Removing Installed Applications

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

When you no longer support a software version, plan for its removal. First, be sure to give adequate notice to the software users before you remove the application.

You can either force the removal of the software or make it optional, depending on, for example, whether the old software is compatible with newly deployed software. These two choices, available from the software installation extension of Group Policy, affect the removal of software.

Forced removal   If the software is assigned to a computer, it is removed the next time the computer restarts. If it is assigned to a user, it is removed the next time the user logs on.

Optional removal   You can stop managing the software without forcing its physical removal from the computers of users who use it. Users who currently have the software installed can continue to use it until they choose to remove it themselves.

Figure 8.9 shows how to open the Remove Software options menu dialog box. Right-click the software installation extension of Group Policy to view this menu.

Figure 8.9   Locating the Remove Software Option Menu

Note

• To save time later, you can plan for eventual removal when you initially deploy the software. If you want the application to be removed when a GPO is no longer applicable, select the Uninstall this application when it falls out of the scope of management option. For more information about this option, see "Targeting Software to Users and Computers" earlier in this chapter.

See the following section for an example of removing software by using the software installation extension of Group Policy.