If unfamiliar programs are showing up on your PC, do not panic and start uninstalling at random — some of those apps are legitimate Windows components. This guide walks you through every place Windows tracks installed software so you can identify what is really there.
Step 1: Settings → Apps → Installed apps
- Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps
- Sort by Install date (newest first)
- Look for anything installed in the last 30 days that you do not recognise
- Click the three dots next to suspicious entries → Modify to see the publisher
Step 2: Control Panel → Programs and Features
The classic Control Panel sometimes shows desktop programs that the new Settings app misses. Press Win + R, type
appwiz.cpl, press Enter. Sort by Installed On and look for the same suspicious window of dates.Step 3: Scheduled Tasks and Services
Some malware does not install as an app at all — it just adds a scheduled task or a Windows service.
- Open Task Scheduler from the Start menu
- Browse Task Scheduler Library and look for anything with no description or an obviously random name
- Open Services (
services.msc) and sort by Name; investigate any non-Microsoft services that are running
How to tell legitimate from suspicious
- Has a real publisher (Microsoft, Intel, NVIDIA, Realtek, your laptop maker) — almost certainly fine
- No publisher and a generic name (e.g. "PC Speed Pro", "System Updater") — very likely junk or malware
- Installed on a date you were not using the PC — investigate
- Cannot be uninstalled normally — strong sign of unwanted/malicious software
Tip
If in doubt, paste the program name into a search engine along with the word "malware" before uninstalling — it will usually be obvious within seconds.
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JD
Written by
Jordan DicksonFounder, CyberSecurityGuides
Founder of CyberSecurityGuides, writing practical, jargon-free guides that help everyday people recover from and protect against online attacks.
Reviewed by CSG Security Engineers