Software Uninstaller » removing software

Remove Software Completely With Perfect Uninstaller

paul — Fri, 28 May 2010 16:55:53 +0000

Remove Software Completely With Perfect Uninstaller

There are a lot of reasons these days to remove software from your computer. As it turns out, keeping your computer pared down and free of old files and applications is good practice. It can also save both time and money in the long run.

Removing Software Can Be Easy

Disk maintenance is something that everyone should do and few people actually manage to find time for. Realistically, software and other files accumulate on the computer for months or years. The hard drive fills up with useless files and software. Expired demo software quits working but never gets removed. Sensitive files that should have been removed or stored elsewhere don’t find their way to the proper storage solution and before you know it, you have a barely usable computer.

Perfect Uninstaller is a great PC maintenance tool. You can quickly pare down software you no longer need, and be sure that all remnants of the application are gone. Perfect Uninstaller goes to work instantly on targeted applications and removes the application files, support files and registry entries. When Perfect Uninstaller is done, there is no trace of the unwanted application or file.

Perfect Uninstaller works to remove software that the Add/Remove Programs tool can’t find or can’t remove. Perfect Uninstaller doesn’t rely on the same information that the Add/Remove Programs tool does, so you can rely on Perfect Uninstaller when the Add/Remove Programs tool fails to get the job done.

Many computer professionals use Perfect Uninstaller as their first choice in software and file removal. Perfect Uninstaller will work hard to remove every trace of the unwanted software. You won’t find any ghost errors that crop up because Perfect Uninstaller “forgot” about a program component.

Perfect Uninstaller also doesn’t make decisions about the programs you target for removal. If the program is targeted, Perfect Uninstaller will remove it. It’s just that simple.

One of the things I like best about Perfect Uninstaller is the fact that if Perfect Uninstaller doesn’t get the offending software on the first pass, the program includes a Force Uninstall option that simply doesn’t take no for an answer. Force Uninstall gets rid of the software you want gone without hesitation. I also like the fact that Perfect Uninstaller backs up the registry before it begins work, so you have a protected copy of the registry that you can revert to if needed.

I’ve included Perfect Uninstaller in my PC toolkit and recommend it!

Photo Credit: Ray Zhou, via Flickr

Removing Software That Keeps Coming Back

paul — Fri, 07 May 2010 07:00:01 +0000

Removing Software That Keeps Coming Back

Last fall, I purchased a Sandisk Cruzer 8GB flash drive to enable me to make a quick backup of files stored on my primary work computer. I do have a more rigorous backup plan for my primary workstation, but I also periodically travel, and I like to have access to my files. The Sandisk Cruzer was the right size and the right price, so I bought it. The drive came with U3 “Smart software” installed, along with a few other files when I first plugged it into my computer.

Removing Trial Software From A New Computer

If you’ve just purchased a new computer, you’ll probably note that it comes with a lot of applications pre-loaded onto your computer. You may or may not want these applications; in many cases, the demo version works for a limited period of time – perhaps 30 or even 90 days. Once the demo period is expired, the application may stop working, or worse, it may generate pop-up messages periodically telling you that your free usage period is finished. Acquiring this software was easy, since it came pre-loaded on the computer you purchased. Removing software may not be as easy, however.

Software Uninstallers Don’t Always Work

Getting rid of programs may be more difficult than it seems. Programs sometimes have a hidden file structure that will prevent you from removing software. These hidden file structures may make it seem as though the software re-installs itself every time you reboot. This can be exasperating because no matter what you do, the software just seems to re-appear again and again and again.

That’s why I use Perfect Uninstaller to remove unwanted software from a computer. Perfect Uninstaller installs easily and offers a simple software removal interface. If a file is on your computer, Perfect Uninstaller will show it in its control pane. You select the application you want removed and Perfect Uninstaller goes to work. It continues to work until your file is gone, gone, gone.

Perfect Uninstaller finds all of the files associated with an application, hidden or not. It also finds all of the registry entries, libraries and support files associated with the application. Everything is targeted for removal and everything goes. Perfect Uninstaller also backs up the registry before it starts making changes, so you can restore a previous version of the registry if something isn’t working right after you’ve removed a piece of software.

Perfect Uninstaller works hard to find and remove the unwanted software components on your computer, as well as the leftovers that can cause persistent error messages and other problems like crashes. With Perfect Uninstaller, you can keep your system clean. You can also be sure that your system will be free of the software you didn’t ask for, don’t use and don’t want.

