How to access the classic Add Remove Programs experience in Windows

If you’re old enough to have used Windows XP, you may remember that uninstalling software was done from a Control Panel section named Add Remove Programs. It was then renamed to Programs and Features in Windows 7. If you’re looking for add remove programs in Windows 10 and Windows 11, you get to a completely different place, which lists not just the programs (or desktop apps) you have installed, but also the apps that are preinstalled with Windows, or those you have downloaded from the Microsoft Store. If you want the old Add Remove Programs experience, and you’re using Windows 10 or Windows 11, here’s how to find it:

Search for Add Remove Programs doesn’t work the same as it used to

If you use Windows 11, and you search for “add remove programs,” you see a result with a similar name: “Add or remove programs.”

Searching for add remove programs in Windows 11

Clicking or tapping it, opens the Installed apps list in the Windows 11 Settings app. You can uninstall apps from here, as the list includes both the desktop apps (or old-fashioned programs) and the apps you got from the Microsoft Store.

Installed apps lists both programs and apps

TIP: If you don’t know the difference between apps and desktop apps, I recommend reading this article: What is a Windows app? What is a desktop application? How are they different?

Similarly, in Windows 10, searching for “add remove programs” returns a result with almost the exact same name: “Add or remove programs.”

Searching for add remove programs in Windows 10

Clicking or tapping it opens the Apps & features section in the Windows 10 Settings app. Here too, you see the list of programs and apps installed on your computer and device, and you can uninstall them.

Apps & features lists both programs and apps

However, old-fashioned users like myself may be looking for the Add Remove Programs window from the Windows XP era. Where can they find it?

TIP: If you want more options, here are all the ways to remove desktop programs and Microsoft Store apps in Windows.

Where can you find the old Add Remove Programs in Windows 10 and Windows 11?

Open the Control Panel to get to the old Add Remove Programs window, which lists only the programs (or desktop apps) installed on your computer or device. Take these steps to get to the Control Panel if you’re using Windows 10, or follow these instructions to open it in Windows 11.

A quick way to do that in any operating system is to search for control panel and click or tap the appropriate search result.

First, search and open the Control Panel

In the Control Panel window, click or tap the Uninstall a program link found below Programs, or go to Programs > Programs and Features.

Click or tap Uninstall a program

This opens the Programs and Features window, which is exactly like the old Add Remove Programs, except for its different name.

Here, you’ll find only the desktop apps or programs installed on your Windows computer or device, and see useful information like their Publisher, when they were installed, their size on the disk, and exact version. You can select the app you’re interested in, and click or tap buttons like Uninstall or Change.

This is the classic Add Remove Programs

TIP: Here’s how to find the exact version of any Windows app you use.

The Control Panel or where old features go to die!

So there you have it! The old Add Remove Programs window has been renamed to Programs and Features and tucked away in the Control Panel. Microsoft enjoys playing hide-and-seek with Windows features and product names that people have memorized. The Control Panel itself has also become harder to find in Windows 10 and Windows 11, making users feel like digital archaeologists, constantly searching for familiar features that once existed but are now buried in unknown locations. I hope you’ve found this tutorial helpful and that you’ll remember how to find Add Remove Programs in the future. You can always visit our website again to refresh your memory.