What's the best software uninstaller tool?

[adi_barb]

What's the best software uninstaller... tool except CCleaner.

[techidave]

Revo Uninstaller has worked well for me!  Looks like they got a new website too!  Check it out here

[lanux128]

there had been discussions about uninstaller tools, maybe they will provide some tips for you. i list some of the threads below..

• Uninstaller Roundup - Revo - Total - ZSoft & the less magnificent seven
• Looking for a good Uninstaller App
• Uninstallers (a very short look at what I've tried!)

[40hz]

IMHO Revo is the best. Gets the job done with no bad surprises.

It packs the most functionality without your needing to fiddle with it.   

Used in conjunction with CCleaner, MyDefrag, and the Glary Utilities and you have a complete day-to-day PC maintenance toolkit.


 

[Darwin]

I'm still using Your Uninstaller and Ashampoo Uninstaller. They take different approaches - YU thoroughly removes installed applications via the applications uninstaller and THEN scans the registry and file system for known changes based on the type of installer/uninstaller used. Works really well. Ashampoo I use very rarely, but do use it to create before and after snapshots of my registry when installing certain apps. I NEVER use it to actually perform an uninstall, though... Doing so is asking for trouble because any background process that is running while creating the uninstallation snapshot that makes changes to the registry during that time is going to be corrupted... but I digress...

[doctorfrog]

What about for 64 bit Windows?

[40hz]

What about for 64 bit Windows?

+1 with Darwin on Your Uninstaller.

A 64-bit free version of Revo has been promised.

Some people report using the current version on 64-bit systems without experiencing problems. Can't vouch for how true that is since I haven't tried it.

When it comes to utilities that do system-level changes, I don't believe in pushing my luck too far. I'll just wait for Revo to tell me it works on '64' before I run it in that environment.

[Darwin]

What about for 64 bit Windows?

I'm running 64 bit Windows 7 and both Your Uninstaller and Ashampoo Uninstaller work flawlessly. NB they're both 32 bit applications.

[40hz]

^It's not so much an issue of the uninstaller being coded as a native 64-bit app as it is how well it recognizes and uninstalls 64-bit applications. 

[tslim]

YU thoroughly removes installed applications via the applications uninstaller and THEN scans the registry and file system for known changes based on the type of installer/uninstaller used. Works really well.

It depends on your level of demand.
If you are curious about what has been added to your computer or you want an absolute clean uninstallation later, using uninstaller like Ashampoo Uninstaller or Total Uninstall is always a better choice.

Ashampoo I use very rarely

Me too! It is too slow.
Instead I always use Total Uninstall which is much faster and can work in both ways that you have described.

I NEVER use it to actually perform an uninstall, though... Doing so is asking for trouble because any background process that is running while creating the uninstallation snapshot that makes changes to the registry during that time is going to be corrupted...

I think your 'believe' above is very misleading if not totally wrong.

1) Generally speaking, if there are background programs that need to write crucial info to registry while you are doing program installation - that implies you are not installing under recommanded mode... didn't you be informed/advised to turn OFF unneccesary applications prior to installation?

2) Even if there is exception, say you are unable to turn off some background programs/services that write to file or registry, those writting, normally are non-crucial records of temporary info. Throughout my life of installing so many applications (with proper monitoring of the process) I have never come across a case where I can't easily stop a software (prior to installation) that really write crucial' info at the background.

3) Any uninstaller like Ashampoo (or Total Uninstall) will normally offer feature to exclude background disturbances. I mean what you need to do is to simply create a snapshot of your system while you are not installing anything and do something you normally will while installing application, say open notepad, run window explorer and then just create another snapshot to find out those background I/O either to registry or files, the process is rather simple, what you need to do is just add those found items to the uninstaller's exclude list.

IMO, if one doesn't find uninstaller like Ashampoo Uninstaller or Total Uninstall good (or find them very troublesome to use), he/she generally has very low expectation on how much he/she can monitor a program installation, i.e. I think Windows's ordinary install and uninstall procedure from the control panel is good enough for him/her.

[Darwin]

I use Ashampoo Uninstall to monitor changes that *some* installers make to my system. Your Uninstaller very safely handles the uninstallation of most of the applications that I remove. I occasionally refer to the Ashampoo logs to remove more difficult/hidden elements of some software that I feel it necessary to *completely* remove from my system. So, overall I am curious about what changes an application's installer makes to my system. I just don't feel that it is necessary to monitor every installation that I make on my system.

[MilesAhead]

Hmmmmmm, I can't remember the one I used.  All I know as every time I ran it the thing disappeared.

[CleverCat]

With Total Uninstall, you can control what gets deleted during uninstall. 

[40hz]

With Total Uninstall, you can control what gets deleted during uninstall. 

