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CompTIA Tech+ 6.2 CompTIA A+ Core 2 2.6 CompTIA Server+ 3.2 CompTIA A+ Core 2 1.3 CompTIA A+ Core 2 1.7
TechKnowSurge Catalog Videos DEMO: Removing Software
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DEMO: Removing Software

Every program installed on a computer consumes system resources and introduces potential security vulnerabilities, making it important to remove software that is no longer in use. This content covers how unused and unnecessary applications create risk and demonstrates the process of uninstalling programs on Windows.

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About this video

Installed software demands more from a system than storage space alone. Many applications run background services that continuously consume CPU cycles and memory, and the cumulative effect of multiple programs can degrade overall performance. More critically, each additional application represents an expanded attack surface — every program carries its own vulnerabilities, and incompatibilities between applications can compound those risks further. From a security standpoint, software that serves no active purpose on a machine should be removed rather than left idle. An unused program still presents a vulnerability that could be exploited to expose local data or other resources on the network. The principle here is straightforward: a smaller software footprint means fewer potential weaknesses to manage and monitor. On Windows systems, uninstalling applications is handled through the Add or Remove Programs utility, accessible from the Start menu. From there, any listed application can be selected and removed, though default system applications should be evaluated carefully before removal, as uninstalling them may affect system stability. Non-essential programs — such as bundled applications that serve no role in the system's intended use — are safe candidates for removal and represent a practical first step toward a more secure configuration.

What you'll learn

What's covered

Uninstalling Software on Windows

Aligned to

CompTIA Tech+
6.2 Explain methods to secure devices and best practices.
CompTIA A+ Core 2
2.6 Given a scenario, configure a workstation to meet best practices for security.
1.3 Given a scenario, use features and tools of the Microsoft Windows 10/11 operating system (OS).
1.7 Given a scenario, apply application installation and configuration concepts.
CompTIA Server+
3.2 Given a scenario, apply server hardening methods.

Key terms

Attack Surface
The total set of points in a system where an unauthorized user can attempt to enter or extract data.
Vulnerability
A weakness in a system, application, or process that can be exploited by a threat actor.
Malware
Software specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a system.
Add/Remove Programs
A Windows Control Panel utility that allows users to view, install, and uninstall software applications on a system.

Topics

Windows Software Management Attack Surface System Hardening Operating Systems Vulnerability Reduction

Transcript

There's a cost to the programs that you install on your computer: they take up resources. For instance, a program at the very least takes up storage space on your computer, but a lot of programs have services that are up and running, and those services are eating up CPU processing time and RAM. It might not be a big issue, but it does take a toll on the computer.

More importantly, it introduces security risks. For every program you install on your computer, that's another program that has different vulnerabilities on it, and it can be incompatible with some of the other programs, opening up those security risks as well. So what we need to do is remove software after we're done using it.

Every program on your machine could have a vulnerability, a weakness to it, and that weakness could expose things that are on the machine itself, or perhaps something on the network. It could expose data. Something about that vulnerability could expose things that you could have concerns over. So having more software on the computer is not necessarily an asset. It could be a problem if we have a lot of programs on the computer, especially if we're not using those programs and they don't really serve a purpose. Therefore I recommend that when you're done using a program and you don't expect to use it again, you should probably remove that program.

Uninstalling a program

I'm on one of my demo machines, and let's look at how we would uninstall one of our programs. I'm going to go to this start menu here and type in "programs", and one of the things that pops up is this Add Remove Programs. Under Add Remove Programs I see all the programs that are installed. Some of them are installed by default, while others I installed. For instance, here's Adobe Acrobat. If I wanted to uninstall this, I would just click the more options and uninstall.

You've got to be a little careful with uninstalling some of these programs, because they're installed by default and it could be problematic if you uninstall them. But something like Microsoft Clipchamp, that's one that I know I'm not going to be using on this computer, and there's no need for it, so I can uninstall that. Then I go through the process of uninstalling it. Sometimes it requires you to do a restart; this one just looks like it removed it. So now I've uninstalled that program. That's how you go through uninstalling a program on Windows.

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