Windows XP in a Nutshell, Second Edition

Name

Add or Remove Programs — \windows\system32\appwiz.cpl

Synopsis

Uninstall applications and add or remove Windows XP components.

To Open

Control Panel → Add or Remove Programs

Command Prompt → appwiz.cpl

Description

The Add or Remove Programs window has three options—or it has four, if Service Pack 1 or 2 is installed.

Change or Remove Programs

A list of all your installed applications, or at least those applications that were registered for uninstallation, is displayed here. The Add or Remove Programs dialog doesn’t actually perform any software removal; rather, it launches the uninstall utility that was registered when the application was originally installed. Some uninstallers have the capability to selectively add or remove components of the application, while others simply delete all the files that were copied during installation.

Select an application by clicking its name. Note that this listing can take a little getting used to, as the entries change size when they’re selected. If the application has provided such information, you’ll see the amount of disk space consumed by the installation, as well as how often the program is used. Click Change/Remove to launch the uninstaller for the selected program.

Uninstaller programs vary widely, but most will display a progress indicator and explain what they are removing, what they’re not removing, and whether or not you need to restart your computer. Along the way, though, you may be prompted to remove shared files. Each shared file ...