Windows cannot find uninstall.exe error [Fix]

Does Windows keep throwing the Windows cannot find uninstall.exe error when trying to uninstall an app? Some users have reported experiencing this error when removing an application or program from their PC. An example of the error message that is promoted is as follows:

Windows can’t find ‘C:\Program Files\<software-name>\uninstall.exe’. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again.

The path to the “uninstall.exe” file in the above error message differs depending on the software with which you are experiencing this error.

Why is Windows not letting me uninstall?

The primary reason behind the “Windows cannot find uninstall.exe” error is that the uninstaller file related to the app you want to uninstall is missing, corrupted or deleted. Apart from that, system corruption and malware infection can also cause the same error and issue.

Fix Windows cannot find uninstall.exe error

If you can’t uninstall an application and keep getting the Windows cannot find uninstall.exe error on your Windows PC, use the below solutions to fix the error:

Check the installation directory of the problematic application.
Use an alternative method to uninstall the app.
Reinstall the app and then uninstall it.
Use a third-party uninstaller.
Manually uninstall the problematic app.

Before you proceed, perform a malware scan on your PC and check if there is malware or virus present on your PC.

1] Check the installation directory of the problematic application

Check the folder where you have installed the application you can’t uninstall. Here’s how:

Open File Explorer using Win+E and navigate to the installation folder of the program. For example, some users reported to be facing this error while uninstalling Steam. In that case, the default installation is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam, C:\Program Files\Steam, or C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam.

Now, find the uninstall.exe file. If you find it, double-click on the file and proceed with the prompted instructions to complete the uninstallation of the app.

Read: How to block users from installing or running programs in Windows?

2] Use an alternative method to uninstall the app

Windows provides different methods to uninstall an application. If the above method doesn’t work, you can try an alternate method to uninstall the app. Suppose you are facing this error when uninstalling an app using Settings. In that case, you can use the Control Panel to uninstall the app. And, vice versa.

Here’s how to uninstall an app via Control Panel:

First, open Run using Win+I and enter “control panel” to quickly open the Control Panel.
Now, click on the Uninstall a program option under the Programs category.
Next, select the problematic app and then press the Uninstall option.
Follow the onscreen instructions and check if you can uninstall the app.

If the error occurs with the Control Panel, you can remove an app using Windows Settings and check if it works.

If you are unable to uninstall programs, you may find the following links helpful:

4] Reinstall the app and then uninstall it

If the uninstaller file is missing or accidentally deleted, you can reinstall the application and then uninstall it to fix the issue. Download the latest version of the software from its website and then run the installer. While installing the program, choose the same installation directory as the previous one and proceed with the installation. The installation files will be replaced and missing files will be recovered. Once done, you can uninstall the application via the Settings app.

See: You do not have sufficient access to uninstall a program error in Windows.

5] Use a third-party uninstaller

If the above methods don’t work, you can use a third-party uninstaller software to uninstall problematic applications from your computer. The advantage of using a third-party uninstaller is that it completely uninstalls a program and removes the stubborn apps you cannot uninstall using the normal methods.

So, you can use a free uninstaller program like BCUninstaller, MyUninstaller, etc., and remove the program throwing the error.

6] Manually uninstall the problematic app

If you still can’t remove the app, manually uninstall it from your PC. Here is the complete step-by-step procedure to do that:

First, create a backup of your Registry in case something goes wrong. Then, ensure that the application is not running on your PC. You can do that using the Task Manager.

Now, open File Explorer and move to the installation folder of the application. It is usually located in the “C:\Program Files” or “C:\Program Files (x86)” directory.

Next, delete the installation folder of the app; select it and press the Delete button.

After that, press Win+R to evoke the Run box and enter regedit in it to open the Registry Editor.

Now, you need to locate the registry entries of the problematic application. You are likely to find the entries at one of the below locations:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node

Search for folders or registry entries linked to the application you intend to uninstall. These entries are usually named after the application or its developer/publisher.

Once you find the problematic application’s registry entry, right-click on it and select the Delete option to clear it. Delete all the associated entries and exit the Registry Editor app.

You can now reboot your PC to complete the uninstallation process.

How do I uninstall a program that Windows cannot find?

If you can’t find a program listed under the Control Panel or Settings app, you can manually uninstall it directly from its installation folder. Locate the installation folder in File Explorer and then find its uninstaller executable file. It is usually named as “uninstall.exe.”