uninstall problems

 

Thanks for the share.

I prefer the "manual" way, it makes me feel like I have gotten rid of everything. I installed CCleaner this morning too and it claimed to have deleted a good amount of temp files too.

I feel like I have a pretty clean install, even without reformatting Windows.

 

Glad the manual way works best for you. I've tried revouninstaller and it does a nice safe job.

 

Just used the Windows Explorer search to assist the removal of Firefox after uninstalling it via Control Panel. This works like a charm, I searched C: and it came back with a couple of files and folders that were left behind, and off to the Recycle Bin they went.

Thanks a lot everyone, this works great.