Yahoo Instant Messenger is a popular instant messaging program. Like many programs, it can sometimes be tricky to uninstall when you no longer want it. Though specific methods will vary from operating system to operating system, the following should help you remove it from most Windows environments.

Before You Begin

Before starting to delete, you'll need to exit from Yahoo Instant Messenger and any web browsers (like Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome) you may have open. If any of these programs are still open, they might be using parts of the Yahoo Instant Messenger program, which can interfere with and even prevent your uninstall. It's a good idea to reboot your computer if it's been a while since you last did so. Make sure you don't have any programs running in the background that you forgot about; rebooting prevents them from interfering with the uninstall.

Windows Control Panel Uninstall

Open your Windows Control Panel (specific methods will vary according to which Windows version you are using, but begin by clicking on the "Start" button). Inside the Control Panel you should see an option to "Add/Remove Programs." Inside the Add/Remove Programs list, you should find "Yahoo Instant Messenger." Click on it and select the "Remove" option. This will take you through an automated process that should uninstall Yahoo Instant Messenger from your system.

Manual Uninstall

If the Control Panel Uninstall doesn't work, you can try manually deleting the program files. Simply open the Program Files folder on your hard drive and delete Yahoo Instant Messenger. Once you've done that, you'll need to clean up by removing references in other associated programs. This is not recommended. Depending on your operating system, there could be references to Yahoo Instant Messenger in your registry, browser software and other essential programs.

Source:

Windows XP for Dummies, by Andy Rathbone