Software Uninstaller

Are their any alternatives other than the uninstaller in control panel? It seems to leave alot of unnecessary things behind!

PS: I do not know how to use Brute Force Uninstaller

 

why not try Revo uninstaller, its very good does the job removes any file left over and its a freeware.

 

Thanks! Will give it a try!! :up:

 

You can try ZSoft Uninstaller with their analyze feature - the best way for a clean uninstall.

Freeware and just updated to version 2.4.1

 

Revo is excellent, scans the registry before and after uninstall to find remenants as well as remove all other files.

 

Yep, forget everything else and use Revo (freeware) or Total Uninstall (paidware). Both are excellent. I prefer to use Revo.

 

Total Uninstall doesn't uninstall always properly and you need a registry cleaner to clean possible leftovers. Total Uninstall only uninstalls better than Windows Add/Remove programs, that's all.
Revo has most probably the same problem.

 

I doubt there is such a thing as the "perfect all round" removal tool, but I find Revo to be pretty good.

 

second that ! More safe experiment in VM environment or use FDISR to your convenience.

 

I always seemed to have reasonably good uninstalls with Your Uninstaller, (ShareWare) but wouldn't you know it?

Looks like the concensus leans more favorably to a "freeware"

Revo is gonna get some new attention.

 

Your Uninstaller

 

Zsoft monitors the installation of a new program. Therefore it *knows* what got added or changed. Plus, when you elect to uninstall, Zsoft names each & every change that it proposes to reverse, therefore enabling you to agree or disagree.

Revo is primarily a front-end for Windows Add/Remove, with a registry cleaner thrown in. IMO the best uninstallers are those which monitor: Ashampoo Uninstall, Total Uninstall, Zsoft, et alia.

Even better (if applicable to the given situation) would be to revert to a previous image OR to install in frozen/virtual mode (but that's not always convenient or possible). For example, let's say you install Firewall "X". Then you use it for several months, and decide to switch to Firewall Z. In such a case, an uninstaller program comes in very handy. How I do it...

1) Uninstall with Add/Remove
2) Reboot (whether required to do so or not, I always reboot after any uninstall)
3) Uninstall with Zsoft
4) Reboot again

Works for me -- & I am a software try-out junkie.

 

Revo has hunter mode which will detect all files installed, also when removing with Revo, it scans before uninstall and then after, it removes files and registry entries as well.

 

My experience sofar with Revo uninstalling 5 app. 3 app were completely uninstalled as of Tunup reg. editor found nothing left. 2 app had after uninstall several reg. entries left,also some app. files i manually deleted. As already said nothing is failsave so a registry editor to look for leftovers after uninstall is necessary.

 

Thanks !!! That confirms my theory about Revo and that a registry cleaner is indeed required to remove leftovers. I have the same experience with Total Uninstall, sometimes a complete uninstall, sometimes not, it's just a matter of luck.

PS: I thought Revo did a registry scan before and after, that didn't seem to help either in 2 applications.

 

Hi Bellgamin,

Thanks for this very instructive input.

I tried Total Uninstall/Ashampoo Uninstaller out and I must have coped with some serious issues... (Windows corruption ). I am looking for an EFFECTIVE and SAFE uninstaller (see here) and at first glance, ZSoft seems to do the job. I would like to ask you some further details about this app, so here are my questions :

==> 1) Before uninstalling, would you recommend to disable every programm running in the systray ?
I mean : antivirus, antispyware, firewall and even apps related to Windows theme (I use the Vista Inspirat v2 theme with the modules ÜberIcon and Y'z Shadow).

==> 2) After uninstalling with Zsoft, would you recommend to clean the registry ?
I was told Ace Utilities (aka System TuneUp), Amust Registry Cleaner or even TuneUp Utilities 2007 could be a good solution.


Many thanks for you help
Cheers

 

Timing is important when using a monitoring uninstaller such as Total Uninstall or Zsoft.

Monitoring uninstallers take "before & after" shots of system files, registry, etc. Then they compare the before shot to the after shot in order to determine what got changed during the install.

Some folks have the uninstaller take its "after" shot immediately after installing a new program. It is much better to use the new program for at least 15 minutes or so before taking the "after" shot. Reason: new programs often change the registry &/or .ini file etc. during the first several minutes that they are initially used -- to record configurations and so forth. Therefore, delaying the "after" shot for a few minutes will catch those sorts of changes.

In my experience, so-called "misses" by monitoring uninstallers were primarily caused by taking the "after" shot too soon.

Most programs tell you to stop all other programs before installing so -- yes, I think you should stop them. BE AWARE, however, that a new program which requires a reboot will cause your start-up programs to load during start-up. Therefore, a monitoring uninstall program MIGHT see some of those start-up programs as being part of the changes made by the newly installed program. That's why it's essential to carefully review the changes before letting the uninstaller remove them. Zsoft makes it easy to do this.

Someone used the analogy that cleaning one's registry is somewhat like sweeping out one parking stall in a parking lot the size of Texas. Even so, I use Ace Utilities daily. Have done so for years, & it has never killed an essential item. There are other registry cleaners which are MUCH more aggressive than AU (for "aggressive" read "dangerous") but why take chances in order to clean that one little tiny parking stall?

 

1. Every program needs to be disabled in the system tray BEFORE uninstalling. Unfortunately lots of programs don't disable themselves automatically, when the uninstaller is used. So you have to do it manually until the software industry becomes smarter.

2. Always run a registry cleaner after uninstalling a software, none of these uninstallers can be trusted. I can use any popular registry cleaner (safe or aggressive), because I keep my registry cleaner under control.

A good registry cleaner needs minimum :
- a registry backup/restore feature
- a fix/repair feature with select all/none and random selection
- an "ignore" feature with select all/none and random selection (these selections are hard to find)
- an "undo ignore" feature with select all/none and random selection (these selections are hard to find)
The rest is luxury.

 

I think Revo Uninstaller is very good at his job,may be the best in his class but on several uninstalls he left some junk, so thereafter i now use the search function in Tune Up registry editor to hunt them down if there are any. BTW there so many ways to keep your registry in a good shape,anyone here on Wilders kept his own receipt.

 

A central point! A very good elucidation too. Revo find leftovers files/registry that an uninstall info application allows. It can't find files/registries that as many app. install in system folder and registry (and isn't a few...).

With ZSoft the user can add (easily with the latest version) to "Ignore List" items from app. like launchers and others that can to be used when the analyze process is working. So after that the items no more will be checked in a future analyze.

 

Hi UPSer.
Your Your Uninstaller from UrSoft is a very good program but has to be purchased.

hitbit,
PCD Dublin Centre Ireland

 

i use YOUR! UN-Installer 2008

its not free, but a worthy purchase.

 

What version of TU are you talking about?

Please give some application install/uninstall examples where TU did a bad job. My experience with TU is quite different from what you have indicated.

Al

 

I tried to uninstall Avast Antivirus with Ashampoo uninstaller and it damaged the operating system (windows xp) to the extent I couldn't boot into windows normally or in safe mode.
It required a repair install from the Windows XP disc to fix (after transferring all important personal data to another hard drive).

I've since sworn off of "snapshot" uninstallers and just use Revo and registery cleaners. I also test most new software in a virtual enviroment.

 

Not to be overly concerned with registry leftovers pointing to dead ends,but watch out for drivers who stay put after uninstall,take care how to uninstall them and related registry entries,careless delete will crash the system !