IrfanView (64-bit) is a lightweight, fast, and powerful image viewer and editor that’s been around forever—and honestly, it’s one of the few old-school tools I still recommend for opening images quickly without the bloat. It supports a ton of formats, lets you batch convert, edit, and even add basic effects. But here’s the thing: while IrfanView itself is clean and well-coded, it often gets tricky to fully remove because of how it integrates into Windows. It hooks into the right-click context menu, sets itself as the default for dozens of image types, installs plugins, and drops files in multiple locations. Plus, if you’ve used the “Install for all users” option or added optional components like the IrfanView SDK or desktop icons, the standard uninstall might leave behind settings, registry entries, or file associations that keep showing up even after removal. I’ve had cases where, after uninstalling, .PNG or .JPG files still tried to open with a missing IrfanView—super annoying.
Uninstalling IrfanView (64-bit) on Windows 10:
I’ve done this a few times when switching to other image tools, and here’s the way that actually works. First, click Start, press Windows + I to open Settings, go to Apps > Apps & features. Search for “IrfanView.” It should show up as “IrfanView 64-bit” or just “IrfanView.” Click it, then Uninstall, and follow the prompts. This usually runs the built-in uninstaller, which removes the main program.
But that doesn’t clean up everything. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter. This opens the classic Programs and Features list. Double-check that IrfanView is gone. If it’s still there, uninstall it again—sometimes the Settings method fails silently.
Now, the manual cleanup. Open File Explorer and go to:
C:\Program Files\IrfanView\C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\(if you somehow installed both)C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\IrfanView\
Delete these folders. The AppData one holds your settings, thumbnails, and customizations—safe to remove.
Also, press Windows + R, type %temp%, and delete any leftover IrfanView temp files.
Next, fix the file associations. Go back to Settings > Apps > Default apps. Scroll down and click Choose default apps by file type. Search for common image types: .jpg, .png, .gif, .bmp, etc. If any are still set to IrfanView (showing as “Unknown” or blank), click them and assign a new default app like Photos.
Then, remove it from the right-click menu. Open Registry Editor (regedit via Run), back up your registry first (right-click “This PC” > Export), then go to:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\IrfanViewHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\IrfanView
If these keys exist, delete them. This removes the “Edit with IrfanView” option from your desktop and folder right-click menus.
Finally, check Startup—open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), go to the Startup tab, and disable any IrfanView entries. It shouldn’t have any, but sometimes plugins add them.
Uninstalling IrfanView (64-bit) on Windows 11:
The process is mostly the same, but Windows 11 hides some settings deeper. Click Start, press Windows + I, go to Apps > Installed apps. Search for “IrfanView.” When it appears, click the three dots (⋯) next to it and select Uninstall. Confirm and let the uninstaller run.
Again, don’t assume it’s gone. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and make sure it’s not still listed. Uninstall it from there if needed.
Now, clean up the leftovers. Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\IrfanView\C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\IrfanView\
Delete both. You can access AppData by pressing Windows + R and typing %appdata%.
Fix file associations: go to Settings > Apps > Default apps, then click Set defaults by file type. Look for image extensions and reassign them to your preferred app (like Microsoft Photos).
For the context menu, open Registry Editor (regedit), back up first, then check:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\
Delete any IrfanView-related entries. Be careful—don’t touch anything you’re not sure about.
Also, open Task Manager, check Startup, and disable any lingering entries.
Now, here’s the thing: even after all this, I’ve had registry traces pop up during system scans. IrfanView doesn’t install malware, but its deep integration means cleanup is tedious. That’s why, these days, I don’t do this manually unless I have to. I just run PerfectUninstaller. It finds every piece—the main app, plugins, file associations, context menu hooks, and registry entries—in one scan. It removes them cleanly, without missing hidden files or leaving broken links. And it’s fast. If you’re switching image viewers or just cleaning house, PerfectUninstaller makes sure IrfanView is really gone, not just pretending to be. It’s the only tool I trust for a full, hassle-free removal.
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