{"id":49015,"date":"2016-04-19T07:34:28","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T14:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mcafee.com\/?p=49015"},"modified":"2025-08-15T07:26:19","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T14:26:19","slug":"quick-time-uninstall-quicktime-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/internet-security\/quick-time-uninstall-quicktime-windows\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick, it\u2019s Time to Uninstall QuickTime for Windows!"},"content":{"rendered":"

This blog post was written by Bruce Snell.<\/em><\/p>\n

Last week the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (known as US-CERT) released an alert<\/a> advising people to uninstall QuickTime for Windows.\u00a0 This advice was prompted by the discovery of two \u00a0vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to remotely take control of systems with QuickTime for Windows installed.<\/p>\n

Why Should I Uninstall?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One piece of advice I regularly give is that people should stay on top of updates.\u00a0 The reason for this is that while updates can add new features and functionality, most updates are to fix bugs.\u00a0 These bugs can not only cause the software to not function properly, but more importantly, they can be exploited by malware to gain access to an unsuspecting user\u2019s system.\u00a0 These updates (typically called \u201cpatches\u201d) are part of what is covered by a company\u2019s support program.\u00a0 Apple has decided to no longer continue support for QuickTime for Windows which means the current vulnerabilities will not be patched and will leave users vulnerable.<\/p>\n

QuickTime has been something of a standard application for most users due to it being bundled with iTunes.\u00a0 If you have iTunes installed, odds are you have QuickTime.\u00a0 It is important to know that you can still play videos in iTunes after you uninstall QuickTime.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So How Do I Uninstall?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can uninstall QuickTime for Windows by following the standard uninstall process for Windows.\u00a0 The steps below may look slightly different based on your version of Windows, but they all follow a similar flow.<\/p>\n

\"windowskey\"You can start by hitting the Windows key and typing \u201cAdd or remove programs\u201d or just \u201cPrograms\u201d and clicking the \u201cAdd or remove programs\u201d menu item.<\/p>\n

\"quicktime1a\"<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you could click on the Start menu in Windows and select \u201cControl Panel.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"quicktime1\"<\/p>\n

Once in the control panel, click on \u201cPrograms and Features.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"quicktime2\"<\/p>\n

This will bring you now to the \u201cUninstall or change a program\u201d window.\u00a0 While in this window, click on \u201cQuickTime 7\u201d and select \u201cUninstall\u201d from the top of the list.<\/p>\n

\"quicktime3\"<\/p>\n

You will be presented with a pop-up box asking \u201cAre you sure you want to uninstall QuickTime 7?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"quicktime4\"<\/p>\n

Once you select \u201cYes\u201d, Windows will begin the uninstall process.\u00a0 Depending on your security settings, you may get an additional prompt asking \u201cDo you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer\u201d from Windows User Account Control.\u00a0 One more \u201cYes\u201d and the uninstall process will continue.<\/p>\n

So How Do I Watch Videos Now?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Now that you\u2019ve gone through the uninstall process, you have a few different options for playing videos previously handled by QuickTime.\u00a0 The media player included with Windows can typically handle a majority of your media needs.\u00a0 If you find that you have videos that do not play in Windows Media Player, you could give the VLC media player<\/a> (free and open source) a try.<\/p>\n

How to Stay Safe<\/strong><\/h2>\n