This article presents three handy free programs designed to remove installed applications from your system: Appremover, PC Decrapifier, and Revo Uninstraller. All three are portable (or, in the case of Revo, have a portable version available).

1- Appremover: uninstalls security applications

Have you ever uninstalled a security application only to discover that related files/folders/registry entries still remain on your computer? For some reason (I cannot put my finger on) this is actually not uncommon when uninstalling various antivirus and security apps. I remember uninstalling Norton AV many (many) years ago only to find traces of it all over my PC; at the time I used a free “Remove Norton” type app that did the job of really removing it completely. Appremover is similar, except it is not simply Norton specific and uninstalls a wide range of security programs.

2- PC Decrapifier: uninstalls many pre-installed trialware/shareware/crapware programs that come pre-installed on PC – in batch.

This one came out a couple of years ago and has become an indispensable part of my repertoire of tools whenever I work on a brand new computer (or, occasionally, when I work on Friends’ computers). PC Decrapifier supports a database of trialware programs and/or programs that come pre-installed on many brand name PCs. This database is constantly being updated, so always update or get the latest version of this program from its website when you need to use it.

One thing to note, however, is that there may be some programs on the list that you *may* not want to uninstall, so make sure that you browse the list of apps it found on your computer and uncheck anything you would like to keep before you run. Be especially careful if you’ve bought a license for a program whose trial version typically comes installed on new PCs (e.g. Adobe Reader,

PC Decrapifier is free for personal use, for commercial use you need to purchase a license. Paid version includes

3- Revo Uninstaller: to say that this one is a replacement for Microsoft’s inbuilt Add/Remove is an understatement; it’s Add/Remove’s distant cousin who discovered a cure for cancer and now spends his time securing medical supplies to needy kids in the third world (when he’s not writing a freeware blog, that is ).

What do you do if a program does not have an installer in Add/Remove? Look for an installer in it’s “Start Menu” entries first thing, then look in the program folder for an executable that looks like an uninstaller (something like uninstall.exe or unwise.exe). If you don’t find one then point Revo to the app (in hunter mode) and select uninstall; it will remove the program and all associated files from the hard drive and will most likely clean all traces of it in the registry (I’ve done this on occasion with good results). Note: Revo will also uninstall .NET Framework, Java.

Revo’s attraction is its combination of form and function; where form is concerned, the program looks pretty and will let you filter your list by typing something in, will let you sort by the date column (or any other column) in detail view, and will display your list of installed programs as icons, which looks really good.

But the function part is even better; Revo will look for and clean all traces of the program on the hard drive and in the registry. It offers 3 uninstall modes (safe, moderate, and advanced), whereby the user can set the level of aggressiveness that Revo will use when looking for traces. I always use “Moderate” scan, and can report that in over a year of usage it has always performed admirably; consistently finding and cleaning up leftover files and registry items and never removing any entries it shouldn’t have or otherwise causing any problems. I will recommend, however, that you always take a look at the list of registry entries slated for deletion, especially if uninstalling an app that has a very similar name to another app on your machine (e.g. app 1 is named “file split and merge”, whilst app 2 is named “split and merge files” or “Bob’s file split and merge”).

Links to program pages:

• Appremover (approx 2.56 megs)
• PC Decrapifier (approx. 1.6 megs)
• Revo Uninstaller (approx 1 meg).

I started looking for a program like this one after a recent posting of a program that downloads streaming media and which was billed as “portable edition” on it’s home page (”installation: none”). As such I assumed that it was precisely that – portable – and that therefore like any truly portable program it did not write to the registry – which didn’t turn out to be the case. What did turn out to be the case was that (a) it did indeed write to the registry, but, more problematic, (b) it installed two drives on my machine without notification and (c) it did not provide an uninstaller that removed these.

