Third-party Uninstallers?

I've been reading a little about some third-party uninstallers and am fairly interested in being able to uninstall certain applications without having all of the bits and pieces they leave behind after their provided uninstallers uninstall them. I find that most programs leave at least some traces of having been installed however small and benign those traces may be. What I don't know however is how trustworthy any third-party uninstallers are. I don't want to go download the first one I find and wind up messing something up. I also don't know how they compare with one another. And so I come to the question: Does anyone have any experience with any third-party uninstallers, and if so, what would be your recommendations. Also, Free would obviously be ideal in any application.

Hello Toyotomi,

If you have taken the correct path and uninstalled through Add and Remove you should not have problems. After you do uninstall it is good to run a Cleanup utility such as Cleanup 4.5.2 or CCleaner.

If you still are having problems with uninstalling there are a couple of software programs that I use. They are fine if used carefully in my opinion.

They are Windows install Cleanup and unlocker. However it is better to go with Add and Remove and use the links given and of course reboot after you have used any Cleanup Utility.

All the above recommended links are free

Please post back if you need more assistance.

kind regards,

I tried using both Cleanup! and CCleaner. Neither of them managed to completely remove whatever files (I haven't been able to find out where/what they are otherwise I'd delete them manually). The main way I'm testing if they can completely remove is by uninstalling and reinstalling a piece of software that has a trial period of an upgraded version. Now if it were completely removing all files then when reinstalled it would not know that a previous installation had been present and that it's trial had run out. (Yes this methodology may be a little unscrupulous but it tells me what I want to know.) I know that the particular piece of software can be completely uninstalled to achieve the effect mentioned above, so I know I'm not just chasing shadows. I have read in particular that the program "Your Uninstaller" can get the job done, but it has no free version and is thus of no interest to me. However I'd find it hard to believe if that is the ONLY program capable of completely uninstalling this program and all related files. Any more suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (I also wanted to note that I'm not just trying to get unlimited trial periods, but am only using that as a benchmark since I'm quite satisfied with the basic version anyway.)

toyyotomi, If you do not know the name of the program you are attempting to uninstall I am sorry I cannot help you further. Google is your best friend so I suggest if you need to know the answer to a specific question it is best to go there for the help you need in this case. kind regards,

Hi, toyotomi Your" test" for an un-installer application is a very stringent one! Most programmers when writing an uninstall routine are happy for the basic, but effective job to be done, and are not looking, nor would feel it desirable or a cost efficient use of their time to aim for for a forensically 100% faultless and pure reversal of every system change, file addition or whatever. In addition some shared files may be left behind deliberately for safety reasons, as their removal might compromise other applications. Uninstallers will frequently leave behind a folder/directory in C:\Windows Program Files, sometimes empty of files, and after a successful uninstall of the application, the folder can be renamed prior to its eventual removal after a sufficiently long period of time has elapsed to ensure that all is well. Often there will be entries in the Registry that are just not worth searching for and removing as the remnants often cause no problems and can safely be left alone. Some uninstallers when installed onto a machine BEFORE an application is installed keep an internal log of all changes made when a new application is installed and try (with varying degrees of success) to reverse this process when the application is uninstalled. To achieve a faultless uninstall is possible, but would be considered "overkill" and would be very costly and the market for such a technique is therefore very very limited. Most modern consumer operating systems and applications are a compromise between many conflicting demands, and are generally designed to work well under most, commonly encountered circumstances , and tested to ensure that by and large, they provide value for money, and perform to their design brief. Updating facilities are also often provided to deal with unforseen problems and or new developments. However it would be a rash developer who declares that his product is faultless, perfect in every way and incapable of improvement! Hope this helps set the scene. Regards paws

Hi toyotomi,

Paws has precisely described the exact function that you are hoping for:

Some uninstallers when installed onto a machine BEFORE an application is installed keep an internal log of all changes made when a new application is installed

If you are a serious "dabbler" who does frequently install and uninstall various applications, you may benefit from using:
http://www2.ashampoo.com/webcache/html/1/p…ct_2_0103__.htm

Note: Ashampoo Uninstaller is a "tried and true" uninstaller utility from a reputable source.
——–It is not, however, for the casual use by the newbie, or faint-of-heart average user.
——–It is a serious, no nonsense, pull-it-out-by-the-roots uninstaller, which has other even more aggressive applications too.

Disclaimer: I do not recommend Ashampoo Uninstaller for the average computer user, and do not endorse the product.
Further……..If you've already installed an application and you are only now, after the fact, trying to uninstall it, Ashampoo Uninstaller will do you no good at all. (read the fine print in the product description)

So what can the "average" computer user do?

Well………. How about Window System Restore?
Before installing "any" new software, it is a very good practice to Set a Restore Point. (presuming XP or Visit OS)
Reverting to the previous Restore Point, does a pretty darn good job of returning your machine to the state before the application was installed.

Note: I do recommend System Restore for the "average" computer user to use in this type of situation.

toyotomi Did I mention that Ashampoo Uninstaller is (free)?

If you do not know the name of the program you are attempting to uninstall I am sorry I cannot help you further.

The program I was using to test uninstalls was actually AVG Anti-Spyware. I chose it because of the trial period of the pro edition.


Paws and Doug, thank you for the additional information. I'll give Ashampoo UnInstaller a shot.

One of the reasons I've been wanting to find a thorough uninstaller is that sometimes (though rarely) conflicts can arise when upgrading some software to more recent versions due to some hard-to-find files left behind from the uninstall before the upgrade (installation of the new version). It's something I've only really run into a couple of times but annoying enough for me to want to find a better way… that and just plain curiosity and a penchant for thoroughness.

want to find a better way… that and just plain curiosity and a penchant for thoroughness.

Excellent characteristics for Learning.

Interesting that your target application was AVG.

I've been investigating problems with AVG install/uninstall, myself.
The "problem" sometimes comes up as a matter of "permissions" and "file ownership" at the System and Administrator command level in the Registry.

I've tracked down a "fix" and am testing it on a machine here locally before posting.

Tallin brought the problem thread to my attention a few days ago.
It might even have been your own post. I don't remember and will have to look it up again.
But I'll post a link here for you when I finalize a recommendation to be posted.

Best Regards