Download it now, rename it to MS_Uninstall_Tool.diagcab , and save it to a USB drive. You won’t need it often. But the day you do, you’ll be glad it’s there. Microsoft no longer actively updates the tool for Windows 11’s modern Settings app, but as of 2025, it still works flawlessly for legacy MSI-based software. Download it directly from Microsoft’s official support page.

You know the drill. You click "Uninstall" in Windows Settings, the progress bar spins, and a folder named "Microsoft_Redistributable_2015_Do_Not_Touch" remains. You try Control Panel. Same result. You download a third-party "scorched earth" uninstaller, but it asks for $29.99 and wants to install a browser toolbar.

Also, the tool runs inside a temporary .diagcab container. Once you close it, nothing remains on your system. That’s good for privacy but annoying if you need it again—you’ll have to re-download it from Microsoft’s support site. In an era of aggressive registry cleaners and uninstaller software that behaves like malware, the Microsoft Program Install and Uninstall Troubleshooter is a rare example of a first-party tool that just works. It won’t speed up your PC. It won’t clean your “junk files.” But when you’re staring at an application that refuses to die, this tiny 1.5 MB utility is the difference between a five-minute fix and a full Windows reinstall.

Microsoft has a secret weapon. It doesn’t have a flashy name. It isn’t built into Windows by default. But the —the "Microsoft Uninstall Tool"—is one of the most useful utilities the company has ever released. The Problem with Native Uninstallers Windows’ built-in uninstaller works fine for simple apps. But when an application gets corrupted—missing DLLs, broken registry keys, or an aborted update—the uninstaller often fails. You get cryptic error codes: “Error 1628: Failed to complete installation.” “Error 2753: The File is not marked for installation.”