Hence I started looking for a tool that I could use to detect and/or reverse this sort of thing in the future, and Tiny Watcher is what I found. Here are more notes on this program:

• How it works: Tiny Watcher will create a “snapshot” of your system the first time it is run and from that point it can perform comparisons with that snapshot every time that you restart your computer or whenever it is run. It does not run in the background at all times consuming resources. Although it will not intervene or block anything being modified or taking place on your system it can tell you about these changes after the fact and give you the option to remove them. Note, however, that you as the user will need to recognize/identify problematic changes and remove them; Tiny Watcher will not provide information on changes or a magical “Fix It” option.
• What it monitors: to quote the their website “running process (including at logon time), startup registry keys, services registry keys, other sensitive registry keys, sensitive directories (c:’, Windows directory, “system32″ directory, etc), other sensitive files, scheduled tasks”. It will tell you which application performed the change or created the file, which is very useful.
• Deep vs. Quick scan: once you are ready to look for any changes from your snapshot, Tiny Watcher offers two modes for scanning your system. I would probably go for doing a deep scan every time as the difference in terms of the time needed for both scans is not a lot and both are relatively fast anyway. Note that if Tiny Watcher does not detect any new items the program will not display a dialog or console at the end of the scanning process (a message of “no entries found” or something like that would have been a good idea).
• User interventions/decisions: when run Tiny Watcher will compare the current state of your system with the stored snapshot and present a list of differences. For each item on the list the user can perform one of the following actions: (a) confirm (i.e. the action is OK, remove it from the list), (b) remove (self-explanatory), (c) disable (this option will be available if appropriate, as in the case of enabled drivers or running processes), and (d) volatile, which is to tell Tiny Watcher to consider the item in question to be something akin to a working or temp file or registry entry and to allow and ignore it the next time around. Note: you may get a combination of these or all of them depending on their relevancy to the items found.
• Other actions: the program provides a 1-click button to search Google for any item found, as well as the option to open the folder for the selected item in explorer, open the selected registry entry in regedit, and open the MS services management console.
• Configurable: you can edit the list of directories and registry keys to be monitored and decide on filetypes to be scanned and which filetypes to ignore. You can also specify which directories you would like the program to look into if you so desire.
• Undoing changes done with Tiny Watcher: this is possible to some extent, as Tiny Watcher will rename the registry items that it removes rather than delete them altogether. You will need to manually go to the registry and rename them back, though, so you need to know what you’re doing (more info on this available on the Tiny Watcher site).

Wish list (or how this program can be even better):

• Exporting interventions to BAT files: for later use. This would be a way to create uninstallers for apps that do not have them that can be used at a later time or shared with other users.
• Undo function: it would be really cool if Tiny Watcher kept a list of all user interventions (and the date that they took place) and allowed you to undo (re-instate) these from a dialog or interface without needing to manually do this in the registry as previously noted.

The verdict: Tiny Watcher can be best utilized obviously when you would like to conduct a reversible test of what a program or installer does to your system. The best situation is when you are suspicious in advance, whereby you can run Tiny Watcher, view and/or resolve any entries that are there, run the suspicious program and then go back to Tiny Watcher to see what the new program did to your system, if anything. If on the other hand you have cause for suspicion in hindsight that something is not right with your system (and if Tiny Watcher is already installed) you can still run this program and get a listing of all changes to your system; however in this case you will have to do a lot more investigative work figuring out what these changes are and who is responsible for them and whether or not they are malicious or unwanted. More work, but at least you have recourse.

I like this program quite a bit. I think the model that it uses (of taking a snapshot and comparing it to subsequent states) is a very good one not just in that it preludes the need to be monitoring in the background at all times, but also because it precludes the need to tell the monitoring app which apps/processes to monitor (as is the case for example with NirSoft’s RegFromApp). Tiny Watcher also has the edge in that it not just monitors changes to the registry but also any driver installations or creation of files in the system folder. Overall I highly recommend it.

Version Tested: 1.5

Compatibility: WinAll: 95/98/ME, 2000, NT, XP, Vista.

Go to the program page to download the latest version (approx 541K).

Rating

Version tested: 1.7.0.7502

Returnil creates a virtual system on your machine that completely mirrors your actual setup. It is designed to take the risk out of exposing your machine to all manner of software, websites, downloads, or anything else that might have adverse effects on your machine or infect it with malware. Once restarted, your system will revert back to its original state and all changes to your primary partition will disappear. It’s free for home users.

Don’t let this whole “virtualization” business put you off; aside from having a name that sounds like a pharmaceutical, Returnil is a very simple software to use that works really well. You can think of it as a system-wide “undo” function; once you turn it on, you can do whatever you want with your system; all changes to your primary partition will be temporary and will disappear when you restart the computer.

