BleepingComputer.com: Removing Programs On Recently Purchased Laptop

I recently purchased a refurbished Gateway laptop and have been told that I can increase the speed if I remove alot of the software that Gateway loads but I will probably never use (like AOL). Do I just remove them by uninstalling them in the control panel or is there a better way?

Yes that is correct, you can remove programs that you don't want to use from the Add/remove Programs option in the Control Panel. Be sure not to remove programs that you are unsure of, however if you do come across some, ask us.

Regards,
David.

There are some programs like the one AOL installs that will leave parts in your registry when you uninstall them, and there are others that you will need to us their uninstall program to remove. As David suggested, be sure of what you are uninstalling, if you have any questions you can either post them here or google for information.

For those that you want to keep but don't want to run at startup try Codestuff Starter

I have started using the uninstall function to remove software. I started with removing the Mcafee Security program that came installed with a free introductory period. I plan on installing a free anti-virus and anti-spyware/malware programs. My previous experiance with McAfee was not positive. I noticed that after I ran the uninstall function to remove McAfee program, I still have a McAfee icon and it still shows up as a program in my start panel. Is there a way or a need to remove anything associated with McAfee on my computer so I can run a different security program. Any comments or suggestions?

Mcafee removal tool

This post has been edited by garmanma: 16 March 2008 - 01:09 PM