Hot Take Uninstalling Windows apps doesn't always mean they're fully gone

[Parkinsond]

Uninstalling Windows apps seems straightforward enough – you click Uninstall, and the app is gone, right? Well, that’s not always true, at least not for apps packaged in Microsoft's MSIX format, which is the technology behind the Microsoft Store apps.

Traditional installers, like the classic MSI format (short for Microsoft Installer, the technology behind most traditional Windows program installers for decades), work the way you'd expect. Uninstalling deletes the binaries, removes directories, cleans up registry entries, and clears out anything the app left behind. But MSIX is different.

For MSIX apps, Windows breaks an app's lifecycle into four separate steps:

• Stage, which places the app's files on disk
• Register, which connects the app to your specific user account
• Deregister, which disconnects it from your account
• Destage, which actually deletes the files from disk

Now, when you click the Uninstall button to delete a Windows app, it calls an API method called RemovePackageAsync (just so there's no confusion, it’s not called “Uninstall” internally), and Windows initially uses it to Deregister the app. Destage, the part that actually deletes anything, only happens if the system determines nothing else still needs those files. Still, if the system determines that the app isn’t referenced anywhere, it will automatically proceed to destage it and remove it for good.

So, if the system thinks an app is needed somewhere else, it will keep it internally. For example, if another user account on the same machine still has that app registered, removing it from your account only disconnects it from you. You won’t see it anywhere, including Start Menu shortcuts, or in the apps list, but it will still be there.

So, from your perspective, the app looks gone. From the system's perspective, it may not be gone at all, it's just no longer yours to see. This may be noticeable when you see that an app you “uninstalled” doesn't seem to have freed up as much storage space as you expected.

https://www.neowin.net/reports/uninstalling-windows-apps-doesnt-always-mean-theyre-fully-gone/

 

[Marko :)]

Wanna see how many leftovers from previous software installations there are on your PC? Go to %AppData% and check Low, LocalLow and Roaming folders. Then check %ProgramData%. These folders contain all saved data from all applications. Software uninstallers usually don't delete those in case you decide to install the software again at some point in the future. It's worth to check %ProgramFiles% as well because some uninstallers don't even delete files from the most important location.

Then, use Autoruns tool; it will show you all the drivers you have installed, services, tasks—everything.

Note: deleting random files and folders from mentioned locations will completely delete and reset programs installed and in rare cases corrupt the installation requiring you to install the software again. Be careful to delete only files and folders from programs you're not using anymore. In case you delete something you shouldn't, restore deleted files/folders from the Recycling Bin.

Autoruns is even more dangerous tool than just deleting data. Disabling or deleting wrong entry can make system unstable and with limited functionality. If you just disable the wrong entry, enable it again. But if you delete the wrong entry, you'll have to reinstall software/driver again. In some cases, reinstallation of Windows may be necessary.

 

[lokamoka820]

While this is true for Microsoft pre-installed apps, you can verify this by using a tool like "WizTree" to scan your system and look for the "WindowsApps" folder. If you do so, you will discover that the main apps are still present. This folder is a protected directory on Windows that houses Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps and user-shared files, and third party uninstallers are unable to remove its contents while they are detecting them because access to or modification of its contents is restricted to prevent malware and system problems.

However, the benefits of removing them include reducing background activity on your device's resources and removing unnecessary disk writes when those apps update periodically (some of them, like the Windows Photos app, have sizes of over 800 MB). For these reasons, it is still a good idea to remove apps you don't need.

 

[Sorrento]

I used O&O App remover when I reinstalled, there isn't much of any size to bother me left now, my C:\ drive is around 34 Gig so OK for me, not sure how that compares to others? I have a few portable programs on a separate drive though.

 

[Dave Russo]

I occasionally look in regedit, and sometimes uninstall, I have Revo uninstaller,MIcrosoft copilot claims:If your goal is “remove EVERYTHING,” Revo is the one that actually does it.

 

[Back3]

After uninstalling an app, I double‑check with Everything to make sure nothing’s left behind.

 

[Parkinsond]

you can verify this by using a tool like "WizTree"

I have verified manually.
In LTSC, Edge and Webview are uninstallable.
After uninstallation, all their files exist, and all registry entries are there.
It just remove their icons from installed apps list.

 

[Divine_Barakah]

I have verified manually.
In LTSC, Edge and Webview are uninstallable.
After uninstallation, all their files exist, and all registry entries are there.
It just remove their icons from installed apps list.

Sneaky MS.

 

[Parkinsond]

Sneaky MS.

I have learnt the lesson and stopped trying to uninstall Edge even through the official way.

 

[Marko :)]

Last time I reinstalled Windows on my laptop, I disconnected it from the internet and then uninstalled all the apps I could. When I connected it to the internet, bloatware came back and I had to uninstall it once again. Same goes for Edge. I uninstalled it with Revo, restarted PC and after few days it installed itself again.

 

[Sorrento]

Last time I reinstalled Windows on my laptop, I disconnected it from the internet and then uninstalled all the apps I could. When I connected it to the internet, bloatware came back and I had to uninstall it once again. Same goes for Edge. I uninstalled it with Revo, restarted PC and after few days it installed itself again.

I've accepted defeat with Edge, its there I don't use it much but its an alternative if FF/wolf has an issue, MS makes it reappear so from my point of view I accept it, I would have a Chrome type browser anyway so let it be Edge, you win that one MS

 

[Parkinsond]

I've accepted defeat with Edge, its there I don't use it much but its an alternative if FF/wolf has an issue, MS makes it reappear so from my point of view I accept it, I would have a Chrome type browser anyway so let it be Edge, you win that one MS

As I am stuck with Edge, I dedicate it for banking, instead of using containers with Brave.

 

[Marko :)]

I've accepted defeat with Edge, its there I don't use it much but its an alternative if FF/wolf has an issue, MS makes it reappear so from my point of view I accept it, I would have a Chrome type browser anyway so let it be Edge, you win that one MS

Accepting the defeat isn't an option. Edge is gone from my PC on second uninstall.

 

[lokamoka820]

I have verified manually.
In LTSC, Edge and Webview are uninstallable.
After uninstallation, all their files exist, and all registry entries are there.
It just remove their icons from installed apps list.

It is easier for Microsoft to have apps installed locally when creating a new user account, rather than re-downloading them for every new user.

 

[Parkinsond]

It is easier for Microsoft to have apps installed locally when creating a new user account, rather than re-downloading them for every new user.

LB

Life is Bad

 

[Digmor Crusher]

Wanna see how many leftovers from previous software installations there are on your PC? Go to %AppData% and check Low, LocalLow and Roaming folders. Then check %ProgramData%. These folders contain all saved data from all applications. Software uninstallers usually don't delete those in case you decide to install the software again at some point in the future. It's worth to check %ProgramFiles% as well because some uninstallers don't even delete files from the most important location.

Then, use Autoruns tool; it will show you all the drivers you have installed, services, tasks—everything.

Note: deleting random files and folders from mentioned locations will completely delete and reset programs installed and in rare cases corrupt the installation requiring you to install the software again. Be careful to delete only files and folders from programs you're not using anymore. In case you delete something you shouldn't, restore deleted files/folders from the Recycling Bin.

Autoruns is even more dangerous tool than just deleting data. Disabling or deleting wrong entry can make system unstable and with limited functionality. If you just disable the wrong entry, enable it again. But if you delete the wrong entry, you'll have to reinstall software/driver again. In some cases, reinstallation of Windows may be necessary.

First places I look when uninstalling something.