The article describes the procedure for locating and removing leftover files after uninstalling the software. The methods compiled here are simple and correct to date. However, it is recommended that these be followed carefully to avoid running into problems. Doing so will help users save money and time that would actually be spent looking for support options online.
Often after uninstalling a piece of software, a computer may start to run slowly or occasionally throw error messages. Such problems occur due to remnants of uninstalled software interfering with other applications or programs, causing your computer to malfunction or slow down. Please refer to the guide mentioned below for the correct procedure to uninstall leftover files of a software.
Instructions:
Before we begin, we already assume that you have uninstalled the software using Add/Remove Programs. Only leftover.dll files or registry entries need to be located and removed from your computer for it to run smoothly. It can be done manually or with the help of an uninstall tool.
Manual Procedure –
It will need to search your entire computer to find and remove the files and registry entries associated with it. Go to Start > My Computer > C: Drive > Program Files. Find any leftover files (.exe, .ini, or .dll) from the software and delete them. Next, go to the Temp folder in Program Files and repeat the procedure. When you’re done, go to C: drive > Documents and Settings > your user profile or name > Application Data, look for traces of the software and delete them.
Navigate to the Local Settings folder under your user profile and repeat the step. If there is more than one standard user on your computer, repeat this procedure for all of them. When you’re done, locate the software-related .dll files and delete them. Use the Windows search utility (key combination Ctrl + F) to search for such files. Make a note of the path (location) of the desired .dll file to use in the next step.
To remove the .dll files, you will need to unregister them. Before proceeding, you should back up your data or set a system restore point to avoid system crashes or other serious issues caused by improperly deleted .dll files. Navigate to the Start menu and then Run. Type ‘cmd’ in the empty field and press the Enter key. The command prompt window will open showing the existing directory on the C: drive. If you want to change the directory, type ‘cd’, give a space with the space bar key, type the name of the desired directory and press Enter.
For example, you want to change to directory E: (here it’s just assumed to be your other directory you want to change to), type ‘cd d:’ (no quotes and just like that) and press Enter. Now it’s time to unregister the dll files. Type ‘regsvr32 /u [full path of the.dll file]’ and press Enter. You do not need to enclose the path in large brackets. These have been used only to highlight the text here. You must also correctly type the command as well as the path of the dll file to avoid receiving an error message. You will see a confirmation message if the dll file has been successfully aborted. Close all the windows.
Next, go to Registry Editor and delete the registry entries of the software. Before you begin, back up your registry or set a restore point. Go to Run and type ‘regedit’ in the empty box. Press Enter to start Registry Editor. Windows 7 and Vista users may be prompted for an administrator password. Enter it and continue. Scan all registry branches to locate and remove program registry entries. When finished, exit Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Automatic procedure –
Since it can be very difficult and time consuming to scan the entire hard drive and remove all the files (.exe, .dll, .ini, etc.) and registry entries of the software, choose an easy way. Download the latest free or paid version of Revo Uninstaller from its official website. Save the file when prompted. Extract its content to another file as long as it is a zip file. When you’re done, browse to where the file was saved, open it, and run the installation. Follow the instructions on the screen and finish the installation. When prompted, restart your computer. Open the program and start the cleaning. Wait until it cleans all traces of the software.
Additional tips:
You will need administrator privileges to perform the tasks listed above. Use the Disk Cleanup utility to remove junk and other unused files to improve your computer’s performance.