TL;DR : I bought a software to block games and reduce the amount of hours I game per day. But I also found many ways to go around it and compiled a list
Cold Turkey Blocker is a popular productivity app designed to help you avoid distracting websites and focus on important tasks. But what if you want to remove Cold Turkey completely from your computer? Uninstalling the software is straightforward, though not always intuitive. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the complete uninstall process on both Windows and Mac.
Overview of Cold Turkey Blocker
Cold Turkey Blocker allows you to block access to selected websites and apps for a set period of time. The free version lets you block up to 10 websites for up to 24 hours. The premium version has unlimited blocking capabilities.
Once a blocking period is activated, Cold Turkey runs in the background constantly enforcing the blocks until the timer expires. Even closing the application won’t disable the blocks. This makes Cold Turkey an effective tool to reduce procrastination by limiting access to time-wasting sites.
However, some users ultimately decide they no longer want or need Cold Turkey installed. Reasons include:
- Finding the blocks too restrictive
- Needing access to sites for work/school
- Preferring other focus apps
- No longer procrastinating as much
- Software conflicts
Fortunately, Cold Turkey can be fully removed with a few simple steps.
Uninstalling Cold Turkey on Windows
There are two main methods to uninstall Cold Turkey Blocker from a Windows PC
Method 1: Uninstall Through the Control Panel
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Click on the Windows Start Menu and open the Control Panel
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Click on “Uninstall a Program” under Programs
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Find “Cold Turkey Blocker” in the list of installed programs
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Right click on it and select Uninstall
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Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the uninstall
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Restart your computer once the uninstall is complete
This will remove all Cold Turkey files and settings from your Windows user account and registry.
Method 2: Uninstall Through Apps/Programs & Features
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Open the Start Menu and click on the Settings gear icon
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Click on Apps (or Apps & Features in Windows 10)
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Scroll and find Cold Turkey Blocker in the list of installed apps
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Click on it and then select Uninstall
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Follow the prompts to confirm the uninstall
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Restart your computer after the uninstall finishes
This achieves the same clean removal of Cold Turkey as using the Control Panel method.
In some cases, remnants of Cold Turkey’s blocked sites list may still exist in the Windows Hosts file after uninstalling. To fully purge it, open the Hosts file in Notepad and delete any localhost entries or redirects added by Cold Turkey.
Uninstalling Cold Turkey on Mac
Removing Cold Turkey from a Mac also involves just a couple straightforward steps:
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Open Finder and click Applications in the left sidebar
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Find and right click on the Cold Turkey app file
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Select Move to Trash to delete the main application file
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Open your user account Preferences and delete any Cold Turkey preference files
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Use a cleaning utility like AppCleaner to scan for and remove any remaining Cold Turkey files or settings
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Restart your Mac to complete the uninstall process
Additionally, check System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab and remove Cold Turkey from any listed apps with past permission access if present.
Alternative Uninstall Methods
For those unable to fully uninstall Cold Turkey using the above methods, some alternative options include:
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Booting in Safe Mode – This prevents Cold Turkey and other apps from loading on startup. You can then access Programs & Features or Finder to uninstall normally.
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Using Remote Software – Remotely connect to your computer from another device and uninstall Cold Turkey through the remote control software interface.
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System Restore – Revert your Windows installation to an earlier restore point before Cold Turkey was installed.
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Clean Reinstall – Backup files and perform a fresh OS install to start over without Cold Turkey.
But these more complex solutions are typically unnecessary. The standard uninstall processes outlined earlier are sufficient for most users to completely rid their computer of Cold Turkey Blocker.
Avoiding Uninstall Obstacles
When removing software as restrictive as Cold Turkey, there are a few potential hurdles to the uninstall process:
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Active Blocks – Any website or app blocks currently in effect will prevent uninstall until they expire. Disable blocks or wait for them to end.
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Password Protection – A set uninstall password will need to be entered to uninstall Cold Turkey. Retry the password or reset through account login.
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Application Conflicts – Rarely, remnants of Cold Turkey may cause issues with other apps after uninstall. Reboot in Safe Mode to remove.
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Root Access – On Mac, you may need to prefix uninstall commands with
sudoto gain root permission.
As long as you uninstall during an inactive blocking period and have your uninstall password, the process typically goes smoothly.
Alternatives to Cold Turkey
For those looking to replace Cold Turkey Blocker after uninstalling, some popular alternatives include:
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Freedom – Cross-platform website/app blocker with scheduling options.