Here’s how to use this software:

1. Install Returnil: a very simple process. The only decision that is out of the ordinary is the option to create a virtual partition (the program will not need this partition, but you might; see point #4 below). During installation you can also set a master password to restrict access to the program.
2. Turn Returnil’s protection on, when you need to; no actual changes will occur on your primary partition once this happens; from this point onward everything occurs on a “virtual” copy of your system.
3. Do what you need to do: e.g. surf those dodgy internet sites, or install that piece of software that you want to test, or open the files you need to open, etc.
4. Save your data: you will have to save any files you are working with someplace other than the primary partition (e.g. a secondary partition, a thumbdrive, or upload your files on the internet, etc.) Or let Returnil create a virtual partition for you; its purpose is precisely to provide a place for you to save your data when protection mode is turned on, and you can set any size you want for it that you have space for on your hard drive. Any files/data saved on the primary partition will eventually be lost.
5. Restart the system: this is the only way ro turn Returnil’s protection off. Once this happens, any changes that happened when system protection was on will be gone; your system will look exactly the way it looked before you started.

Returnil works by cloning your system settings in memory and implementing any changes virtually into that cloned entity. By working within memory it purports to offer better speed and reliability than other virtualization solution. If you are wondering, as I did, how Returnil can handle, say, an 80 gig primary partition within 128 or 512 megs of RAM, the answer to that question as stated in the FAQ section of their website is something to the effect that since the actual 80 gigs will remain unchanged, there is in fact no reason whatsoever to hold this entire disk image in memory. My understanding of this is that, in fact, all the program needs from your actual system is a bunch of settings that it uses to replicate your it within a constructed virtual environment.

More notes on this program:

• Making changes permanent: you cannot make changes made while in protection mode permanent even if you want to (unlike, say, Sandboxie). The only way to do this would be to re-do the changes normally with system protection off.
• Testing software: while Returnil works extremely well for temporarily installing and testing programs within the virtual environment, programs that require a restart to install cannot be tested with Returnil as the restart switches off the virtual layer.
• Deleting data: any deleted data or programs uninstalled while protection is on will actually be preserved and will re-appear when system protection is turned off and your machine is restarted.
• The user interface: Returnil can be accessed through a system tray icon or a floating toolbar (see screenshot). You can use these to (a) turn system protection on, (b) mount/dismount the virtual drive, or (c) schedule system protection so it automatically turns on at specific times. You can also set a hotkey by which to activate system protection.

The verdict: as virtualization solutions go (see Altiris SVS and Sandboxie), Returnil is the simplest, most user friendly and intuitively comprehensible. As a user there are really only two things that you can do with this program; (a) turn system protection on, and (b) turn it off via a system restart. This not only makes Returnil extremely easy to use, but also contributes towards limiting any so-called ’leaking’ that sometimes occurs with virtualization programs where data meant for the virtual layer ’leaks’ into the actual system.

This one is my favorite amongst all the free virtualization solutions mentioned above that I have come across so far. I highly recommend it. [Thanks go to reader Brockman for tipping me off about this program].

Compatibility: Windows XP, 2003, VISTA 32 bit.

Go to the program page to get the latest version (approx 1.7 megs).

Imagine that an application you are working with (let’s say its called “XYZ PDF Creator”) froze or stopped responding, leaving an open window on your desktop that refuses to be closed. Imagine further that you next pressed CTRL-ALT-DELETE and found that the task manager for some reason took a long time to open. When it finally did open you discover that the program you want to close is a process and not an application. After a few minutes of searching you are able to identify the offending process, but it took a bit of time because for some reason it is named “pdfcr” with no mention of XYZ in the name. Finally, you are able to end the process.

Sounds familiar? I experienced something similar to this recently where it was very difficult for me to locate the correct process to end from the list of processes. That’s when I remembered Revo Uninstaller’s hunter mode, which makes killing visible windows easy. Here’s how it works:

Step 1:
launch Revo Uninstaller and click on Hunter Mode

Step 2:
Find the Hunter Mode floating icon on your desktop and drag it onto the window you would like to terminate.

Step 3:
Select “Kill Process” from the context menu.

Boom! That’s it. No need to go hunting processes down in the task manager.

Rating: 5

Version tested: 1.30

Although I very seldom am accused of under-rating a program, my review of version 1.10 does not do justice to subsequent releases of this program. The most important difference in this newer version 1.30 is the impressive post-uninstall scans and removal of leftover files, folders and registry entries.

