But not all in the scattering of software programs are made keeping in mind such best practices. But then there’s the Windows default Add/Remove tool.
True, it’s there but it sometimes fails as an umbrella solution. Though not entirely its own fault, as some programs are just not designed keeping good package management practices in mind.
But as some users will attest, it is notoriously slow and lacks some basic handling features like search and full featured seek and search tasks which make for easier program management. There have been instances where a quirk has rendered the tool defunct.
That’s why it helps to keep another free software uninstaller app ready and primed for an emergency surgery on your system. There are in fact too many tools for the job. Selecting one is like checking out the surgeon who is best suited for removing a mass of tissue from your system.
For a long time my tool of choice has been Revo Uninstaller. But lately I have been hunting around for apps which I can just drop into my thumb drive. Call it convenience or call it a new found respect for portable software.
So here are three free, portable software uninstallers which just might fit the bill and the flash drive.
Revo Uninstaller Portable(v1.83)
Shifting loyalties from the big brother to his little one wasn’t so difficult. The zipped version of Revo Uninstaller is in the same form albeit in a portable version. It downloads as an itsy bitsy 900KB package. Extract and drop into your flash drive.
I won’t go into too much detail with Revo because it features the same layout of features as covered in the earlier review. My first impressions confirmed that, as I got the same listings of apps which the default Windows Add/Remove missed. It also features the same set of optimization tools like a registry cleaner and a junk cleaner. The utility of the Hunter Mode remains the same – point the cross hairs over an icon and you get all details and uninstall info on it.
Revo Uninstaller Portable is a free Win2000/XP/2003/Vista software.
MyUninstaller (v1.50)
Another lithe add/remove alternative not better than Revo but still quite handy…the 63KB package can be unzipped and used in a portable fashion. The NirSoft software lists all the installed programs (and updates installed under Windows and suites like MS Office) and other related info like product name, company, version, uninstall string, installation source, registry key, root key and default installer used.
MyUninstaller keeps tabs on the state of your system before and after the installation of some software. The software reports can be saved into a text file or HTML file. Program entries can also be directly opened to their registry entries. Delete multiple software in one go via the advanced mode.
The one apparent flaw I noticed was that the program is slow to start-up. But the help file offers a Quick Mode workaround in which the settings are saved to an INI file resulting in faster load times.
NirSoft MyUninstaller is a free Win98/Win2000/XP/2003/Vista software.
KUninstall (v0.3)
Three words – small, quick and powerful. The 322 KB portable, free software uninstaller has a clean cut interface for the job. It loads up very fast and works quickly to list all programs installed in your system. You can get some detailed info with a right click on a program entry like direct access to its website, its registry entry, its installation folder and other detailed info.
The Finder tool in KUninstall lets you remove or uninstall running programs by terminating the process associated with that program. You just need to click the running program and then click the finder on the interface of KUninstall. You can also drag and drop a shortcut of an installed program for a fast uninstall. Long list of programs can be scanned and filtered using the search box integrated in the portable software.
KUninstall is a free Win2000/XP software.
Installing is a cinch in Windows. But uninstalling sometimes turns into a game of blind man’s bluff. Blame it on little program leftovers on the wake of an installed program. These three programs are just three alternatives which makes the chore a lot more user friendly. A clean system is a lot healthier system. If you believe that, also read Stefan’s post on How to Uninstall Applications Efficiently and Remove Obsolete Files.
Finally give us some of your own pointers on how you keep your system clean. Which are your apps for the uninstall hatchet job?
Did you like the post? Please do share your thoughts in the comments section!
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