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Forest – Gamified productivity app that rewards focusing by planting virtual trees.
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SelfControl – Open source blocker for Mac that can’t be undone during blocks.
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LeechBlock – Highly customizable browser extension for gradually reducing distractions.
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FocusMe – Blocker offering advanced scheduling, random delays, and other options.
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SiteBlock – Simple customizable blocker built into Chrome.
Experiment to find the distraction blocking tool that best suits your needs. The key is picking one that encourages focus without feeling overly rigid and restrictive.
Take Back Control of Your Computer
While Cold Turkey Blocker can be an effective short-term tool to minimize procrastination and distractions, for many users the restrictive nature ultimately feels too inflexible. When you’re ready to take back full control of your computer access, uninstalling Cold Turkey is simple.
Hopefully this step-by-step guide to completely removing Cold Turkey Blocker from both Windows and Mac has you on the path to a more balanced approach for staying focused. Test out some alternative focus apps and leverage the productivity strategies that work best for your needs.
Remember, regaining access to distracting sites after uninstalling doesn’t mean you have to waste time on them. With the right mindset and tools, you can achieve focus without relying on such rigid blocking. Get rid of frustrating limitations and reclaim a healthier relationship with technology.
The hidden uninstaller tool
Of course, uninstalling under one minute makes the whole software quite useless isnt it. So after a while the creator removed those options. But in case people still wanted to uninstall, there used to be a hidden page on the website that would lead to the uninstaller file. Download and run
My relationship with gaming
Ive always had a semi-healthy relationship with gaming. It is a HUGE part of my life. I total over 10k hours of gaming over the years. I like team games very much, and for example I total over 3k hours of DOTA2, and over 1k hours of Apex.
I accept it, because its part of my life, and I also found many of my best friends online while gaming (like many of us those days) or doing LAN parties.
My main issue is that it is a complete automatism. After work and when everybody is in bed, I game. During nap time, I game. I used to work on side projects a lot but as a father of 2 kids now, I am always quite tired or low on energy and gaming has become the default option over reading / open-source / learning. . .
I am very happy about my life, so its not that bad but this is something I see, and that I want to change. There are many things I want to do and that I used to do that I cant touch anymore now that I have a family. And the main reason is that I fill most of my free time with gaming.
Its also a vicious circle : I game because I dont have much energy, which leads to me being tired and having low energy.
“You could just stop says my girlfriend”. Well thanks but its not helpful for me. Or rather, it helps me just as much as “just eat healthy then if you want to lose weight” or “just go to the gym if you wanna look fit”. There are bigger forces at play here.
Couple years ago, I bought Cold Turkey to help me reduce my gaming time. Cold Turkey is a very simple software that you install on your computer and that blocks certain applications from being run. You can go “cold turkey” (block everything) or set time ranges, time blocks, … Here is an example of my gaming list block :
Cold turkey interface with my games blocked
Once you start a block, you cant go back! If I set a week of Cold Turkey in the software, I will not be able to run the DOTA2 executable for a week. End of story. And there is no point killing the Cold Turkey windows process. It auto restarts itself 🙂 What I want to share in this post is the cat and mouse game that has been going on for over a year now with the creator of that application.
Because just like when your mum used to hide your controllers back in the days when you were grounded, there is a large excitement in finding those controllers again :).
In the very early days, you could just uninstall Cold Turkey. First via the uninstall dialog from Windows. Later via an uninstaller located in the installation folder
how to uninstall cold turkey during a block in windows/mac.
FAQ
Is there a way to disable cold turkey from being removed as an extension?
How to exit Cold Turkey writer?
How do I get rid of Cold Turkey application?
Re: COLD TURKEY application IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of Re: COLD TURKEY application IMPOSSIBLE to get rid of 1. Open the task manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del) 2. Go under the processes tab 3. Click “View processes from all users” near the bottom of the window 4. End a process called “kctrp_srv.exe” and exit the task manager 4.
How to disable cold turkey blocker?
Cold Turkey Blocker makes it almost impossible to stop the block once you lock it.” It is easy to by-pass its restrictions. Here is what you can do to disable it completely. Open the Cold Turkey installation path in explorer. Ex: path on windows C:Program FilesCold Turkey
How do I edit a cold turkey file?
One method suggested going in to Program Files > Cold Turkey (via command line) and editing a .ini file – but my Cold Turkey files are in Program Files (x86) and there is no .ini file, just .exe’s and .dat – have spent 4 hours trying to find a solution. Any advice would be appreciated. Click to expand