This program is not just an uninstaller but a collection of the utilities/functions outlined in the description packaged a nice glitzy interface. Here are some notes on the different parts of this program:

The Uninstaller:

• Uninstallation: Revo runs the uninstall executables provided with the programs but performs pre and post-uninstallation scans to identify residual files/folders and registry entries. It presents a list of these and prompts the user to manually check elements that the user wants to delete. In more than 90% of cases you will want to delete everything that it finds, however I would recommend that you always look at these just in case and err on the side of caution. For example, when uninstalling the DivX player, Revo identified a handful of files and registry entries that were not related to the player but to the DivX codec itself. What’s really cool is that Revo provides a lot of info on the elements it finds that makes deciding on whether to delete them or not a fairly simple undertaking.
• Search box: want to quickly find and uninstall a program? Just enter its name (or a few letters of its name) into the search box.
• “Hunter Mode”: is a little drop area that hovers over your desktop. You can drag and drop any shortcut to the Hunter Mode icon and immediately perform a number of functions, including uninstalling the program, stopping it from starting with Windows, kill its process, view its properties, or (my favorite) jump to its’ installation folder. Hunter Mode does not provide uninstallation functionality to programs without uninstallers.
• Views: Can show all the Windows add/remove program entries in icon, list, and details views. The icon view looks cool while the details view provides columns with miscellaneous information such as size, version, installation date, and others. You can sort these in order to identify the latest installs or a ranking of the largest programs that you might want to consider uninstalling (although not all programs have this info populated). You can exclude system updates and/or system components from being shown.
• Context menu functions: right click on any program entry inside the Revo interface and a context menu appears with a number of options (see screenshot). These include uninstalling entry, removal of entry from the list (useful when a program is uninstalled but its add/remove entry persists), opening the program’s installation directory on your hard disk, and opening the Windows registry editor right at the program’s registry entry. Other ’informational’ options include searching Google for the program’s or developer’s names, and opening program-related informational links on the internet.

The Autorun Manager: what I like about this one is that, like Starter (my favorite startup manager) it allows you to uncheck/disable startup entries to and will preserve them to allow re-check them later (as opposed to startup managers that force you to hunt all over your hard drive to re-instate something). Right click on an entry to access a number of options such as copying the folder path, deleting an entry, opening containing folder, killing or running the process, and a number of quick relevant informational internet searches.

Windows Tools: Revo has a section that contains a number of Windows functions such as system restore, system diagnostic, defrag, security center, and others.

Disk Cleaning functions: similar to programs such as CCleaner; here’s a summary of these:

• Junk files cleaner: unfortunately this function did not work on the version I tested. In theory it will find and delete temp and junk files of various kinds.
• Browser cleaner: cleans history of visited sites, address bar history, temporary internet files, cookies, and index.dat files. Supports IE, Firefox, Opera, and Netscape.
• MS Office cleaner: cleans recent documents history for all MS Office applications.
• Windows cleaner: cleans recent documents history for a number of Windows programs/elements, such as find file history, clipboard, MS paint, recycle bin, and others.
• Evidence remover: use this to make sure to remove any traces of deleted files from your hard drives and ensure that all deleted files are unrecoverable.
• Unrecoverable delete: unrecoverable file and/or folder delete similar to ’evidence remover’ above. Can do batch processing.

My Wish list (or how this program can be even better): The abiliry to run all or some of the above hard drive cleaning functions collectively (instead of having to run each separately as is the case at the moment).

The verdict: this program has a very nice look and feel (I especially like the context menu commands). It can make a significant difference in delivering a cleaner system, especially of you install and uninstall a lot of software. Because it contains so many utilities rolled into one, the question is whether you prefer to have all of the different functions that this program provides in a centralized location or you prefer using individual programs for each function. It is well designed and overall feels very solid. Definitely my favorite freeware uninstaller utility.

Compatibility: Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista.

Go to the download page to get the latest version (approx 1.2 megs). Also visit the program home page.

Rating

Version tested: 2.4

Drivermax is a program that can backup and re-install your system’s drivers. It can also generate a report that lists all installed drivers and includes information such as version numbers and dates.

Whenever you need to re-install your operating system, getting all of your device drivers re-installed is potentially one of the most difficult and problematic steps. With Drivermax you can easily backup all or your system’s driver then simply use it to collectively reinstall these whenever you need to do so.

