Ashampoo UnInstaller Suite: How to monitor complex software installations?

I have a question on how to correctly operate the Ashampoo Uninstaller Suite (AUS) with complicated software installations. I have 3 copies of AUS on the 3 family PCs I maintain (all with purchased registration keys), by the way.

I have found AUS easy to use with simple software downloads such as Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition 1.05 and Spybot Search & Destroy 1.3. After downloading these software programs, the set-up file was easy to find in order to start the AUS installation monitoring process.

Last night I installed from CD the Norton SystemWorks 2004 software onto a PC, however, and I became confused about how to correctly monitor the installation with AUS. As you may know, SystemWorks is a big program with may set-up .exe files. I therefore used AUS Uniwatch (I hope this is the correct term for this feature) to automatically detect the installation. Uniwatch detected the first set-up .exe file encountered, Uniwatch asked if I wanted AUS to monitor the software installation (I answered yes), and AUS took the first “snap shot” of my PC. SystemWorks then continued its installation. But then Uniwatch detected another set-up file and again asked if I wanted AUS to monitor the installation. I think Uniwatch detected about 4 – 5 set-up files during the entire SystemWorks installation and Uniwatch asked each time if I wanted AUS to monitor the installation.

Can you please tell me how to correctly operate AUS in the situation I have described above? Should I tell Uniwatch to let AUS monitor the software installation the first time Uniwatch encounters a set-up .exe file, then on all subsequent set-up file encounters select the Uniwatch radio button to continue software installation without AUS monitoring? Will this approach enable AUS to monitor the entire software installation from first set-up file encounter to end of software installation?

I would greatly appreciate your help.

Regards,
Stro

 

I do not use Uniwatch at all when I install a software. Before installing a software, I just launch the UnInstaller and let it take a snap shot of the system. Then, I just proceed to install my application software. Once the software is installed, I let the installed software run at least once and configure it (if needed). Now everything about the new installed software is set, I let the UnInstaller take a snap shot of the system again. By comparing the two snap shots taken before and after software installation, UnInstaller generates the installation log file. The *sequences* of changes on system during installation is not important, and no need to be monitored. The only thing matters here is that snap shots of the system are taken before and after complete software installation. The procedure is simple no mater what kind of software is installed. Hope this would be of some help to you.

 

Thanks for the reply, Yahoo. I hope you read this message. I wanted to reply sooner, but had Boy Scout obligations over the weekend.

I still have a point of confusion. Referencing your message, when you use Ashampoo Uninstaller Suite (AUS) to take the first snapshot of your system, how exactly do you do it? As you know, when you initiate the use of AUS (that is, you don't use Uniwatch) to monitor & record installation of new software, AUS pops up a window informing you that you have to tell it the installation .exe file of the software you're going to install. Then AUS presents you with a Windows Explorer type window in which you find & click on the installation .exe file.

As I said, locating this installation .exe file is easy with downloads like Ad-aware SE Personal Edition. But with Norton Systemworks there are multiple installation .exe files. So which one do I select to kick-off the AUS first system snapshot? Is it important that I select the first installation .exe file that will be used by SystemWorks to install itself, or will any installation .exe file do? Bottom line is that I really don't understand why AUS requires that I identify an installation .exe file at all in order to take the first system snapshot.

Additionally, when the Uniwatch feature is turned on, AUS pops up a window telling you that it has detected an installation .exe file, with the .exe file name populated in the AUS pop window field. Can I simply exit out of each of these pop-up windows I encounter after the first pop-up window? Exiting out of these subsequent pop-up windows will not effect the monitoring process or the final window in which I type in the installation log name (which kicks-off the final AUS system snapshot)?

The Ashampoo help files do not answer any of these questions. I appreciate any guidance you can offer.

Thanks,
Stro

 

Most likely, you are using AUS in the 'easy mode'. I use it in the 'expert mode', which is quite easy to use and less confusing. Good luck.