Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows XP in 24 Hours

By Greg Perry

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • Introduction
  • Part I: Wake Up with Windows XP
  • Hour 1. Taking a Bird's-Eye Look at Windows XP
  • Hour 2. Getting Started with Windows XP
  • Hour 3. Managing the Windows XP Interface
  • Part II: Morning Windows Desktop Exploration
  • Hour 4. Working with the My Computer Window
  • Hour 5. Navigating Files with Windows Explorer
  • Hour 6. Calling for Help
  • Hour 7. Improving Your Windows Desktop Experience
  • Part III: Early Afternoon Windows Exploration
  • Hour 8. Installing Programs with Windows XP
    • Using the Add or Remove Programs Window
    • Customizing Windows XP
    • Installed Applications
    • Uninstallation Procedures
    • A Last Resort
    • Summary
    • Q&A
    • Workshop
  • Hour 9. Finding Files, Folders, and Friends
  • Hour 10. Using the Desktop Accessories
  • Part IV: Late Afternoon Internet Integration
  • Hour 11. Surfing the Web with Internet Explorer
  • Hour 12. Tying Windows into the Web
  • Hour 13. Networking with Windows XP
  • Hour 14. Managing E-mail and Newsgroups with Outlook Express
  • Part V: An Evening with Advanced Windows
  • Hour 15. Exploring Your Hardware Interface
  • Hour 16. Understanding Printing and Fonts
  • Hour 17. Using Windows on the Road
  • Hour 18. Giving Windows XP a Tune-Up
  • Hour 19. Managing Your Hard Drives
  • Hour 20. Tinkering with the Advanced System Tools
  • Part VI: Having Fun at Nighttime
  • Hour 21. Using Media Player
  • Hour 22. Picturing Windows XP Graphics
  • Hour 23. Making Movies with Windows XP
  • Hour 24. Advanced Windows XP Tips
  • Part VII: Appendixes
  • Appendix A. Differences Between the Windows Home and Professional Edition
  • Appendix B. Glossary
  • Appendix C. Answers to Quizzes

Uninstallation Procedures

Most application programs written for Windows XP include a standard uninstallation routine that removes the application from Windows and from your PC. Remember that an application program is often made up of several files. The program's installation routine stores those files in several different locations. Therefore, without an uninstallation routine, removing the application is a tedious task.

Before displaying the Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs window to uninstall a program you've installed, check the Start menu group where the program resides. Sometimes, in a program's menu group, the installation routine sets up the uninstallation routine that you can run from that group. For example, if you installed a game called Side-to-Side, you might start the game by selecting from a series of Start menu options that look like this: More Programs, Side Game, Play Side-to-Side. Look on the same menu and see if you can select an uninstall option, such as More Programs, Side Game, Uninstall Side-to-Side. When you begin the uninstallation process, a wizard steps you through the program's removal.

If no menu option exists for the uninstallation, go to the Control Panel's Add or Remove Programs window. Scroll through the list of items in the lower part of the window to see if the program you want to remove appears in the list. If it does, select that entry and click the Change or Remove Programs button to begin the uninstall wizard.

If no entry appears, you are running out of options! Insert the program's CD once again and see if the opening window contains an uninstall option. If it doesn't, look through the Readme file to see if you can get help. Also, look in the program's owner's manual. Lacking an uninstall routine, try one more place if you have access: the Web. See if you can find the company's Web page somewhere in the Readme file or owner's manual. If you can't find it, try going to the Web address http://www.companyname.com/ and see if something comes up. Replace companyname with the name of the company that manufactured the application you want to uninstall.

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