Programs in this category, in my experience, tend to either be (a) small, 1-click programs that will backup all of your drivers and place them in a default directory, or (b) programs that are larger but offer more options, including backing up specific categories of drivers, restoring drivers, and providing an information resource on installed drivers. Drivermax belongs to the latter category; here are some notes on this program:

• The user interface is entirely wizard based; any chosen task is conveniently broken down into 2 or 3 simple screens.
• You can export all drivers, drivers that belong to a certain category, or any specific selected drivers. Export to folder or to compressed zipped folder.
• Exporting is very fast compared to another program I’ve tried recently (and yes they both produced the same 35 megs worth of drivers).
• Importing and installing drivers can take as little as 5 mins and requires only a single reboot.
• Generates a comprehensive report on installed drivers that you can use to compare existing driver versions with the latest drivers that may be out there.
• Vista compatible.
• This program is registerware. You have to supply a valid email address within 30 days to get the free registration code. I advise you to use a disposable email address from Spamgourmet or mailexpire.

This is a nice program that does a great job and provides a very nice user experience.

Compatibility: Windows XP, Vista.

Go to the program page to get the latest version (approx 1.86 megs).

Version tested: 2.85.4

Sandboxie is a program that can create a ’Sandboxed’ environment on your PC within-which you can install and/or run programs or browse the net. Any data writing operations that the Sandboxed applications perform can then be rolled back and/or eliminated. The net effect of this is to create a kind of undo mechanism that can be used to test out programs without damaging the system or surf the web without risk of infecting the system with any kind of malware.

The Sandbox defined: a Sandbox is a virtual environment that captures all disk-writing operations. For example, if you run your browser through Sandboxie and surf the net, all of the cookies, cached files, and downloaded files (including any malware that may sneak in), or even any entries written to the registry will actually be made within the Sandbox. Note that these files will also appear in your file system as well (for example, if you download a zip file to the desktop during a Sandboxed browser session it will appear on the desktop where you normally would expect it). However, in fact this zip file is only there virtually, and once you shut Sandboxie down (or empty the contents of the Sandbox) the file will no longer show on the desktop.

Note that Sandboxie allows for multiple sandboxes with different names for each. It also allows you to decide to make any contents of a sandbox ’permanent’ (e.g. in the case that you install a program while in the Sandbox and then decide you would like to make it permanent).

The Sandboxie User Interface: after installing Sandboxie, it creates a “run sandboxed” entry in the Windows context menu and an icon in the system tray from-which it can be accessed. You can then right-click on any application shortcut and choose to run it within the Sandbox environment straight from the context menu, or use the system tray icon which provides a menu with multitude of different options, and which can be used to launch the main program dialog.

Sandboxie has a functional but rather uninspired UI. It is the one aspect of the program where I thought “this can be so much better”. A more dynamic main page could have made this program (which really is simple and straightforward) that much less intimidating-looking to average users.

Potential uses for Sandboxie:

• Browsing the internet in a Sandboxed environment: this allows you to get rid of any spyware/malware that you may be exposed to, simply by deleting the sandbox contents after your browsing session.
• Testing programs/applications: you can install and use a program in the Sandbox; once you exit Sandboxie or switch to a different Sanbox the program and all its activity will disappear from your system. Unless you delete the Sandbox and/or its contents, you can always go back and run the program from the Sandbox. (In this way it is very similar to Altiris SVS; in fact, the ’virtualization’ principle underlying both is essentially the same).
• It may be possible to use Sandboxie as a means to deploy portable apps on USB drives. I read about this idea on some forums, but have not tested it myself (I believe there are better ways to make an app portable).

More notes on Sandboxie:

• Run Sandboxed: you can tell Sandboxie to watch for any programs/processes and, whenever these are launched, force them to run within the Sandbox.
• Security: Sandboxie is very good about NOT allowing a process or malware program to override it. See this article on Tech Support Alerts, which documents thorough testing they have done regarding this issue.
• Sandboxie vs. Altiris SVS: although different in their focus and design, Sandboxie and SVS have many similarities (they both do software virtualization). From reports that I’ve read on some forums, it seems that Sandboxie is better in terms of not allowing writing operations outside the sandbox environment, while SVS presumably allowed some minor registry entries to ’slip through’, as it were. Having said that, SVS has a better designed UI and is more straighforward.
• Virtualization “issues”: please note that with this or any other virtualization solutions, there may be programs and/or situations that do not work out as intended, including programs that don’t work properly when virtualized. This is an unavoidable aspect of the technology.  

