Which is the best tool for uninstalling programs?

Hello to everyone!
Which is the best tool for uninstallation?
Which is your favourite one?

tilu

 

Add Remove Programs

I'm yet to have a problem with it.

 

I use TrashIt. You take a snapshot before installing a programme and one immediately after and save the changes found. I always uninstall a programme in the normal manner and then just tidy up using TrashIt. (Has an annoying nag screen from day one of the thirty day trial.)

Disk & Registry Alert uses a similar approach.

TrashIt http://www.optimussw.com/index.html

Disk & Registry Alert http://www.softdd.com/disk-registry/index.htm

 

Hi Tilu
Ashampoo uninstaller is a good one but it works only for programs that you install after installing it. It works by taking a general snapshot of your computer before and after you install a new program so it knows everything that has been added during installation. If and when you want to remove that program it can then remove everything that was loaded.

DOWNSIDE : It does take a bit longer to install programs and can be a bit of a pain if you are installing quite a few programs but it is supposed to remove them completely. It also cost money. (You can read about it on Ashampoo website)

Tex

 

totalunistall
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=84452&highlight=total uninstall
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=84179&highlight=total uninstall
https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=80785&highlight=total uninstall

 

Thank you people!
That info will work. Pretty enough!

 

I use Your Uninstaller! 2004 http://www.ursoftware.com/uninstaller.htm

 

Hi,

I also like a lot : Your uninstaller! 2004...


Cheers,
Atomas31

 

Another vote for Uruninstaller 2004. I have been using it extensively for past 18 months trialing a number of programs - no problems.

 

There is a new beta version of Your Uninstaller http://tinyurl.com/7kptr

 

I downloaded Your Uninstaller! 2004 out of curiousity reading this thread, to say i'm not impressed would be an understatement.......i tried using it with three programs which were also monitored by Total Uninstall. It left quite a lot behind in both registry & files, in BOClean's case it actually left more behind than Windows add/remove does!

 

I never had a probllem with Your uninstaller before. I really don't like Total Unintsalll that's why I moved to your uninstaller. But I guess to each its own.

 

The best is only the one that will monitor your install. I should use it but for some reason I don't. I just use Your Uninstaller 2004 and clean up with JV16

 

I didn't have any problems at all with Your uninstaller, it just didn't remove much more (if any) than Windows add/remove programs, but i agree on the "But I guess to each its own".

 

Looks like all of the "Uninstallers" are becoming "Uninstallers of the wallet"!

As of a week ago, I was able to download version 2 of Total Uninstall on my secondary machine (that I use to test some software), but today there isn't any link that will successfully download Total Uninstall v 2....none of them work. I guess the author has discontinued the ability to download that version and wants to only offer the CA$H version.

Looks like I'll be sticking with Windows Add/Remove until another good FREE uninstaller comes along......

 

The site has been down, it's up again with both versions still there http://www.martau.com/ , but if he did pull the free one you couldn't exactly blame him for wanting to earn something from all his work on this program, which btw has saved me from Windows format/reinstalls, when running betasoftware not behaving nicely....

 

Thanks for the heads up, Don, you are absolutely correct (it was down during the whole time that I was looking to add it earlier, but is back up now)......

 

Found this at Lockergnome forum post so I suppose it's safe and legit - cleans useless reg keys left after uninstall (if not delete this post): http://help.lockergnome.com/index.php?showtopic=14283&hl

 

I have tried most of them but since you pointed me to this one I had not heard of before, I tried it last night and it hangs on any cleaning of cash ect on my system.
see screen shot.

 

I still do it manual (twice in a month I delete the registry keys in software group for local machine and user) and with CCleaner... I tried total uninstall once and it is a nice program.

 

Regedit

 

The only *true* uninstallers are those which actually monitor the installation, so as to record all significant changes. All other so-called uninstallers simply use a program's own uninstall routine (if it has one) & are basically just Add/Remove with a pretty GUI.

The *true* uninstallers include Total Uninstall, Zsoft Uninstall (it's in beta), TrashIt, Ashampoo, & Disk & Registry Alert. Zsoft is rather interesting to work with because the developer is very open to suggestions, comments, etc.

Of the above, TU2 & Zsoft are free.

PUI can be quite useful for uninstalling programs that Add/Remove doesn't list. If a program has its own uninstall routine anywhere on your computer, PUI will find it.

If you really want to know ALL the changes made by installing a program -- I mean really REALLY want to know them all then grab InstallWatch. You just gotta see it with your own eyes.

PUI & InstallWatch both are free.

For getting rid of those truly obstinate programs, I have found that formatting my HD often works.

 

Hey bellgamin,

If you try out ZSoft's uninstaller...either before or after it's out of beta, please give us a full report...OK? If it remains as freeware and works as well or better than Total Uninstall 2....I may very well like to give it a try. Thanks.

 

Not likely that I'll try it. Right now it's an XP-only app, & I rarely use the XP partition on my computer.

You can read reviews &/or monitor Zsoft HERE, & also sign up for Beta Report's Watch List. I have Zsoft, Total Uninstall, Kaspersky, etc etc on my Watch List over there. Thus, the Beta Reports folks send me an e-mail notice whenever there is a change to any application that I am monitoring. It's a very handy service.

By the way, don't overlook PUI. It's a VERY tiny/handy application to have on your computer no matter which uninstaller you use.

 

Thanks, bellgamin. I have a question about Total Uninstall. I know it works for software downloads from the internet...but will it also work for CD installations, like say, for Microsoft Office?