Programs and Features, located in the Control Panel, is where Windows users can find a list of programs currently installed on the computer, uninstall programs, change how programs are installed and configured, turn Windows features on or off, and view additional software details.
Accessing Programs and Features
There are two main ways to access Programs and Features in the Control Panel on Windows computers:
1. Open the Control Panel: To open the Control Panel, click the Start menu in the bottom left corner of the desktop screen and select the Control Panel option from the list of available programs. Then, click the Programs heading and then the Programs and Features section.
2. Open Run: Alternatively, you can open the Programs and Features window by pressing Windows + R keys together on the keyboard. This will open the Run command dialog box. In the Open field, type appwiz.cpl and then press Enter. This will open the Programs and Features page of the Control Panel.
Using Programs and Features
Once the Programs and Features page is opened, you can view a list of all the programs currently installed on the computer. This list includes not only the programs that were included with Windows (e.g. Calculator, Paint, Notepad), but also any third-party software (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat Reader, etc.) that has been installed.
If you want to uninstall a program, you can click on it and then click the Uninstall option in the top toolbar. It’s important to note that this process will completely remove the program from the computer. It is possible to view the installed updates and system components associated with the program by clicking the Show Updates box.
To change the settings associated with a program, you can click the Change option in the top toolbar. Depending on the program and its associated settings, you may be able to customize the default settings or choose whether or not to install certain components.
Another useful feature of the Programs and Features page is the ability to turn Windows features on or off. To do this, you can click the “Turn Windows features on or off” link at the left side of the page. This will open a new window where you can choose which features to enable or disable.
The last notable feature of the Programs and Features page is the View Details link; this will open a new window with additional software and driver information such as installation date and size.
In summary, the Programs and Features page in the Control Panel provides users with the ability to manage, install, and uninstall programs as well as enable or disable Windows features. To access the page, open the Control Panel and click the Programs heading followed by the Programs and Features option.