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There are different degrees to which you can remove Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services. Depending on your needs, you can choose from the following options:
You can choose to remove Windows SharePoint Services, but keep the site content in the content database. This allows you to extend the virtual server again later and reconnect to the site content. If you leave the content databases intact, you can reconnect to them, from the same virtual server or from a different virtual server, and continue hosting the site content using the same URL. Use this method to temporarily remove and then restore a virtual server, or to change which virtual servers are hosting which content in a server farm setting.
You can choose to remove Windows SharePoint Services and delete the site content in the database. Use this method to remove a virtual server permanently, but continue using Windows SharePoint Services on other virtual servers. For example, use this method if you are finished with a project and no longer need the associated Web sites.
Caution When you use this method, you cannot reconnect to the site content later. If you choose to delete the content databases, you are permanently deleting the site content, and cannot recover the site data except from a backup.
You can choose to remove Windows SharePoint Services by using the Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel. This method does not delete site content. You can reinstall and reconnect to the site content. Use this method to repair an installation or to remove a front-end Web server from a server farm.
All of these methods leave the virtual server or server in a clean state, ready to be used for other Web sites or applications; however, each method affects the content and configuration databases in a different way.
The most secure approach to removing Windows SharePoint Services is to combine two of the preceding methods: First remove Windows SharePoint Services and the associated site content from each virtual server, and then remove Windows SharePoint Services completely from the server computer.