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uninstall posts

Filed under: Google, Search, Humor

Google suggest proves that a lot of people want Norton, McAffee, and AVG off their PCs


Google suggest - sometimes it's helpful, sometimes it's way off the mark. For the guys at Sophos, it's a source of mild amusement. Why?

Well, take a look at the YouTube clip they generously shared with the world. Among the top suggestions when you type "remove" in for the first word of your query? Apart from annoying pests like Antivirus 360 and Antivirus 2009 (both fake antivirus malware) you'll also notice AVG, McAfee, and Norton.

What does it all mean? Obviously a lot of people are searching for information on how to get rid of those programs. Norton and McAfee - well, those two are apps we love to hate. But AVG? Really?

Sure. It's a not-uncommon problem with AVG that something gets bunged up with the installer and you need to remove your current version completely in order to install the new version.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Office, Freeware, Windows x64

Easily and completely remove the Microsoft XPS doc writer


I do my best to minimize confusion and headaches for my retail customers. One thing that never fails to confuse and annoy is the Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

Most of them have no idea what it is or how it got added to their list of printers. To avoid phone calls from people saying things like "I thought you sold me an HP," I usually just click the icon, press delete, and go about my business.

Admittedly, that's not the most thorough way to get rid of a printer. To do a more complete job, download Rogosoft's Removal Tool. Not only will it delete the printer, but it also removes the driver, XPS library and Essentials Pack, and cleans up any package files that are left behind.

It's 32 and 64 bit compatible, and works on both XP and Vista. It's also fully portable, and free.

Filed under: Security, Utilities, Windows, Symantec, Freeware, Troubleshooting

5 Windows tools to remove damaged antivirus programs

One frustrating problem I have to fight with on customer computers is damaged antivirus and internet security program installs. Much of the time there's no simple way to get rid of them once something has gone wrong, and they can cause all kinds of headaches.

Fortunately, some of the companies are good enough to provide uninstall tools to help us out.

McAfee: MCPR
While I was putting this post together, their web site starter throwing random errors at me. You should be able to download the remover from this page. If not, get it directly from McAffee or Softpedia.

Norton: Norton Removal Tool

Back when I first used SymNRT (the old name for this app), it did a pretty good job of cleaning things up. I'll warn you in advance: Norton Removal Tool will probably miss some files, folders, and registry keys. Still, it will at least get the program out of your way. It's availble through this Symantec article, or directly from the Symantec FTP or MajorGeeks. [download] and run a quick registry sweep to tidy up.

Read more →

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

PC Decrapifier 2.0 released

As someone who unboxes a lot of new laptops, PC Decrapifier has been a trusted helper for a long time.

It's always been good at removing the bloat from factory Windows installs. In the past, however, it's taken a little while for programs to go from forum suggestions to being included in Decrapifier. That's what version 2.0 is all about.

With an improved scripting engine, updates to Decrapifier should be available much more often (read more about it in Jason's post on the Decrapifier site).

Currently Decrapifier can remove common bloatware like McAffee, Norton, and Office 2007 trials, several Roxio, Sonic, and Corel apps, and even AOL software. If you're the "friend that knows about computers," be sure to keep Decrapifier on your flash drive for quick, automated removal tasks.

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

ZSoft Uninstaller helps keep your PC tidy

ZSoft Uninstaller
The Windows add/remove utility does a pretty crappy job of cleaning up after programs you've uninstalled. That's because it pretty much just relies on the built-in uninstall utilities that software makers package with their programs. And many of those are just sloppy. They might remove the application but leave behind settings and extra documents and folders. And there's a good chance they'll leave behind unnecessary or even problematic Windows registry settings.

ZSoft Uninstaller is an add/remove programs replacement that does a better job of handling uninstallations by seeking out changed registry settings and other gunk and cleaning it up. ZSoft will run the program uninstaller, but it will also prompt you to delete associated files and folders that are left behing. You can also analyze your PC before and after installing a program to detect changes manually.

The program does a decent job of uninstalling applications, but it's not quite as pretty or easy to use as other uninstallers like Revo or Absolute Uninstaller. But there are some nifty options to filter programs by "crapware" or "dead links."

[via Download.com]

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Browser Tips

Microsoft: Think twice about IE7 before upgrading to XP SP3

Uninstall IE7

Still haven't made up your mind about Internet Explorer 7? No problem, you can always uninstall it and revert to the Internet Explorer 6 web browser that came with your operating system. Unless you've upgraded to Windows XP SP3, that is. Because Microsoft is telling computer users that if they install IE7 before XP SP3, there's no going back.

