Uninstall the program through Windows Settings and, when prompted, enter an administrator password or approve the User Account Control dialog; a standard user cannot bypass that requirement.
Uninstall the program
- Save your work and close the program.
- Open Start → Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
- Find the program.
- Select More (…) → Uninstall, then follow the prompts.
- If Windows requests administrator approval:
- Select Yes if your account is an administrator.
- Otherwise, enter the username and password of an administrator account.
You can also open Control Panel → Programs → Programs and Features, right-click the program, and select Uninstall or Uninstall/Change. Some desktop programs can only be removed through Control Panel.^1^
If this is a work or school computer and you do not have administrator credentials, contact the organization’s IT administrator. Do not delete the program’s folder manually; that can leave services, settings, and uninstall information behind.
If you have administrator access but removal still fails
For Windows 11:
- Restart the PC.
- Try Settings → Apps → Installed apps → program → Uninstall again.
- Follow any troubleshooting recommendation displayed by Windows.
- If it remains blocked, contact the program’s publisher. Microsoft lists Reset this PC (Keep my files) only as a later recovery option, not the first response.^2^
For Windows 10, run Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter from the same support page. It can repair corrupted registry keys and incomplete uninstall information that prevents removal.^2^
If the program is suspicious or produces unwanted pop-ups, first run a scan from Windows Security, clean any detected threats, and then uninstall it.^2^
Some applications are built into Windows and cannot be uninstalled through the normal interfaces.^1^
References