Methods to Delete Application Traces in Windows? (2024)

When you uninstall an application or software in Windows, a few traces of the application are left behind. They don’t get deleted or removed from the system. However, make sure that you will get those traces removed from your computer. It is to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing your application data. Plus, the remnants of uninstalled software get accumulated with time and may impact the performance of your system. Neglecting these traces might make your PC unresponsive, slow, and even vulnerable to viruses.

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Therefore, it is essential to wipe out those application traces completely. Here we will cover two effective approaches to deleting application traces in Windows.

How to Remove the Software Traces Completely in Windows System?

Method 1: Use In-built Windows Utilities to Delete Application Traces

There are various built-in Windows utilities, using which you can erase the traces of the uninstalled applications.

1. Clean your Windows Registry

Warning: Be cautious while cleaning the registry entries since a wrong action can cause serious damage. We recommend taking the backup of Registry Editor before cleaning your registry entries.

Follow the below steps to clean your Windows Registry entries.

1. Enter “regedit” in the search box of the Windows system and hit Enter.

1. Navigate to “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software”. You will see a long list of keys of the programs in the left pane.
2. If you find the key of the uninstalled program, right-click on the key, which you want to erase, and select “Delete”.
3. Now, go to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE”. Again, you will see a list of the programs’ keys in the left pane.
4. Follow Step 3.
5. Again, navigate to “HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software”. You will again have the list of the programs’ keys in the left pane of the Registry Editor wizard.
6. Follow Step 3.

Note: If you encounter any error while deleting any registry entry, check whether you have the required permission to do so. If not, ask the administrator.

2. Erase the Traces from Temp Folder

When you uninstall any software, it leaves some of the traces in the folders. Clean the “Temp” (Temporary) folder to erase the application traces from this folder as well.

Follow the below steps to erase the data from the “Temp” folder.

1. Press Windows + R keys, type “%temp%”, and hit Enter.
2. Select all the items listed in the folder and delete them.
3. Again, press the Windows + R keys.
4. This time, type “temp” (without quotes), and hit Enter.
5. Erase the entire data from this folder as well.

3. Remove the Software Leftovers from Program Files and AppData Folders

Follow the below steps to erase application traces from the “Program Files” folder.

• Type “%programfiles%” in the search bar and hit Enter.

• Search for the traces of the uninstalled software in the folder. If you find any, delete them.

Follow the below steps to erase application traces from the “AppData” folder.

• Type “%appdata%” in the search bar and hit Enter.

• Search for the traces of the uninstalled software in the folder. If you find any, delete them.

Limitations of the above Method

These methods have certain limitations.

• The Registry approach will harm your computer if any inappropriate action is taken mistakenly.
• Though you can empty the respective folders, like temp, program files, and AppData, there is no surety that the application traces are completely removed from the computer.

Method 2: Use File Eraser Software to Erase Application Traces

Erasing application traces using a file eraser software will save a lot of time and effort, as compared to the manual methods. In addition, the software is fast, safe, and easy to use. However, make sure to choose the software that can erase all the application traces from your computer.

BitRaser File Eraser is one such credible software that allows you to erase all the application/software traces from your computer. It has a user-friendly interface that enables you to delete application traces in just a few clicks. This software not only deletes the uninstalled software or application traces but also the internet traces. Moreover, it also generates tamper-proof and certified erasure reports. You can save the reports in PDF or XML file format.

You need to buy the software from the official website. It is 100% secure and certified software to remove files, traces, folders, etc., from your computer.

Follow the below steps to erase application traces by using BitRaser File Eraser software.

STEP 1: Download and launch the BitRaser File Eraser software.

STEP 2: From the left pane, select “Erase Traces” and click on “Scan”.

STEP 3: The software scans the entire computer system for application traces.

STEP 4: Once the scan is completed, it will show the traces that need to be erased. Click on “OK”.

STEP 5: Then, the screen appears with the items to be erased. You can uncheck any of them if you don’t want to erase them. Click on “Erase Now”.

STEP 6: A message prompt will pop up to confirm the erasure of the selected items. Click on “Proceed”.

STEP 7: The traces erasing process initiates.

STEP 8: Once the erasure task is completed, a pop-up will appear to schedule this task according to your prerequisite. Click on “Close”.

Note: You can schedule the traces erasure task using the “Scheduler” feature of the software. You can schedule based on the frequency, time, and date.

STEP 9: The traces are erased successfully. The software will then display the application traces details. Finally, click on “OK”.

To Conclude

This post mentioned different methods to erase the traces of the uninstalled software or application. You can choose any of the manual methods, such as cleaning the Windows Registry entries or erasing traces from Temp, recent, AppData, and program files folders. Nevertheless, the manual methods have certain limitations. Therefore, it is better to opt for BitRaser File Eraser software. It is a certified tool that erases all the application traces, system residue, software leftovers, and internet traces from the system.