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Windows Forum / Windows Me / System Tools / December 2005Freeware uninstaller for existing programs NOT intended to be uninstalled
What is a truly freeware WinXP uninstaller for a stubborn applications? I have some programs that Windows XP just won't uninstall (they show up in the add/remove programs application but they don't have an uninstall button). Likewise, they show up in Nirsoft's myUninstaller, but, nothing happens when I right click to uninstall. They are stubborn. Of course, for these stubborn applications, I could just manually delete their "Program Files" and "Common Files" and "Application Data". And I could stop and disable their "services". But, this is NOT elegant (and is inviting further WinXP SP2 problems down the road due to the lack of concommitent registry cleanup). I diligently searched the newsgroups for freeware uninstallers but could only find 30-day trialware "free download" uninstallers (or worse yet, uninstallers which need to be run BEFORE the offending program is installed in the first place). Is there a truly freeware (not 30-day trialware) WinXP uninstaller that can run AFTER an application has been installed but which also removes those applications which don't have a REMOVE button in the Windows XP add remove programs application? > Is there a truly freeware (not 30-day trialware) WinXP uninstaller that can > run AFTER an application has been installed but which also removes those > applications which don't have a REMOVE button in the Windows XP add remove > programs application? Some programs which are recommended in these newsgroups but which FAILED the two-part test were the following: McAfee QuickClean Lite 2.00.1062.0 Archive Wizard (it's expireware) NirSoft MyUninstaller 1.33 (it didn't uninstall the program) Total Uninstall 3.5.1 (it's expireware) e^2 Install Watch 2.5 (it's expireware) Safarp (it works only before you install) Remove 4.0 (it's expireware) Cleansweep 4.0 (it's expireware) Advanced Uninstaller Pro 2006 7.5 (it's expireware) Add Remove Pro 2.08 (it works only before you install) Add Remove Plus 2004 (it's expireware) Jouni Vuoro Reg Cleaner (it's expireware) etc. Since I have some reluctant applications that won't remove themselves, I am forced to ask this question. Is there any 32-bit Windows XP software out there meeting these two tests? 1. It is truly freeware (not trialware) 2. It removes the program even after an application has been installed Thanks in advance for your help, Connie If RegCleaner was recommended in *this* newsgroup, a freeware version was. The last freeware version of jv16 Powertools - which includes RegCleaner - is: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLG%2CGGLG%3A2005-43%2CGGLG%3Aen&q=j v16+%221.3.0.195%22&btnG=Search Shane >> Is there a truly freeware (not 30-day trialware) WinXP uninstaller that >> can [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > Thanks in advance for your help, > Connie I use TweakAll from http://www.codeforge.co.uk/. Your request has always worked for me when needed. Frank > If RegCleaner was recommended in *this* newsgroup, a freeware version was. > The last freeware version of jv16 Powertools - which includes RegCleaner - [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] >> Thanks in advance for your help, >> Connie Is Ashampoo considered to be any good? I know it's shareware but I mention it because it is occasionally included free of charge on magazine cover CDs. I have not used it myself. > What is a truly freeware WinXP uninstaller for a stubborn applications? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > applications which don't have a REMOVE button in the Windows XP add remove > programs application? > I diligently searched the newsgroups for freeware uninstallers but > could only find 30-day trialware "free download" uninstallers (or > worse yet, uninstallers which need to be run BEFORE the offending > program is installed in the first place). A 3rd party uninstaller *has* to be run before installing an install. How else could it track changes made when a program is installed? __________________ > Is there a truly freeware (not 30-day trialware) WinXP uninstaller > that can run AFTER an application has been installed No. Freeware or not ________________ > but which also > removes those applications which don't have a REMOVE button in the > Windows XP add remove programs application? If there is no "remove button" there may be nothing to uninstall (other than dumping the program folder). The only way you can know for sure is to have monitored the "install" with a 3rd party app. Even if there *is* a "remove button" what is removed is determined by the uninstall program and that was written by whoever wrote the program you are trying to uninstall...the author determines what elements are dumped or kept. IOW, Windows has nothing to do with it other than run a program included with the program being uninstalled. I don't have XP but understand there is a way of setting system restore points. You could use that before each install but it would be world's easier and more efficient to use a 3rd party app such as TotalUninstall. There is an older, easily obtained free version of that, BTW, though the paid one is much nicer. Also BTW, you might want to cut down your cross posting. -- dadiOH ____________________________ dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico Incidentally, I have these kinds of problems, too, upon ugrading from ME to XP. Basically a certain percentage of existing software migrated to XP in a half-assed way, doesn't work, and cannot be uninstalled. I assume I can do pretty well by 1) deleting the program folder 2) cleaning the registry anything else that should be done? Is there a way to clean out its DLLs? > Incidentally, I have these kinds of problems, too, upon ugrading from > ME to XP. Basically a certain percentage of existing software [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > anything else that should be done? Is there a way to clean out its > DLLs? Leaving them won't hurt anything, just uses HD space. If you want to dump them you need a way of determining dependencies. Try DLLArchive... http://www.analogx.com/welcome.htm -- dadiOH ____________________________ dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico > A 3rd party uninstaller *has* to be run before installing an install. > How else could it track changes made when a program is installed? This is not true. For exmaple, the $30 "free download" McAfee Uninstaller 6.50.1018 does not need to even exist at the time the original programs were installed. This McAfee Uninstaller will build a system snapshot (taking about twenty minutes to complete) and then uninstall anything you point it to. You have to rebuild the system snapshot every time to add new software to your system if you don't use the McAfee Uninstaller to add the application. The caveat here is that the McAfee Uninstaller is 30-day trialware (don't let the words "free download" fool you) and hence it does not meet the second of the OP's requirements. You can pick up the 30-day McAfee Uninstaller trialware here: http://www.soft32.com/download_124366.html And, I suspect, at the Network Associates web site (I didn't check). Perhaps if you told us what the apps were someone here could give you more specific help. > What is a truly freeware WinXP uninstaller for a stubborn applications? > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > applications which don't have a REMOVE button in the Windows XP add remove > programs application? |
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