Clean Up Week: Checking for Unwanted Programs

This week, I will be sharing a series of tips on how to clean up your computer.

I share a lot of links to programs in my daily tips because I like to try out free programs and see if they work for me.  If you are like me, it is easy for your computer to become filled with a variety of programs that you don't really need or use.  Fortunately, computers today usually come with ample storage for all these programs, but if you want to see what programs you have installed, Windows will provide a list!

Simply go to the Start Menu and click on "Control Panel".  (On Windows 8, you can access the Control Panel under "Settings" on the Charms Bar.)  Once there, you need to look for either "Uninstall a Program" (if your control panel is set to Category view) or "Programs and Features" (if your control panel is set to Icon view).  Windows will provide a list of all the programs currently installed on your computer.  If you see one you don't use anymore, double-click it to launch the program's uninstaller.

A word of caution:  don't uninstall a program unless you know what it is and that you don't use it anymore.  Manufacturers will install software on your computer to increase functionality, and some programs will rely on other software in order to work.  You don't want a component of your computer to stop functioning because you accidentally uninstalled the software that controls it.  If you are unsure what a program does, check it out online.

However, you can go to the uninstall list today to see what programs you might want to delete, but I am going to recommend you wait until tomorrow to actually begin uninstalling software.  In tomorrow's tip, I am going to discuss a better way to uninstall programs!