How to remove (uninstall) a screensaver
Whether you are tired of a screensaver, need to clear some disk space, or want to tidy up your list of screensavers, there will come a time when you want to remove a screensaver from your computer. Instructions for removal differ for each version of Windows.
- How to remove a screensaver on Windows 10
- How to remove a screensaver on Windows 8
- How to remove a screensaver on Windows 7
- How to remove a screensaver on Windows Vista
- How to remove a screensaver on Windows XP
Apple Mac user? See: How to remove (uninstall) a screensaver (Mac)
On Windows, there are several ways to uninstall a screensaver, three of which are described generally below. For detailed instructions with screenshots, please click the link corresponding to your Windows version in the list above.
Option 1: Use the "Uninstall a program" panel
All versions of Windows come with a built-in interface to easily remove software programs, including screensavers, from your computer. This is the cleanest way to uninstall a program, and we recommend you try this method before resorting to manual removal (option 3). For instructions, please select your Windows version in the list of links above.
Option 2: Find the Start Menu folder
When screensavers are installed via a setup wizard (installation program), a Start menu folder is sometimes created, providing shortcuts to run, configure and/or uninstall the screensaver. You can use the "Uninstall" shortcut to launch the same uninstallation program that runs when you uninstall via the method described in option 1 above.
On Windows XP, Vista and 7, you can find these folders by clicking the Start menu button at the bottom left of your screen, and then clicking the "All Programs" link. You will be shown a list of folders for various installed programs. If a folder for your screensaver exists, click to open it, then click the "Uninstall" link (if available) to launch the uninstaller.
Option 3: Manually remove the screensaver file
If you could not uninstall the screensaver using the above methods, but you still want to remove it from your list of available screensavers, one last option is to manually remove the screensaver file from your hard drive. This effectively removes it from the Screen Saver Settings panel. However, some files (images, settings, dependencies, etc.) may be left behind, cluttering your hard drive with unnecessary files, but this is generally harmless.
Manual removal of a screensaver involves locating the screensaver file in your Windows folder, or in the "system32" and/or "SysWOW64" sub-folders, and then deleting it. This is usually done via the Explorer, which allows you to view and manage files on your hard drive.
Instructions for manually removing a screensaver file from your computer are provided in individual articles per Windows version, linked at the top of this page.
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