deinstalled

Deinstalled is the past participle form of deinstall (or the English past tense in some contexts) used in computing to indicate that software, components, or devices have been removed from a system. It is largely synonymous with uninstall in many contexts, though usage varies by language and platform.

Etymology and usage: deinstall is formed from de- plus install. In German, deinstallieren is the standard verb for removal, with deinstalliert as the past participle. In English-language documentation and error messages, uninstall is far more common, while deinstalled may appear in localized strings or logs of multilingual systems.

Process and scope: Deinstallation is typically performed by an uninstaller program, a control panel entry, or a package manager. The process aims to remove program files, libraries, and, where applicable, registry keys or configuration data. Some systems offer options to also remove user data or to preserve settings for future reinstallation. Completion may require a restart on certain platforms.

Limitations: Even after deinstallation, some remnants may remain, such as user preferences, cache files, or license tokens. These leftovers can complicate reinstallation or affect licensing audits. The exact behavior depends on the operating system, installer, and user choices.

See also: uninstall, deinstall, package management, software lifecycle.