I didn't know it could do that. That feature could be very useful. Thx!

[Curt]

For some time I was using Ashampoo Uninstaller version 3. I found it to be a bit annoying because of the nagging "scan now?" pop ups, so I didn't use it as often as I aught to. Nevertheless I didn't hesitate to upgrade to version 4. This one however, I hate! To find a solution I purchased a copy of Total Uninstal Standard version 5 because so many people will recommend it. But I don't like that one either. It may be good, but I think it really is a confusing piece of software. I even fail to see why I should upgrade to the Pro version.

So for half a year I have been using the free REVO only. For some reason Revo will always stop and wait for the user to click 'next' - which I really think is needless and a total waste of time - so I also tried the Revo_Pro version. But what is it with the Pro version? It is a like a completely different program! Tedious and tiring, I think.

I do remember using My Uninstaller several years ago, but now I think I will try Your Uninstaller. Do You mind?  I see some good men recommending it, so apparently You will let others use it as well!  

[cyberdiva]

So for half a year I have been using the free REVO only. For some reason Revo will always stop and wait for the user to click 'next' - which I really think is needless and a total waste of time - so I also tried the Revo_Pro version. But what is it with the Pro version? It is a like a completely different program! Tedious and tiring, I think.

I too have been using the free version of Revo for quite a while.  Can you say briefly what's so different about the Pro version?  

Many thanks.

[Darwin]

Heh, heh - as we have discussed elsewhere, Curt, those Yiggles! are insidious! I've upgraded all sorts of Ashampoo apps that I have using them... and I didn't need to! Oh well, "found" money, right? With the exception of Ashampoo Uninstall Suite 4, I no longer have any Ashampoo software installed. I think that Ashampoo Uninstall Suite 2 was very good, with the caveats outlined above, of course.

[Curt]

... Revo ... Can you say briefly what's so different about the Pro version? 

-not really, I am afraid. The advert makes it sound as if is sooo easy to use. I don't think it is that easy. But a "30-day fully functional free trial" is available  so you may judge for yourself...

[Curt]

... those Yiggles! are insidious! ...

insidious
adj.) crafty, cunning, deceitful; subtly treacherous or dangerous; deadly while appearing to be harmless

haha, yeah.
----

Your Uninstaller is Pay First and a little expensive, so I want to ask if you ever use the other features it is offering (clean this & that)?

[tomos]

So for half a year I have been using the free REVO only. For some reason Revo will always stop and wait for the user to click 'next' - which I really think is needless and a total waste of time - so I also tried the Revo_Pro version. But what is it with the Pro version? It is a like a completely different program! Tedious and tiring, I think.

I too have been using the free version of Revo for quite a while.  Can you say briefly what's so different about the Pro version? 

I havent used the Pro version but I know that if you're on Windows 7, the regristry 'cleansing' is only offered by the pro version

[ha14]

Well I also use Revouninstaller and it was my first free uninstaller that I started using it but I found that for some soft left ober Reg keys, because I use Regseeker and search by words. So I found out another free uninstaller Advanced Uninstaller Free 10.1.1
http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-Uninstaller-Free/3000-2096_4-75157230.html?part=dl-85782&subj=dl&tag=button

[tomos]

So I found out another free uninstaller Advanced Uninstaller Free 10.1.1
http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-Uninstaller-Free/3000-2096_4-75157230.html?part=dl-85782&subj=dl&tag=button

ha14, did you get to try it out ?
I couldnt find any info on their website about the free version (was trying to figure out the differences between the $40 pro version & this one)
Home page:
http://www.innovative-sol.com/index.htm

the Forum doesnt inspire, yet. There only two replies & one says that it's not working on 64bit Win7. The official looking intro post says The author of this program appears to be "Innovative Solutions" which seems a bit odd - my emphasis btw... )
http://www.innovative-sol.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=4941

[MilesAhead]

For awhile I used the last free version of TotalUninstall.  But due to the "diff mechanism" used I found that to be too risky.  Esp. if some days elapsed between the install and the uninstall.

Now I feel safer just uninstalling with MyUninstaller and using CCleaner to remove any registry residue.  I do an ERUNT snapshot every day so I don't feel too queasy about using CCleaner.

Of course if it's something of a questionable install in the first place then I do a restore point prior to setup.

[Darwin]

Your Uninstaller is Pay First and a little expensive, so I want to ask if you ever use the other features it is offering (clean this & that)?

Hi Curt - not really. I don't use any such services anymore, to be honest. However, I have used the Start Menu cleaner and it worked really well. The other tools look good - I've looked at them but haven't "run" them.

[Curt]

... (clean this & that)?

... I don't use any such services anymore, ...

You've stopped installing This & That, so you don't need to clean This & That.
-Makes sense!