Is uninstalling the same as deleting?

Question

I'm wondering because I'm not sure the unwanted program, software, etc. goes after unistalling. I ran System Congifuration Utility and clicked on StartUp tab to disable any extra or unwanted items in the startup list that increases my startup time. I saw several programs I recently deleted that were still there in the startup tab. Is it just there or...what should I do about it?

Answer 1

Deleting them from the Start up list doesn't remove them from your computer. They are still there, but now they will open only if you manually open them. Again, there is a big difference between uninstalling and deleting. Deleting means moving a file or a group of files to the Recycle Bin or even permanently from your computer. Uninstalling means removing a software. This includes all the software files like exe, dll, registry files etc.

Answer 2

Removing shortcuts from the start menu will not remove the programs, however, if there are any files you are unsure of, leave them alone. They might be Windows files.

Here is a good link on the start menu.
How to add and remove items
from the Windows Pop-up Start Menu
Source: http://www.awitness.org/software/tips/windows_start_menu.html

If you download software without an installer and decide to keep it, you might want to add a link to the software to the pop-up menu that comes up in Windows when you press the Windows Start button (the Windows Start Menu where you click on icons inside folders to launch your programs). You might also want to organize the items on your start menu so that the list is not a mile long, but rather has the folders, and icon links neatly arranged. The following Windows tips will explain how to do this...
Short description : An installer can add as much as 700 KB to a file size, and for many of the programs on this site that would mean doubling the size of the download. Since these programs make no changes to Windows system files or the registry they can be 'uninstalled' by using the recycle bin. An installer in this case would be 'Bloat-ware'. To put a link onto the windows start menu yourself do the following. Find the icon you click to start the program. Using the right side mouse button (not the usual left button which starts the program) click on the program file icon (the little picture of the program). From the pop up menu that appears choose 'Create Shortcut'. When the shortcut appears it will look just like the program picture with the difference that it has a small curved arrow in the corner (and is just a tiny file, as compared to a large file, such as the actual program). You can then right click on this Shortcut to the program and choose 'Copy' from the pop up menu (or highlight the file and press the copy button at the top of the screen). Next go the pop up Start menu and place your mouse over a folder. Let us suppose that the shortcut on the Start Menu was going to be placed into the folder called 'Accessories'. Place your mouse over 'Accesories' and then right click and from the pop up menu choose Paste. The shortcut will now be on the Windows Start menu in the folder you have chosen. If you move the program to a new folder or new location on the disk you must first right click on the Start menu shortcut to the program and choose Delete, and then repeat the process described above, since when the program moves the shortcut is no longer valid.


A long discussion of doing things with the start menu follows...
(go to the source link)

Answer 3

no uninstalling is using the windows uninstall to remove the program ( properly)
Windows places files all over the place
If you delete you delete a cetain folder or set of files
For example if you went to the control panel and deleted
program f - most of it would be gone

If you went

C> programs > folder of that prgram
and deleted it lots of the files are elsewhere and it would not be totally or properly removed
sort of like ripping out a cancer
You would have nothing but trouble
If you are desperate as a last resort you do this
Hope this helps

by the way after you delete a program it may say residual components are left
then you can go manually and delete the remaining programs with the files in it . Usually not much

as per the startup tab - those are just sign ( icons)
right click and delete if they bother you does not matter

Answer 4

Uninstalling is a little bit more than deleting. When you delete the program, you just delete the files within the program. But the program might registered in your machine, in order to get rid of those registry records, uninstalling would be a better options.

Also, some programs might have some files in the system folder, or program file folders. Those are the folders you might not want to mess with if you don't really understand how Windows works. Uninstall will handle those deletion for you too.

Hope this helps.

Jim
http://www.barterpalace.com/

Answer 5

All functionality of the program and utilities that make it function are completely removed from the computer when you uninstall a program. However, it is possible to have some log files and other useless stuff left behind. Good and well-reputed programs usually don't leave this trash behind, but it is possible that it might be left.

However, if the program was something you downloaded from the internet that is very uncommon (like some special kind of software for say Picture Editing), it is possible that the program might leave behind spyware, adware, virus etc. Run antivirus and anti-spware immediately.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

When you uninstall something the program is deleted. The reason you still see these entries is because they have not been deleted from the windows registry. The program is gone, so you can just delete these entries. Also if you go to your disk drive (my computer, usually drive "C:", then program files), there might be some folders w/extra files of the program that you deleted. delete these.

Answer 7

Nope. You can go into program files and delete all the files to a program, but it will not do the same things that an uninstall will do. With a delete, there will be left over registry items, etc...