Posted by Jacob on
June 8, 2009
How to Uninstall Unwanted Software
When you get a new PC, all it will normally have installed is the operating system and possibly a few utility programs. So, the hard disk is relatively empty and the registry is in pristine condition. The first thing you then do is install the programs you use regularly — your word processor, spreadsheet, video editor and so on — and copy over all your documents, music, videos and the like. Your hard disk starts to fill up but, hopefully, not too much and your registry gains a few more entries.
Everything is fine as long as you don’t overdo it. However, the temptation is to install various programs to try them out — some people are serial downloaders and installers of all sorts of programs off the internet. The problem is that your hard disk becomes increasingly full, your registry gets cluttered with a mass of entries and the various programs may conflict with each other and cause errors.
Posted by Jacob on
June 2, 2009
How to Uninstall Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer remains the most commonly installed form of web browser. However, other browsers, such as Mozilla Firefox, are becoming increasingly popular.
If you have changed to another browser, you may want to delete internet explorer from your computer. You may also wish to do this because there are reported conflicts, such as when both Internet Explorer and Firefox are installed together, and you are having problems. Alternatively, you may have installed a later version of Internet Explorer that is giving errors and want to roll back to the earlier version.
Posted by Jacob on
May 28, 2009
Why You Might Want to Uninstall Vista
Windows was launched in January 2007 with the usual fanfare of trumpets that we expect from Microsoft. It was billed as the next big thing in operating systems, with its revamped interface, unique Aero desktop, improved security and lots of new features. In truth, it has not lived up to Microsoft’s expectations in terms of sales and general acceptance. Many people, in fact, hate it with a passion and have clung on to its predecessor, Windows XP, despite Microsoft’s best efforts to persuade them to change.
There are many reasons put forward as to why Vista users might want to downgrade to XP or why non-users should avoid it. Some of these reasons have more truth in them than others but there is, without doubt, a good case to persuade people to install XP instead of Vista.
Posted by Jacob on
May 25, 2009
How to Uninstall Norton
Symantec develops and supplies a range of security products, many under the Norton brand name. Generally, these work well but some people remove Norton because it causes problems, sometimes being a little overly security conscious by preventing valid routines from working.
Norton anti-virus and other products have gained additional features over the years and there is sometimes a perception that their activities cause the PC to run slower. This may be true but could also be due to a whole host of other factors.
You may want to delete Norton because you have a trial version that has timed out and is no longer usable. You may, of course, be switching to another product or could uninstall Norton and then reinstall it to resolve a problem.
Whatever, you do, don’t remove Norton and leave your PC unprotected. Ensure you have an alternative security application installed and active before accessing the internet, opening emails and downloading or copying files. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Jacob on
May 21, 2009
Install and Uninstall Internet Explorer 8
Internet Explorer 8 is currently the latest form of Microsoft’s browser and is available as a beta test version. It follows on from version 7, which introduced tabbed browsing in response to growing competition from Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and others. Version 8 has further improvements including a redesigned interface, RSS feeds and a search box.
How to Install Internet Explorer 8
Before installing Internet Explorer 8, you will need to determine if it is still a beta test version. If it is, then it isn’t in its final release form and so there may be some instabilities and possible conflicts. However, it has reached beta 2 and so most of these problems should be resolved by now.
You also need to be sure that your system can support Internet Explorer 8. In general, it can only be installed on later versions of Windows – Vista, XP and Server 2003 and 2008. These should also have the latest service packs installed, which need to be final versions.
You should also look at the release notes for Internet Explorer 8 because there may be issues that you need to know about. These may have workarounds that you can use if they occur during or after installation.
If you decide to go ahead, download Internet Explorer 8 from the Microsoft website. You will need to choose the version of Windows to which you are installing and can only install if you have a genuine version of the operating system.
Follow the instructions to download and install Internet Explorer 8. If the installation fails, possibly due to the version of Windows, a message will tell you why it was unsuccessful and an installation troubleshooting guide is available from the Microsoft knowledgebase. Otherwise, the installation will complete and you can restart your computer and open Internet Explorer 8.
How to Uninstall Internet Explorer 8
Having installed the new version of the browser, you may want to delete Internet Explorer 8, either because it is causing you problems or since you plan to use a different browser altogether. However, Internet Explorer is now considered an integral part of Windows and cannot be removed entirely — at the best, you will roll back to a previous version when you delete Internet Explorer 8. Furthermore, if you are running Windows Vista, Internet Explorer is considered an ‘update’ rather than a program and so does not appear on the list of programs.
To uninstall Internet Explorer 8 from Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, select Add or Remove Programs at the Control Panel, choose Internet Explorer 8 at the list of programs and click Remove. For Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, select Programs and Features at the Control Panel, then click the View Installed Updates link. Choose Internet Explorer 8 at the link and click UnInstall this update to delete Internet Explorer 8. In either case, you will revert to the previous browser version.
The reason you can’t get rid of Internet Explorer altogether is that parts of it are used by the operating system and so removing it will cause problems.
