How To Uninstall Programs Not Listed In the Control Panel

Under normal circumstances, if you have to uninstall a program, the Control Panel is the first option to remove a program. But, what if you can’t uninstall programs because they are not listed in Control Panel? Worry not! This isn’t an impossible situation to deal with. There are multiple ways in which you can uninstall apps that are not listed in the Control Panel.

Before, going ahead with any of the steps mentioned below, ensure that the problematic program is not a malware since such programs can interfere with the regular functionality of your computer and such they might be hiding from the Control Panel.

5 Ways To Uninstall Programs Not Listed In the Control Panel

1. Uninstall Programs Via Settings

If the program that you want to uninstall is not listed in the Control Panel, you can instead uninstall it from the Apps section in your Windows Settings. The steps from the same are mentioned below –

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings.
2. Click on Apps.
3. Click on Installed apps from the right-hand side.
4. Locate the app that you want to uninstall. Click on the three horizontal dots from the right and click on Uninstall.

In Windows 10 

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Apps
3. Click on Apps & features.
4. From the right, click on the App that you want to uninstall.
5. Click on the Uninstall button.

2. Uninstall The Program From The Start Menu

Another way you can uninstall a program that is not listed in the Control Panel is through the Start Menu provided you can see the Uninstall option. To do that –

1. Click on the Start menu
2. In the search bar, type the name of the problematic app
3. On the right, see if there is an Uninstall option. If yes, click on it.

3. Use A Third-Party Software

You can also use a third-party software uninstaller which will help you remove the app completely. This means it will also help you remove any remnants or unwanted files that are otherwise left off. Advanced System Optimizer is one such tool. It is primarily an efficient PC cleanup and optimization tool, but, it also has a dedicated module for uninstalling applications as well. To uninstall software using Advanced System Optimizer –

Download the Advanced System Optimizer for the button below

1. From the left-hand side, click on Regular Maintenance.
2. From the right, click on Uninstall Manager.
3. Click on Software List.
4. From the list of programs, locate the app and click on Uninstall.

4. Use the App’s Uninstaller

Another variant of not being able to uninstall a program is when it is listed in the Control Panel but it shows that you don’t have administrative permissions. You might get an error as shown in the screenshot below –

In this case, you can use the uninstaller that most software comes with. Here are the steps to access the uninstaller –

1. In the Windows search bar, type the name of the app.
2. From the right click on Open file location.
3. Locate the Uninstaller (the name generally differs from software to software) and double-click on it.

4. Follow the on-screen steps to uninstall the utility.

5. Uninstall With The Help of Registry Editor

This is a slightly complicated step but if you are not able to uninstall an app using the above ways and can’t see it in the Control Panel, you can take the help of your Registry Editor. To avoid any mishap that can be caused by deleting wrong registries, we recommend that you take a backup of existing registries first and then follow the steps mentioned below –

1. Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter
2. When the Registry Editor Window opens, navigate to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Uninstall

3. You will now be able to see several keys related to the programs installed on your computer.
4. Locate the problematic app. When you’ll click on it, on the right-hand pane, you will be able to see a string called UninstallString
5. Double-click on it and copy the Value data
6. Again open the Run dialog box by pressing Windows + R keys, paste the copied data and press Enter.
7. Follow the on-screen steps.

This should run the utility uninstaller and you will be able to uninstall it.

Wrapping Up

In the end, we would like to wrap up by saying that if you want to uninstall a program and don’t see it listed in the Control Panel, jitter not. Try one of the above methods, and you should be able to get rid of the program in no time at all. And, if you have been successful, do let us know which of the above methods helped out. For more such content, keep reading WeTheGeek. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Flipboard, Twitter, and Instagram.