For those special cases, (and there are a few), where Perfect Uninstaller doesn’t get everything on the first pass, there is a built-in option called Force Uninstall. Force Uninstall doesn’t take “No” for an answer, and works until ever trace of the unwanted software is gone.

Perfect Uninstaller is reliable, accurate, easy-to-use, fast and complete. Nothing is left to chance and nothing is left behind.

Photo Credit: Justin Cozart, via Flickr

Software Uninstallation Tool Is Worth Every Penny

paul — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Software Uninstallation Tool Is Worth Every Penny

Have you ever lived with a roommate who didn’t share your sense of “neatness?” Either the roommate would leave everything behind, seemingly oblivious to the fact that living neatly has its benefits, or you might be the offender, and be left feeling like you couldn’t keep up with your roommate’s sense of order no matter how hard you tried. In the world of software, most programs have a specific sense of “order” that’s been written into them by software designers who spend a lot of time thinking about how things should be, right down to the software uninstallation.

And Then There Are The Rest…
Then, there are the programs that don’t have that sense of order. These software programs don’t care about what libraries have gotten overwritten, what’s been entered into the registry, or what the impact of this mess is on the user. You can imagine, therefore, that the designers haven’t devoted much thought to what happens when you want to get rid of the software.

Consequently, you may be left with software that installed easily enough, but is impossible to get rid of. Some malicious software, like root kits, viruses and malware, don’t get the star treatment when it comes to program design, so they tend to leave a lot of damage in their wake. Getting rid of malware can be an exercise in frustration, and sometimes requires special removal tools.

Good anti-virus software will be able to remove most malware infections. A/V software tends to be pretty methodical about removing the pernicious programs and their associated files, but that doesn’t mean that every A/V program gets every piece of software every time. For really tough removal problems, you need a program that is designed to “seek and destroy” the software you don’t want.

I have often recommended Perfect Uninstaller for really tough cases, but as a professional technician, I find that the software that works as expected each time I use it earns a special place in my toolkit. When a software becomes so reliable at what it does, when you know …. really know that you’re going to get what you need from it…, it becomes an indispensable tool. Perfect Uninstaller has earned this designation with me. I can remove even the most stubborn programs – good and bad – from a computer with just a few simple clicks of the mouse.

Perfect Uninstaller makes everything available for removal and then removes it. There are no files that are hidden or grayed out on the user interface. If a file is on your computer, Perfect Uninstaller will allow you to remove it, and in my very busy professional life, having a highly reliable tool is worth every penny.

Photo Credit: Dawnzy58, via Flickr

Removing Software Isn’t Complicated Anymore!

paul — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 07:00:26 +0000

Removing Software Isn't Complicated Anymore!

Removing software doesn’t sound like a difficult PC maintenance task, and as a professional technician, I agree with the notion that it shouldn’t be difficult. A long time ago, when computers were more of a novelty, removing software was as simple as deleting it. Didn’t like what you had, just type a DEL and the file name, and the offender was as good as gone.

Modern OS Design Complicates Simple Things

Modern operating systems aren’t all that simple. In fact, they’re tirelessly complex. The introduction of the graphical user interface (you know, the pretty windows and the drag-and-drop functions) made computers seem simpler, but that level of “simplicity” is a lot harder to achieve.

To support that kind of approach, software designers had to rebuild the modern operating system, pretty much from the ground up. There are an awful lot of things that go on “behind the scenes” of an operating system and most users don’t appreciate the herculean effort that has been put forth to keep things “simple.”

One of the most complex additions to the modern operating system has been the registry. The registry is talked about as a single unit, but it’s made up of several files, and it turns out to be more like a database rather than a simple file. Information about the computer’s attachments, installed software, and configuration are stored in the registry. As the computer accumulates more software, more hardware and more normal use, the registry grows.

Updates to software may write new information into the registry and cancel out old information from the registry. In all of this activity, information stored in the registry may become corrupted. The corruptions may cause additional problems for the computer, and may make what seem like ordinary tasks exceeding difficult to pull off.

Installers are supposed to conform to certain standards, and for the most part, they do. Some installers, however, don’t behave the way they should, or the information they leave behind may be inaccurate, incomplete, or damaged. Installers are supposed to write a log of what they do, so that when it comes time to uninstall software, the uninstaller tool can figure out how to undo what was done.

Without the log, uninstallers have no hope of finding all of the program files and configuration changes, and are therefore likely to balk at removing an old piece of software.

