How To Uninstall Apps On Windows 10 From Command Line

Introduction

A quality feature in the Windows family is to uninstall the program using a command prompt. We can also use this feature in Windows 10 to uninstall a program or an application using command prompt (cmd).

Sometimes, we need to use extra space for some purpose and to do so, we can uninstall unused applications. There are many ways to uninstall programs or applications and I believe you also know them. And, here I am not going to discuss those common methods. Here, I am showing you the "Windows Management Instrumentation Command Line" tool through the command prompt to uninstall the application.

First, we need to know some basic terminologies, such as what are MSI-based programs or softwares (.MSI files), what are .EXE (Executable) files and how are they different from each other.

This tutorial will show you the various steps to uninstall a program or an application in Windows 10 using command prompt. This detailed article will cover the following topics. Let's see.

Introduction
What are MSI Based Programs?
Difference between MSI and EXE Based Programs
Detailed steps to uninstall a program using command prompt
Conclusion

What are MSI Based Programs?

"Windows Installer (previously known as Microsoft Installer, codename Darwin) is a software component and application programming interface (API) of Microsoft Windows used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software", as per the Wikipedia.

What are .EXE (Executable) Files?

"An Executable code or file, or a program, sometimes simply referred to as an executable or binary, causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions", as opposed to a data file that must be interpreted by a program to be meaningful", as per Wikipedia.

An executable file, or .exe file, such as the widely called "setup.exe" file, is a file that executes an operating system application like Windows without the requirement for extra applications to execute its functions. As it is compiled from source code, it can not be interpreted like a text file, and it typically includes graphical elements for the Interface.

Difference between MSI and EXE Files

MSI is a Windows Installer (Microsoft Installer) File Extension that is a Microsoft Windows software component used to install, maintain, and uninstall an application or program. Whereas, EXE is a file extension of an executable file that executes the specified tasks according to encoded instructions and usually includes graphical elements for the interface.

The key difference between .msi file and .exe file is that, msi files are software components and API of Microsoft Windows used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of programs, whereas exe files can be used for both installing and executing application programs. MSI is a compressed package of installer files, with all the details needed to install, modify, and uninstall a specific program. Exe is a file extension to an executable file that includes lines of instructions or code that can be directly executed by the Operating System.

Detailed steps to uninstall a program using Command Prompt

Step 1

Open Command Prompt as an Administrator.

cmd as an Admin

Step 2

Type "wmic" command and press enter button to proceed.

"wmic" command

Now, you will see a prompt like "wmic:root\cli>".

prompt will appear

Step 3

Type the command "product get name" and press the enter button to get the list of all "MSI Based Programs".

product get name command

Note:

This command will only work on applications or programs that are recognized as MSI-based programs (installed using Windows Installer). So, you will only get a list of all "MSI Based Programs" installed on your system.

Step 4

Type the following command to uninstall the program you want. And, press the enter button to proceed.

product where name="program name" call uninstall

For example - Here, I want to uninstall "VirtualDj 2018" using the command prompt. To do this, type "product where name="VirtualDj 2018" call uninstall", and press the enter button to proceed.

cmd

Step 5

Type "Y" to confirm uninstalling the program and press the enter button.

confirm by typing "Y"

Once uninstalled, you will be given a return value of 0 and a "Method Execution Successful" in the form of a message. Congratulations, you have successfully uninstalled the application using the command prompt.

Congratulations

Conclusion

By following the above steps, you can uninstall a program in Windows 10 using Command prompt.

I hope you have enjoyed this article. Follow C# Corner to learn more new and amazing things about Windows 10.

Thanks for reading.