Differences between the free and paid versions: after 30 days, Sandboxie will start displaying a ’reminder’ (i.e. nag) screen every time you use it after you reboot your computer. This seems to be the only documented difference on the Sandboxie website. Some forum postings mention a minor feature that is available only in the registered version, but I was not able to find it mentioned on the Sandboxie website.

The Verdict: a very useful program. If you need to surf insecure websites or sites that you suspect may not be what they pretend to be. If you need to avoid malware contracted through the internet, it provides a line of defence that is foolproof and impenetrable. If you like to try out or test a lot of software and do not want to clutter your system, or would like to make sure that you like the program before making it permanent, Sandboxie is exactly what you need. And while the UI could have been better designed one could hardly complain about that when Sandboxie is essentially provided for free.

Compatibility: Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista. Different versions available for 32 bit vs 64 bit.

Go to the download page to get the latest version (approx 230K for 32 bit version, 320K for 64 bit version). Also visit the program home page.

Version tested: 2.0.1407

Altiris Software Virtualization Solution (SVS) allows you to install and run programs virtually so that they do not reside on your system but in a virtual ’layer’ which you can switch on or off at will. It enables you to test an application and completely ’turn it off’ if you choose without altering the Windows installation. It also enables you to avoid conflicts/.dll conflicts between applications. Alitiris SVS is free for home, non-commercial use.

Have you ever suspected that an application might have an adverse effect on your system or that it might conflict with other installed applications? Or perhaps you would like to have both an older version (or versions) of an application as well as the most recent release. With Altiris SVS you can do this easily and elegantly. Here’s how Altiris SVS works:

• Before installing the application in question, run Altiris SVS and create a new virtual layer (a layer is the program’s terminology for the virtual ’space’ that the program will exist in). All other virtual layers have to be turned off.
• Browse to the new application installer from within SVS. Note that you have the option of capturing all the change made to the system by the application or capturing all the changes made to the system even if these were not made by the application you installing.
• That’s it. The program will now be listed in Altiris SVS’s interface, and can be turned on and off.

Typically, installing a program involves writing some information into the registry, creating a directory in ’program files’, creating some dlls (either inside the installation directory or in a system direcory), creating a start menu folder and possibly creating desktop and/or quick launch icons for the installed app. All of these will occur when you install an application with SVS; however, should you choose to turn the installed virtual program’s layer off — poof — all of these disappear in a flash, and the program literally is gone without a trace. Turn the layer back on and the program reappears instantly. You can have multiple layers/programs switched on at the same time (except, of course, when the programs conflict with each other or when you have multiple versions of the same program that cannot coexist).

Note that virtualization is not restricted to program installations; you can use SVS to create a virtual layer that relates to either specific directories (recursively or not) or specific file extentions. You can then literally switch back and forth between 2 states. I tired this and I must say that I found it a bit hard to wrap my brain around exactly what SVS was doing here; it would retrieve an earlier folder structure of a folder that I virtualized, and ’remove’ the newer files that I put into it. However, it did not seem to ’retrieve’ files that were there that I had deleted.

Given the number of I install every week in order to test and write about in ’Freewaregenius’, this is one of the most exciting programs that I have come across in a long time. What’s remarkable this about this software virtualization concept is just how well it works. I created a handful of ’layers’ and each installation was smooth and problem free. The concept of a virtually installed program is simply brilliant, and Altiris SVS is a wonderful implementation of it. I cannot recommend this program highly enough.

Notes: For installation you need a serial number, which you can obtain for free for personal use. From within the installer, click the ’get it free’ button and you will be redirected to a web page. Follow the instructions and you will be able to download a zip file with your own serial. Also note that you can download many free programs that have been pre-virtualized, click here for more info (note, to download SVS see the download instructions below).

Compatibility: Windows 2000, 2003, XP. Not sure about Vista.

Download instructions: [updated 7/2/2009]

To download, go to THIS page and accept the EULA (you do NOT need to provide an email); once you do this you a zip-file will start downloading (you will need to allow/unblock the security notice). The zip file contains your serial key for personal use that you can use with the trial version.

