How to uninstall an app

Restart Windows to clear the stuck installer operation, then uninstall Silhouette Design from Control Panel before using the downloadable troubleshooter or a clean boot as fallbacks.

1. Restart and uninstall from Control Panel

Do not select Shut down; use Restart, because Restart begins a fresh Windows session.

1. Select Start → Power → Restart.
2. After signing back in, do not open Silhouette Design or another installer.
3. Search for and open Control Panel.
4. Select Programs → Programs and Features.
5. Right-click Silhouette Design or Silhouette Studio, then select Uninstall or Uninstall/Change. Microsoft documents Control Panel as the alternative when removal from Settings does not work.^1^

The “another installation is in progress” message is Windows Installer error 1500, meaning Windows believes another installation transaction is active.^2^

2. If you still need the troubleshooter

For older Windows versions, download Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter directly:

Download MicrosoftProgram_Install_and_Uninstall.meta.diagcab

Then:

1. Open the downloaded .diagcab file.
2. Select Uninstalling.
3. Select the Silhouette entry.
4. Let the tool remove or repair the incomplete Windows Installer information.
5. Restart the computer and check Programs and Features again.

The troubleshooter is intended to repair problems that prevent desktop programs from being completely uninstalled, including corrupted registry keys and incomplete uninstall data.^3^

If Edge or Chrome blocks or mislabels the .diagcab download, open the browser’s Downloads list, select the menu beside the file, and choose Keep, followed by Keep anyway.^4^

If Silhouette is not listed, the tool may request its MSI product code. Obtaining that code requires reading the original MSI package; do not guess it or manually delete Windows Installer registry entries.

3. If Restart does not clear the installer conflict

Use a clean boot to prevent a third-party service or startup program from launching another installer:

1. Sign in with an administrator account.
2. Press Windows key, type msconfig, and open System Configuration.
3. On Services, select Hide all Microsoft services first, then select Disable all.
4. Select Apply.
5. On Startup, select Open Task Manager.
6. Disable each enabled startup item, noting which ones were enabled.
7. Close Task Manager, select OK, and restart.
8. Try uninstalling Silhouette again from Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features.

Hiding Microsoft services before choosing Disable all is important. A clean boot temporarily limits functionality, but it can identify whether another program or service is interfering with the uninstall.^5^

If Windows says that the Windows Installer service cannot be accessed while clean-booted:

1. Search for Computer Management.
2. Expand Services and Applications → Services.
3. Right-click Windows Installer, then select Start.
4. Retry the uninstall.

After testing, return Windows to normal startup:

1. Open msconfig again.
2. On General, select Normal startup.
3. On Services, restore the services disabled during testing.
4. Open Task Manager’s Startup apps page and re-enable the items that were previously enabled.
5. Restart Windows.

If removal still fails in a clean boot, contact Silhouette’s publisher for its product-specific cleanup procedure; the clean-boot result indicates that ordinary third-party startup interference is not the cause.^5^

References

1. Uninstall or remove apps and programs in Windows | Microsoft Support
2. Windows Installer Error Messages (for Developers)
3. [Windows 10](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/deployment/install-upgrade/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed)
4. where can i download the Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter - Microsoft Q&A
5. [Windows 10](https://support.microsoft.com/windows/experience/startup-boot/how-to-perform-a-clean-boot-in-windows)