How to Uninstall Programs using Command Prompt in Windows 10
If you are a Windows user, you might be well aware of how to uninstall a program from Control Panel. But, have you ever tried uninstalling programs using Command Prompt? So, in this tutorial, we are going to explain how to uninstall a program in Windows 10 using the Command prompt (CMD).
Use can use this trick to impress your friends and show off your hacking skills (pun intended). We will use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) commands to uninstall a program in this tutorial. WMI commands are quite helpful for other tasks as well.
SEE ALSO: How to start Command Prompt or PowerShell in the current Folder?
Uninstall Programs using Command Prompt (CMD) in Windows 10
Let’s get started with the process. Please note that you need to be an Administrator on the computer to make this work.
Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator
First of all, we need to open Command Prompt as administrator. Otherwise, you won’t be able to uninstall a program using CMD.
Search for cmd in Windows 10 Start menu and select Command Prompt. Next, select Run as administrator.
SEE ALSO: How to Set Windows Terminal to Launch Command Prompt by Default?
Step 2: Launch WMI Utility
Now, the Command Prompt window will open with administrator privileges. As mentioned earlier, we will use the Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line utility.
In the CMD window, type wmic the command, and press Enter. The prompt will change to wmic:root\cli> instead of the default prompt.
This indicates that we can now continue with WMI commands to uninstall programs using CMD or Command Prompt.
wmic command to enter the WMIC promptStep 3: Get the List of Installed Programs
Before we start uninstalling a program, we need to check which programs are installed in Windows. This will help you with the correct program name which you will use while uninstalling it. Type the following command to get the list of installed programs:
product get name
NOTE: WMIC commands can also be run directly from the command prompt, without entering the WMIC prompt first. Simply add wmic to the beginning of commands. For example, the above command will become wmic product get name.
Step 4: Uninstall Programs using Command Prompt
From the list of the installed programs find and note the name of the program that you want to uninstall. Now, to uninstall that program using Command Prompt, type the following command in WMIC prompt:
product where name="program name" call uninstall
Make sure to replace program name with the actual name of the program you want to uninstall. In this tutorial, we are going to uninstall the Windows PC Health Check app. So, the command will become like this:
product where name="Windows PC Health Check" call uninstall
After you press Enter, you will be asked to confirm. Type Y and press Enter to confirm your action. You can type N if you want to cancel uninstallation.
SEE ALSO: How to Bulk Uninstall Windows 10 Apps using PowerShell?
Step 5: Uninstall the Program using CMD – Successful
The uninstallation process will start after your confirmation. Uninstallation might take some type depending upon the size of the program. When a program is successfully uninstalled, you will see a “Method execution successful” message. Also, note that for a successful operation ReturnValue should be 0 as indicated below.
You have successfully uninstalled a program using Command Prompt in Windows 10.
SEE ALSO: 10 Cool Command Prompt Tricks for You.
Uninstall Programs using Command Prompt in Windows 10
The above tutorial explained, how you can use Command Prompt to uninstall programs in Windows 10 via WMI commands. However, most of the users still prefer uninstalling programs from the Control Panel as it is more convenient.
Hope you liked this tutorial. Feel free to share your queries and suggestions in the comment section below.