Next, from the same page, click on the download link for the trial version. You will need to create an account with Symantec and go through the registration process before you are presented with working download buttons. There are 4 versions of SMS to choose from; read the desctription to figure out which is most suitable for your purposes. If you need more info look at the SVS forums .

Version tested: 1.6

PC Decrapifier is a program that will automatically remove a specific list of unwanted software that comes preinstalled on new computers. It was designed for programs that come preinstalled on DELL computers but will remove these from any PC. A list of the software that the version tested removes is provided here.

Most computers today come pre-loaded with all sorts of programs and services that the manufacturer installed for you. These include anything from AOL to the ubiquitous “Get high speed internet” icons to MS Photo Story and trial versions of Quickbooks. In my experience, many of these are (a) bloated programs that (b) take a lot of space, and (c) will most likely never be used. Many are lite or trial versions designed for a captive audience of users that are not computer savvy, with the hope that they will get used to the software foisted on them and end up paying for it.

Notes on this program:

• It will scan your PC and produce a list of the software it can uninstall. You can choose which ones to install by checking the box next to it; you can choose not to uninstall anything you like to keep.
• It will efficiently uninstall all programs that you select collectively without any user intervention.
• MAKE SURE you keep programs you want; programs on the list include Quicken, Microsoft Office Standard Edition and WordPerfect, which I personally do NOT consider crap software. If in doubt regarding a certain title then you probably do not need it and can go ahead and remove it.
• It does not need to be installed; just unzip and run.
• Check the author’s site for the last update list of software it will uninstall.

I think this program is extremely cool. It was made by a guy who created it for his own personal use; . let’s hope that he will expand the list of titles to include a wider range of commonly preinstalled software.

Compatibility: WinAll.

Go here to download the latest version. Go to the program home page.

Zsoft Uninstaller is an uninstall utility that provides additional functionality that is not available in the Windows’ Add/Remove control panel, including much faster uninstalls, the ability to find and remove uninstalled programs that somehow remained in the registry, and the ability to monitor an installation and revert back to the pre-installation state afterwards.

Rating: 5 

Version tested:  2.3.3

What you need to know about this program:

• Zsoft Uninstaller removes programs completely, including the install folder and registry entries.
• It will allow you to delete obsolete entries that are not actually there but are still on the add/remove list.
• Zsoft Uninstaller provides the option to ‘analyze’ an installion, i.e. take a snapshot of the system/registry before and after an installion and compare the two. This allows you to choose to ‘revert’ the changes completely, which might be a good option if you are installing a program that you feel may be dubious and suspect that it might be installing undesirable software on your machine.
• A simple yet very useful features is the ’search’ box; if a program is listed as “XYZ software flash downloader” and you can’t seem to find it, just type in ‘flash’ in the search box and all programs with that in the word will appear, allowing you to zoom in on it and uninstall it (see screenshot for an example). This is a brilliant functionality when, like me, you have a huge glut of installed titles.
• Zsoft Uninstaller will allow you to ‘hide’ entries from the program list so they do not appear there. This is useful when you know that you will not be uninstalling certain titles and would like to remove these from view.
• Similar to the point above, the program provides an option to hide all Microsoft Windows updates from the list.
• The program will also filter the program list by ‘dead links’ and so-called ‘crapware’. I assume dead links are uninstall entries that do not point to anything, but I’m not sure what crapware is exactly. Either way it didn’t find any of these on my machine so I cannot speak to these.
• It also allows you to export your list of installed programs into a text file.

I’ve had Zsoft Uninstaller on my machine for a while now and I’m finding it extremely useful. Its most definitely my favorite freeware uninstaller program, and I tried a few. Having said this here’s my wishlist for this program:

• The ability to view the list of programs by their icons, rather than in a list. This will make the user experience better by leaps and bounds. This program really could use some color on screen.
• The ability to view programs that you have ‘hidden’ from the software list by clicking a tab, Firefox style. Zsoft Uninstaller already allows you to view ‘analyzed’ programs on a seperate tab so its a bit strange that the user-defined ‘hidden’ software list isn’t up there as well.
• I’m not sure if this is possible, as I haven’t seen it in commercial uninstall programs either, but it would be great to have a column with the install date for each program, allowing you to sort and and view the programs you installed last.

All in all I recommend this program wholeheartedly.

Go to the program download page for the latest version. The developer’s home page.