For just this reason, I use Perfect Uninstaller. As a technician, my time is valuable, and I need as much of it as I can gather because there are just some problems that require my effort, but removing stubborn software isn’t usually among them. Perfect Uninstaller works reliably and predictably every time.

Photo Credit: Milan Boers, via Flickr

Simple Software Removal

paul — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:00:28 +0000

Simple Software Removal

Finding software for your computer is simple. With open source software, freeware and shareware, you can often find the software you need at the right price, too. Removing software isn’t always so easy. Some software gets left behind on your computer when the Add/Remove Programs tool doesn’t work completely or correctly. Sometimes software gets damaged and seemingly can’t be removed. Sometimes, software doesn’t want to be removed, and in still other cases, software (like viruses, spyware, adware and other malware) just makes a big mess.

Don’t Get Frustrated. Get Perfect Uninstaller

Saying goodbye to software isn’t always an easy proposition with Windows. Software components are written all over the computer, so getting rid of software isn’t as simple as throwing it in the Recycle Bin. You can do that, but that won’t get rid of the software, and just might earn you an unending stream of error messages from the computer, which will waste time looking for software you thought you got rid of.

The Add/Remove Programs tool doesn’t always catch stray software, either. Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to get rid of a software installation and finding out that the Add/Remove Programs tool doesn’t see the same things you see. How do you get rid of software that won’t go away?

When this happens to me, (and it happens more than I would like) I use Perfect Uninstaller. As a professional, I don’t have time to diagnose the reasons that the Add/Remove Programs tool isn’t working on a particular software package. There are also a whole set of program components that don’t want to be gotten rid of. Just as I don’t have time to find out why a certain program can’t be uninstalled, I don’t have time to argue with the computer about what software stays and what software goes.

When I use Perfect Uninstaller, I can be assured that the software I want removed will be removed. Instantly. Completely. Immediately. The software is easy to use. I simply open the application and choose the target software from the complete list that Perfect Uninstaller provides. I press a button and the software is removed, along with all of the components that were installed with it.

Perfect Uninstaller sees the programs that the Add/Remove Programs tool misses. It also removes them without question. In a few stubborn cases, the software won’t go. Perfect Uninstaller has a plan for those applications, too. Force Uninstall removes those stubborn programs completely. It keeps working until the application is completely removed. At the end of the day, that’s what I want, and I suspect it’s what you want, too.

Photo Credit: Christine K, via Flickr

Software Removal As A Part Of Standard Maintenance

paul — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:00:04 +0000

Software Removal As A Part Of Standard Maintenance

PC software removal isn’t often though of as a maintenance task, but today, it really is. As personal computers have evolved, they’ve gotten less expensive and easier to use. They’ve achieved this status by becoming more (not less) complicated. More people use computers regularly, but the computer actually has to perform many more hidden tasks – tasks users don’t see- in order to keep up the illusion of “ease-of-use.”

Software Management Can Be A Hidden Task

Take the Add/Remove Programs tool for example. If you want to get rid of a piece of software, why not just drag it to the Recycle Bin and be done with it? That’s one approach to getting rid of program files, and it will break the program but it won’t get rid of the program.

Programs aren’t self-contained in the application file anymore. There are registry entries that need to be removed, libraries that may (or may not) require removal, support files that help the program operate and other files (like icons) that don’t reside in the application itself. These files are distributed around the computer when the application is installed. Truly getting rid of the program means getting rid of everything that goes along with the program.

The user may still wonder. “Well, so what? If I get rid of most of the application, I’ve gotten rid of the program, right?” Not exactly. Registry entries that belong to the program may cause the computer to slow down or stall. You may find irritating error messages indicating that there’s a problem with the now-recycled program. If the program were set to start up automatically, the computer may complain each time you boot that the program or some of its files can’t be found.

Removing an application requires a tool that can help you remove all of the files associated with it. It also may require some registry editing to silence the error messages or time-outs that may occur if the computer continues to wait for the non-existent program to respond.

For software removal, I always recommend Perfect Uninstaller. Perfect Uninstaller does what Microsoft’s Add/Remove Programs tool doesn’t or can’t. Perfect Uninstaller doesn’t care what condition the application or file is in. Perfect Uninstaller can remove everything it sees, and it sees everything. For those stubborn cases where removal isn’t a first option, Perfect Uninstaller provides Force Uninstall, which doesn’t give up until the offending file is gone.

Perfect Uninstaller is part of my maintenance toolkit and I recommend it to everyone.

Photo Credit: Maurizio Agelli, via Flickr