There are many reasons for needing to uninstall software. Usually it's to remove old software to open up space on your drive. Other times it's for performance reasons, to remove a program that is particularly pesky and troublesome. And in some rare cases, to remove software that is either illegal or against University policy.

In order to uninstall (remove) programs from your computer, you will usually use the add/remove programs tool located in your control panel. To get there, click on 'Start', 'settings', 'control panel'. This will open the control panel window. Now locate the 'Add or Remove Programs' icon and double click on it.

A new window should appear that lists nearly every program installed on your computer. To remove the program, highlight it. A button saying 'Change/Remove' should appear to the right of the program. Click on it to start the uninstall process. Since each program uninstall may vary slightly, you will need to read the directions carefully during the removal process.

Be sure to double check before you start the installation process to be sure you aren't uninstalling the wrong program. Some program removal programs, once started, don't tell you the name of the software being removed.

If you are not sure if you have software that needs to be uninstalled, below are some guidelines as to what types of software should be removed:

Types of software forbidden by University policy:

Programs we strongly discourage:

Please also see our page on spyware commonly found at NDSU.