Basically, when you install IE7, your IE6 files are saved in an uninstall directory that includes the original IE6 installation files and any security updates you've added over the years. But SP3 includes a different set of security updates. So if IE7 is already installed when you load SP3, the uninstall directory that was created when you were using SP2 is no longer valid.

If that's all a bit confusing, here's what you should take away: If you don't plan to use IE7, don't install it. Period. If you do plan to install it, but want to be able to uninstall it, then you should load Windows XP SP3 before upgrading from IE6 to IE7. If you upgraded Internet Explorer before installing XP SP3, the only way to uninstall it would be to uninstall the entire service pack, which is really far more trouble than its worth.

[via Computer World]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Revo Uninstaller goes portable

Revo Uninstaller 1.4
We've been waffling back and forth for a while trying to decide which application uninstaller is our favorite. Absolute Uninstaller has a batch uninstaller, while Revo Uninstaller has just about everything else you could need, including a junk file cleaner and autorun file manager.

But Revo Uninstaller might be pulling into the lead with the release of version 1.4. This is the first version that comes in portable or installable versions. In other words, you can download a ZIP file containing Revo Uninstaller, throw it on a flash card and take it from PC to PC, making Revo a killer app for optimizing every PC in your home or office.

Other updates in the latest version include:
  • New advanced, safe, and moderate modes when scanning for junk files
  • Added option to start Revo Uninstaller in hunter mode on Windows startup
  • Added automatic creation of system restore point before uninstalling applicaitons
  • Faster operation
You can find more updates in the release notes.
[via CyberNet]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware, Beta

CCleaner 2.0 beta goes portable

CCleaner 2.0 beta
We've been using CCleaner to clear off temporary files, cookies, and unused registry settings for years. The program is updated so often that almost every time we load it we're prompted with a message asking if we'd like to download the latest version. The updates are usually incremental.

But now it looks like the folks behind CCleaner have pushed out a beta of version 2.0, with some exciting new features:
  • CCleaner can be run from a USB thumb drive
  • With you when visiting your parents for the holidays.
  • Faster analyzing and cleaning
  • Select files, folders, and registry keys to ignore
  • Rebuilt in C++ to support 64-bit compatibility and Windows Vista compatibility
  • Redesigned GUI
The fact that you can now carry CCleaner with you on a USB drive is huge. Or rather, tiny. The file takes up almost no space at all, making CCleaner a great addition to your portable toolkit.

This is beta software, so not everything works as well as it could. For example, CCleaner includes an application for uninstalling programs from your PC. Generally it loads up a lot faster than the Windows Add/Remove programs menu or Revo Uninstaller. But on our test rig, CCleaner 2.0 was only able to find one program installed on our Windows Vista PC.
[via CyberNet]

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Freeware

Remove unwanted programs with Revo Uninstaller

Revo Uninstaller
You know how when you uninstall Windows software you always wind up with a few leftover files and entries in the windows registry? You could skip the Control Panel and use a program like CCleaner to remove programs and then perform periodic registry scans. Or you could try Revo Uninstaller, a free program that cleans up after itself when it uninstalls software.

Revo Uninstaller works with PCs running Windows 2000/XP/Vista. At its most basic level, the application lets you find and remove programs. But once its done running the uninstaller, it will ask if you want it to search for leftover files and unused registry entries, which you can delete with just a click or two.

You can also run Revo Uninstaller in "Hunter Mode," which lets you drag an icon over various programs to uninstall them, or just to find more information or kill running processes. Another feature lets you manage what programs auto-start with Windows, while another useful tool cleans up your web browser cache.

[via CyberNet]

Filed under: Windows, Productivity, How-Tos

How to Add/Hide software in Add/Remove programs

Hidden programsEver want to remove some of those little programs you never use that ship with Windows XP? Sure, they're not taking up much space, and hard drives are cheap these days. But it's the principle of the thing, right? And some of these programs don't show up on the Windows XP Add/Remove programs menu.

Well, it appears that the only thing keeping you from uninstalling WordPad, Pinball, or other programs is one word in the sysoc.inf file. You can find sysoc.inf by navigating to \Windows\INF\sysoc.inf. If you open the file in Notepad, you should see a list of programs, most of which will be followed by the word "hide."

All you have to do is delete the word "hide," and save the file. Now when you go to Add/Remove programs, the unhidden programs will be there. Note that not every program can be removed just because you've unhidden it. For example you can't uninstall terminal services.

Sysoc.inf doesn't seem to exist in Windows Vista. Does anyone know if there's a similar trick for uninstalling hidden programs in Vista?

[via IntelliAdmin]

Featured Time Waster

Graveyard Shift - zombie-busting Time Waster

With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet. They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

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