Often while making room for something or deleting unwanted applications, we tend to uninstall useful programs accidentally. This accident can sometimes leave a dent in your work, which means you have to get it back or retrieve it. Luckily, the Windows operating system provides a super-easy solution to this problem. So how do you reinstall a program that you accidentally uninstalled?
You can reinstall a program by using the Windows System Restore. This feature allows you to take your computer back to a previous point in time. These points are known as System Restore points and get generated during a Windows update or installing a new app or driver. However, restoring will remove the latest files, updates, and drivers installed after the restore point.
You can also use a third-party application to recover your program if you don’t want to remove new files and updates from your computer.
Our article contains a step by step guide of how you can use the Windows System Restore feature to reinstall a program, but before that, let us understand what happens when you uninstall a program.
Table of Contents
What happens when you uninstall a program?
Most users uninstall programs to free up disk space, as even unused programs can accumulate data. When you uninstall an application, you remove all the program’s files on your computer. The .exe file and the specific folder for the program also get deleted.
Additionally, some Windows updates automatically uninstall programs that are no more compatible with the newer version. So the next time you wonder where your application went, you can blame the Windows updates for the mystery.
Now let us learn how to reinstall it using the Windows System Restore feature.
Recovering uninstalled programs using Windows System Restore
As we mentioned earlier, Windows System Restore uses system restore points to take your computer back in the past. Here are the steps that you need to follow to perform this task.
Step 1 – Open your “Start Menu” and click “Settings” (Windows 10). For older versions of Windows, you can type “Control Panel” and press “Enter.”
Step 2 – After opening the settings panel, search for “Recovery.”
Step 3 – Select “Recovery” and then click on “Open System Restore.”
Step 4 – Once the System Restore box opens, click on the “Next” button.
Step 5 – You will get a list of restore points. Now select a restore point and click “Next.” If you are using Windows 10, your computer should start the restoration process; if not, you can follow the next steps.
Step 6 – If you can’t find your desired restore point, you can click the “Show more restore points” to view more results.
Step 7 – Close all the programs running in the background and select “Finish.”
Once the restoration process is complete, the system will reboot, and you will have your uninstalled program back on your computer.
Note: If your computer is not showing any restore points, the system protection might be off, which can cause this problem. You can check it by performing the following steps.
- Go to your Control Panel
- Search for Recovery
- Select “Recovery”
- Select “Configure System Restore”
- Select “Configure”
- Select “Turn on System Protection”
The Windows System Restore is an in-built solution as you don’t have to rely on a third-party recovery application. However, if you don’t want to lose your new files and updates, using a data recovery tool is worth considering.
What are the benefits of using a data recovery tool to reinstall a program?
One of the most significant issues of using Windows System Restore is losing new files and updates as it restores your PC from a specific restore point. It would be best to use a third-party data recovery tool to avoid this problem. The advantages of using a third-party application include:
- Third-party recovery tools don’t affect newly installed programs and files
- It recovers formatted files and accidentally deleted programs with ease
- No data loss for other programs after restoration
- Retrieve files from memory cards, external hard drive, and other storage devices
- You can preview the files before recovery
If you want to free up space on your computer, uninstalling a program is necessarily not the best option. You can try other alternatives, such as using third-party partition manager software or the Disk Management tool. These tools will help you increase disk space without uninstalling programs.
