How to Delete a Program Completely by Modifying the Registry (Windows)

Completely erase stubborn programs from the registry

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Last Updated: June 25, 2025 Tested

Deleting a program from your computer, may leave remnant links in your files. In order to make sure the program is completely deleted, just perform the following steps.

Deleting a Program by Modifying the Registry

Be sure your program is completely uninstalled from your computer. Then, remove all registry items relating to that program using Regedit.exe.
Go to File > Export > Save. Name your file something easy to remember, such as regbackup.
Click Edit > Find and enter program name. Then, press F3 to search. When you find your item, press delete to remove it.
Continue until all program items are deleted. Then, reboot your computer to finish.

Steps

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3
Go to Regedit.exe.
- You can use the run program in the start menu.
(In Win98 and WinME this will be Export registry file)
\
Click save.
Check this once the item is found.
Delete all the items pertaining to the program, until all the links are gone.
15
Reboot the Computer to Complete the Process.

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Question

Can I do this in Windows 10?

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Yes you can. The registry is a fundamental part of Windows, so this process will probably be the same for many versions of Windows to come.

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Can I remove avast with this?

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Yes. This should work for any program or application.

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Tips

Repeat all steps for more than one name for the item, ie Business name, Program name, Alias etc..

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If you need to refresh, press F5

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Warnings

The registry is the heart of Windows; if you mess it up, Windows will no longer work - backup/export it before starting any changes. If in doubt, don't do it!

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Helpful 10 Not Helpful 4
Editing the registry is very dangerous and should only be done in extreme cases.

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Make sure you do steps 4-7 first before changing the registry.

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Do not delete anything other than what is needed...you should backup registry beforehand.

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Some associations in the registry, if removed, will break other functioning programs or windows itself.

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