“This program cannot be found.”

“The application is still in use.”

“The application is protected and cannot be removed.”

Whatever the uninstall error you’re getting, there are ways to resolve the issue and get that program off your machine without breaking it or your fists in frustration. Even the most seasoned computer users (who are far more experienced and tech-savvy than I am) have problem like this from time to time. The difference it, they don’t have to dig around and try to decipher the wisdom of other experts who can tell them how to fix the problem. While lacking expert status, I do happen to have a solution for this particular problem that hopefully doesn’t requiring deciphering. Resolving the uninstall error:

What’s Going On? Deciphering the Code

You’ve gone to Control Panel and use Add or Remove Program to try and delete the program files. You got a cryptic message. While the problem seems insurmountable, you actually have a pretty small problem. It’s just an issue with the DLL files. These files tell the program what to do and if they are missing or damaged, you get error messages. Of course all you care about is fixing the problem, so onward to solutions.

Step 1: Restart the computer. If you haven’t already tried the most basic solution in all of computer wisdom, do a fast restart and try again. Sometimes a reboot is a miracle, but if not, there’s more to try.

Step 2: Install the program again. If you’re trying to remove a program and getting hung up, go counterintuitive. Reinstall the program. By putting the program back on your computer, you’ll be replacing the damaged files that cause the error message. Once it’s loaded, simply delete the program again and it should work correctly. But if not, try Step 3.

Step 3: Use System Restore. A nice feature of Windows, you can “undo” various changes to your system by using System Restore. To open System Restore go to Start – All Programs – Accessories – System Tools – System Restore.

Once System Restore is open, select Choose a different restore point.

A menu of choices will appear. Select a point before you were having problems and then let Windows work to restore your system to that point.

Step 4: Put your antispyware software to work. Uninstall errors are often caused by malware such as viruses and Trojans. Running your antispyware program to identify and remove malware will likely be the ultimate solution. Your program will finally uninstall and you’ll have a cleaner, better protected computer to work with.