Cleaning up Docs & Settings' Application Data!

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by Jo Ann, Mar 11, 2007.

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  1. Jo Ann

    Jo Ann Registered Member

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    Have you looked at your Documents And Settings\[User]\Application Data folder lately? Mine has lots of 'junk' folders/files from applications no longer on my system! Apparently, Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs hasn't removed traces of uninstalled programs as thoroughly as it should have. :eek:

    Does anyone know of any software that can 'sweep' my system to discover and offer to remove all such garbage?
     
  2. lodore

    lodore Registered Member

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    funny you mention that i cleaned out that yesterday:D

    if the program is no longer installed and the folders are empty then delete the folder
    lodore
     
  3. Jo Ann

    Jo Ann Registered Member

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    Ah, therein lies the problem... the folders are not empty and to make matters much more difficult, quite a few of those folders are not easily identifiable!
     
  4. pvsurfer

    pvsurfer Registered Member

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    JoAnn, that's an age-old problem and it's not only those left-over files and folders in Docs & Settings, the very same issue exists within the Program Files folder itself. Quite often, you'll even find that the app's folder within Program Files and Program Files\Common Files are still left-over after removing the program.

    The fault is really that of the app's developer who wrote a superficial uninstall program. You see, when you use Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs to uninstall an application, it simply runs that app's uninstall program.

    I don't know of any software that can sweep your system (after the fact) and clean up this kind of garbage. However, you may want to look into 'Uninstall software' which can log every entry during an app's installation, and then retraces those steps when you use the software to remove the app. I'm not sure how 'perfect of a job' they do, but they have the right idea!
     
  5. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    JoAnn,
    If you decide to use a software that is specialized in uninstalling softwares, you need a registry cleaner too in addition.
    When each software company would write a decent uninstall-program of their OWN software, all software folders and registry would be clean.

    Norton is IMO the most ridiculous one, it offers special programs to uninstall their software, because their uninstall program doesn't do a good job either.
    Never create a second program to fix problems of the first program, always improve the first program.
     
  6. Jo Ann

    Jo Ann Registered Member

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    Thanks for the replies, even though no one had a 'magic fix'. Darn those sloppy application programmers!

    A co-worker suggested I get jv16 Power Tools. He said that among its various tools is a Software Manager, which may be what I'm after. So if any of you have experience with this software, I'd like to hear from you. :doubt:
     
  7. lodore

    lodore Registered Member

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    software uninstallers are good apps so it undoes all the changes.
    or even better still use rollback software such as firstdefence or create an image then install the software if you dont like restore the image.
    lodore
     
  8. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    Rollback softwares are indeed the very best uninstallers (100%), but this applies only to NEW softwares.

    Once a software is installed permanently and approved by you and you want to get rid of it much later, you will need a software like Total Uninstall + Registry Cleaner to remove that software. Rollback softwares won't help you in such situation.
    The registry cleaner is only needed, when Total Uninstall fails.
     
  9. pvsurfer

    pvsurfer Registered Member

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    Smarty does that job quite well for me. :thumb:
     
  10. Atomas31

    Atomas31 Registered Member

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    Hi PvSurfer,

    Just wondering does Smarty the same than Your Uninstaller (http://www.ursoftware.com/)???? If not, what's the differences?

    Thanks,
    Atomas31
     
  11. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    When I read that Smarty Uninstaller will use snapshots in the future, I don't think it is better than Total Uninstall now, which used snapshots already since I bought it one year ago.

     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2007
  12. Peter2150

    Peter2150 Global Moderator

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    That is a pretty good program. They also make Regsupreme which is the only registry cleaner I trust.
     
  13. ErikAlbert

    ErikAlbert Registered Member

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    This is what Fred Langa once wrote about JV16 PowerTools :
    Source : http://www.informationweek.com/software/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=8800348&pgno=3&queryText=
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2007
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