The longer you use your PC, the more apps and files you tend to pile up, and after a while, having all that data and all those processes running can take a toll on your computer's performance. That's why, sporadically, we recommend doing a deep clean of your Windows 11 computer to make sure it's all running as smoothly as possible.

That includes uninstalling apps you don't need anymore, but as I'm sure you're aware, this can be a very tedious process when you're removing apps one by one. You have to launch each uninstaller manually, and you often can't have two of them running at the same time, so you have to constantly be paying attention to get through the whole process. That's where a program called BCUninstaller comes into play.

What is BCUninstaller?

Uninstall apps in bulk

BCUninstaller is actually a shorthand term for Bulk Crap Uninstaller, which makes it pretty apparent what it does. The whole purpose of the program is to uninstall apps in bulk, so instead of choosing apps one by one, you can select everything you don't need anymore just uninstall it all in one go.

On top of supporting bulk uninstalling, the program also has a pretty effective mechanism for detecting apps, so even programs that don't appear in your usual apps list can show up here, making it that much easier to clean up your computer of all kinds of programs.

Perhaps best of all, BCUninstaller is an open-source app that you can contribute to on GitHub. If you can, I actually recommend that you do, because the original developer is no longer actively maintaining development without the help of others. The program still works fine for now and was updated just a few months ago, but the beauty of open-source software is that anyone can get it back under active development.

Why it's so great

A big time saver

The benefit of using BCUninstaller is pretty obvious right off the bat, but there's a bit more to it than you might initially think, too. Of course, at its core, the program lets you select multiple programs and begin the uninstallation process in one go, reducing the number of steps it takes to remove each program.

But where it gets even better is when it comes to the Uninstall quietly option. If you're using BCUninstaller, this might as well be your default choice because it makes things so much easier. This option makes it so that, if possible, every program will be uninstalled without prompting you for additional actions. The program will simply be removed without additional input from you, and that makes a big difference.

When removing programs in bulk, this makes it so you can start the process and leave the computer for a while while it handles everything on its own. You can go off and make coffee or play a game while every program is uninstalled (or keep using the PC, if you want to), meaning you don't need to stay at the computer the whole time. BCUninstaller will even skip programs that fail to uninstall silently, so it will handle all the ones that support it, and just leave the remaining programs for the end so you can sort those out. The process won't stall completely just because one program failed to uninstall.

Beyond this, BCUninstaller has yet another benefit: it will scan your PC for leftover files from a program so you can remove traces of it that you don't need anymore. For the most part, this means deleting registry keys associated with those programs, and while I generally don't recommend registry cleaners, this does help because it specifically scans for keys related to the software you're removing, so you have some confidence that you're only deleting things you won't need anymore. In fact, the program itself shows you a confidence rating for how safe it is to remove each registry item, so you don't have to do anything that you think might be risky.

It's not perfect

Some detection hiccups

While BCUninstaller is something I recommend everyone try on their own PCs, it's worth noting that it's not perfect, and that could be partly due to slower updates in recent years. The program does detect a lot more apps than what you'd find on your typical installed apps list, but it also seems to detect a lot of programs that aren't able to be uninstalled.

When I ran the program on one of my laptops, it detected something called QueenCreek, which seemed to be the Intel Computing Improvement Program, which is a bit of software included with Intel drivers. However, this didn't properly uninstall. And like it, there are a few other results that appear but don't make much sense. For example, Windows' built-in script for compressing the desktop wallpaper shows up here as an installed app. In fact, other Windows settings appear here, despite not being actual programs. Various PowerToys tools also appear as separate listings despite being part of the same program and not being individually manageable.

This may leave you with the impression that you have a lot more trash on your computer than you actually do, and you may end up making changes that you don't actually want to, or you might try removing something and it will constantly fail or remove something you didn't intend to. You can hide items published by Microsoft, but the best course of action is probably to look closely at what you're selecting, which you should be doing in the first place.

BCUninstaller is a great tool

Despite its flaws, if it's been a long time since you last cleaned your PC or if you tend to install a lot of programs for testing like I do, BCUninstaller is an incredibly useful tool. It saves a lot of time and helps keep my PC clean and more performant. I highly recommend checking it out.