Best Free Program Uninstaller | Gizmo's Freeware. В The Windows Add/Remove Programs applet in the control panel constantly annoys more advanced users with its limitations. Its load time and lack of features are parts of the problems to say the least. Thankfully, many freeware programs have emerged that allow for full deletion of programs, including those files, folders, shortcuts and registry entries that are left behind. Here is a list of my favorites, divided into two sub classes: application uninstallers and Windows uninstaller replacements. From CrystalIdea Software: Uninstall Tool will never let your PC get overwhelmed with unused programs and their leftover traces. It keeps your PC clean by doing a smart and effective search of leftover items thought out your File System and Windows Registry. В В В Go straight to the Quick Selection Guide. В The top pick for me is Revo Uninstaller, an uninstaller that works more uniquely than others. It can uninstall a program without the need to monitor its installation. It works by scanning a hard drive and registry for files that would otherwise be left behind. It removes all the program's files, auto start entries and all noticeable registry entries. When you ask Revo to uninstall a program, it first looks for the products uninstall program and will run that program if it is found. Windows has its own built-in program uninstaller, but it doesn't always to the best job. Revo Uninstaller removes every trace of a program with just a few clicks of your mouse, and its ease of use makes it the best uninstaller around. Uninstall and remove programs in Windows with Revo Uninstaller Pro easily!
Only if the search fails will it try to remove files and registry entries itself. However, it's possible that a few registry entries and files can sometimes be left over after the process is finished. I ran some tests by getting Revo to uninstall a product whose installation I had monitored using ZSoft Uninstaller (discussed below) to see that all files are accounted for during the uninstallation. Revo did a fine job, though not quite as. В well as an able user would do manually. There were still some files remaining, notably files stored in the user/local settings folder, but they did no harm other than taking up disk space, and they certainly would not interfere with the normal operation of the PC. Revo can also act as a before and after uninstaller, but frankly this is not its forte. The freeware utility ZSoft Uninstaller is a better choice for this. That said, I was very impressed by Revo. It is the only freeware product I know of that will make a decent job of cleaning up a failed install. Next time you encounter a failed install, remember Revo. It does a fine job in most circumstances and offers a lifeline to average users, even though it's not perfect in its un- installation. В Like Revo, Geek. Uninstaller works without needing to be installed before a program to monitor it, which for the average user is what they are looking for as many users will only reach for an uninstaller with extra features to the Windows built in add/ remove option when they have a stubborn/ broken program they are already having trouble removing. Geek. Uninstaller is very lightweight as it doesn't install another program on your system it downloads as a zip file, just extract the files, once extracted just run the EXE, but it's not light on features. Like the Windows built in add/ remove option Geek. Uninstaller has a basic remove / modify option and for them stubborn programs it has force removal feature Revo free does not have this option. В. If you have a lot of programs installed there is a search bar built in to Geek. Uninstaller to search through your installed programs for the one you want to un- install. В. The features that really impressed me is the ability to select a program and view the registry entry for it. The user can also select a program and and access it's homepage directly from Geek. Uninstaller. In case you are unsure of a program name that's listed as installed on your system you can select the query program and do a Google search directly from Geek. Uninstaller. If you need a list of all your installed programs Geek. Uninstaller can export a list of them all with details of the program name, size and date installed to a HTML file saved on your PC. When uninstalling using Geek. Uninstaller Geek runs the programs you wish to uninstall built- in uninstaller ( unless you choose force removal option ) В and then Geek scans for leftover files and registry items so the user can get more of a cleaner uninstall than just using the Windows built- in option. In my experience of testing both Revo and Geek Revo seemed to scan and find more registry items but that was when I was scanning using the moderate and advanced mode in Revo rather than the safe- mode which is the mode recommended to the average user and the mode I usually use, as we all know deleting registry items willy nilly is not a good idea. When using Revo safe- mode Revo and Geek preformed about the same in finding and deleting leftovers, Geek only has one scan mode. Although Revo will work on a 6. В 6. 4bit, whereas Geek. Uninstaller supports and works on both 3. Windows system Geek. Uninstaller runs as a native 6. One last point to mention Geek. Uninstaller doesn't automatically create a system restore point before uninstalling a program so it may be ideal for the user to remember to do that themselves when they intend to uninstall a program. See here on how to create a system restore point. В A further viable selection is ZSoft Uninstaller. Like many programs in this class, you need to tell ZSoft Uninstaller to monitor an installation before you do the install otherwise the uninstaller doesn't know what has changed. ZSoft Uninstaller does this by taking a file and registry snapshot both before and after the install and then does a comparison to find what's changed. Another choice is Total Uninstall, which has turned into a commercial product but the last free version is still available from some download sites. It is quite capable but a little slow compared to ZSoft. The before and after approach used by these products is not foolproof as other files may change in your system during the install which are unrelated to the installation. If you then uninstall, these changes will also be reversed with possible harmful consequences. It's not likely but possible. That's why I recommend using this kind of uninstaller only when the uninstaller provided with the program fails. There's no point risking problems when you don't have to. My. Uninstaller is a more capable product than the Windows version. It gives you much more information about each installed program including product name, company, version, uninstall string, installation folder and Windows Registry details. It also allows you to delete orphaned and obsolete entries from the list, as well as the ability to save a list of all installed applications into a text or html file. My favorite feature is the ability to sort programs by the date installed which is great for quickly uninstalling programs you are just trying out. As no installation is required, it can be run from a CD or USB drive which makes it an excellent addition to your diagnostic toolkit. An alternative that offers similar functionality is Safarp. Its great strength is its speed - it loads in a flash. Safarp can be run as a standalone program or installed and integrated into the Control Panel. Of course, none of these programs can remove leftover registry entries, DLLs and files that belong to defunct programs. To do this you need an application uninstaller, i. В You might want to check out these articles too. В Revo Uninstaller. В Gizmo's Freeware award as the best product in its class! Runs as a stand- alone program on a user's computer. Removes leftovers without needing to monitor before an installation, only product that is good at cleaning failed install, small footprint. Can remove other unrelated files with disastrous consequences, can be slow in scanning. MBFree for private use only. A portable version of this product is available from the developer. Geek. Uninstaller. В Runs as a stand- alone program on a user's computer. Very lightweight, 6. Does not list the program developer name under the list of 'installed programs'. MB3. 2 and 6. 4 bit versions available. Unrestricted freeware. This product is portable. ZSoft Uninstaller В Runs as a stand- alone program on a user's computer. Monitors before and after installation to remove files and registry entries. Need to tell the program to monitor an installation before you do the install. MB3. 2 bit only. Unrestricted freeware. A portable version of this product is available from the developer. Will run on a 6. 4 bit system and uninstall 3. My. Uninstaller В Runs as a stand- alone program on a user's computer. Provides detailed information, delete orphaned and obsolete entries, save a list of all installed applications into a text or html file. No installation is required. Not as fully featured as other application uninstallers. KBUnrestricted freeware. A portable version of this product is available from the developer. Safarp В Runs as a stand- alone program on a user's computer. Loads in a flash, can be run as a standalone program or installed and integrated into the Control Panel. Not as fully featured as other application uninstallers. KBUnrestricted freeware. There is no portable version of this product available. В. В This software review is copy- edited by Glyn Burgess. Please help edit and improve this article by clicking here. В Windows uninstaller replacement, application uninstaller, program uninstaller, install and uninstall programs. Back to the top of the article.
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