Uninstall software using registry key on Windows 10 Server 2016 and 2012

Software uninstall from the registry key, one can uninstall any software installed on window workstation or server operating using the uninstall registry key, this article explains how to find the unisntall registry string of any software or application, here are simple steps. Do you know we can uninstall any software from the windows command line using the uninstall registry key, actually there are two methods available, using the WMI method and uninstall registry string. Generally, windows administrators work on many computers and as part of their work they uninstall the old software and installs or upgrades new software, using the command line registry key user interaction is not required, one can automate the uninstallation process, here are the simple steps this article explains how we can uninstall any software without any user interaction. How to find uninstall registry key On windows computers any installed software’s uninstall registry string stores in two locations, if it is a 32-bit application then the uninstall string can be located here. 32 Bit applications uninstall string location

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

64 Bit applications uninstall string location

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Let’s find any software uninstall string, in my case I want to uninstall JAVA now. Since I have installed JAVA 64 bit application I have to locate the uninstall registry key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall Here is the screenshot of the JAVA software uninstall string. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\{26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F64180251F0}

MsiExec.exe /X {26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F64180251F0}

If you run the above registry key on command prompt JAVA program will be uninstalled, we need to suppress the user interaction so we need to find the MsiExec.exe switches for software to uninstall in silent mode. MsiExec.exe switches are available here. There is a switch qn for no UI interface, the application will be uninstalled silently, here is the syntax.

MsiExec.exe /X {26A24AE4-039D-4CA4-87B4-2F64180251F0} /qn

If you run the above code on command prompt without the user interaction the java application will be uninstalled. Thank you for reading this article, if you have any questions please let us know. Thank you for visiting my site, for any scripts in these articles you are testing please make sure you have tested this script in our lower environment before you run in production.