If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably looking for two very specific things: free up space on your PC or clean out apps you no longer use—and you want to do it without overcomplicating things or touching anything sensitive in the system. The good news is that Windows 10 offers several ways to uninstall programs, and each one makes more sense depending on the type of app or game you have installed.
From the Start menu and Settings to more “old-school” methods like Control Panel—and even platform-specific options for games installed via Xbox or Steam—the key is choosing the right route to avoid half-finished uninstalls. Because yes, we’ve all seen that one program that refuses to go away like it has emotional admin rights.
Easiest ways: Start and Settings
For most applications, the most straightforward path is where everything begins: the Start menu. Just open it, find the program in the list, right-click it, and select Uninstall. Windows will show a confirmation and, depending on the software, an uninstall wizard may open and walk you through the process step by step until it’s done.
If you prefer a cleaner view with a full list, Settings is usually the most comfortable option. Open the Start menu and click the gear icon; from there, go to Apps and then Apps & features, where you’ll see an inventory of what’s installed. Next to each app you’ll see an icon with three dots: click it to open the menu and choose Uninstall. Again, Windows will ask for confirmation and, in some cases, will launch the program’s own uninstaller.
Which method should you prioritize? For “regular” desktop apps or standard installations, Start or Settings are fast, clear, and usually remove things properly; if you want efficiency and zero drama, this is the logical place to start.
When you need to go classic: Control Panel and the uninstaller
Some programs still behave better in Windows’ classic environment, and that’s where the Control Panel remains surprisingly useful. You can open it from the search bar by typing “Control Panel” and launching the app. Once inside, the usual route is Programs and then Uninstall a program (if it doesn’t appear exactly like that, another common path is Programs and Features). You’ll see a list of installed programs, typically in alphabetical order; select the one you want to remove and click Uninstall at the top.
This route is especially handy when a program doesn’t show up where you expect it in Settings, or when you want more control over what you’re removing. In practice, many uninstalls end up calling the same internal wizard, but Control Panel still works as that “compatibility mode” for our patience.
Another useful option—especially if the software has its own exit strategy—is to look for the uninstall file inside the folder where the program was installed. To do that, open File Explorer and go to the main drive. The most common paths worth checking are:
C:\Program Files
C:\Program Files (x86)
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam
C:\XboxGames
Inside the program’s folder there’s usually an executable called uninstall.exe (or something similar). When you run it, a wizard starts and guides you through the process. This method makes sense when Windows’ quick access doesn’t work properly or if you’re trying to remove a specific installation you know exactly where it lives.
Games: Xbox, Steam, and the CMD plan B
With games, things change a bit because many installs are managed through dedicated platforms. If you installed titles through the Xbox app (including those tied to Game Pass), the most sensible approach is to uninstall them from there. Open the Start menu, search for “Xbox,” and launch the app. In the side menu, go to your library to see installed games, pick the title, and open its page. From the options menu (shown as a more-actions button under the title), select Uninstall, confirm, and—if Windows prompts you—approve the permissions so the app can make changes to the system.
For games installed with Steam, the cleanest way is from the client: open Steam, go to the Library tab, and find the game in the list. Right-click the title, go to Manage, and choose Uninstall. Steam will ask for confirmation and run the process. A useful detail: dimmed entries in the list are usually games that aren’t installed, so you can tell at a glance.
And if you need a more “engineering-style” method? Windows also lets you uninstall from the Command Prompt. Open the Start menu, type “CMD,” right-click Command Prompt, and run it as administrator (you’ll need admin permissions). From there you can run a command to list installed programs, find the exact name of the one you want to remove, copy it with Ctrl + C, and use it in the uninstall command by pasting it with Ctrl + V inside quotes. It’s a useful approach when you need precision or you’re automating tasks, although it’s not the first one you’d recommend to someone who just wants to remove “an app they don’t even remember installing.”
One more thing: if a program refuses to uninstall or behaves strangely during the process, it’s best not to keep forcing it blindly—it may be a sign of a virus or malware. In that case, the sensible move is to run an antivirus scan before you keep tinkering, because when something won’t let itself be deleted, sometimes it’s not stubbornness… it’s something else.
