Uninstallers
Because Windows 95's Add/Remove Programs tool does such a spotty
job of removing applications, and because installations can litter your hard
drive and Windows Registry, you need a stand-alone uninstaller. These utilities,
aside from removing unwanted applications, can also get rid of invalid Registry
entries, obsolete Internet cache files, and other unnecessary junk. Because
they can track the changes that new software makes to a hard disk, uninstallers
are at their best when removing files that were installed after the uninstaller
was added. In general, these utilities have a harder time removing previously
installed software because they must guess which components to remove.
Our testing was simple: We asked the uninstaller programs to remove both
preexisting and newly installed software. To determine the products' efficacy,
we compared the number of files on the "cleaned-up" hard drive to the number
on the drive before we installed any of the applications.
| SUMMARY |  |
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CleanSweep
Extra Strength 4.0
PRO: Uninstalls well,
removes Internet files, Registry Genie lets you edit the Windows Registry.
CON: Expensive.
Quarterdeck
Corp.
800/354-3222
www.quarterdeck.com
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CleanSweep Extra Strength ranks third in
this crowd. It launches three background agent programs that remove unwanted
Internet files, watch new installations, and monitor disk activity. Another
tool deletes redundant DLL files, orphans, and duplicate files, while Registry
Genie explains what different Registry entries mean. Though the $60 CleanSweep
is powerful, it costs $20 more than our Best Buy, Uninstaller.
| SUMMARY | |
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Norton Uninstall Deluxe
PRO:
Nice extra utilities, good reports.
CON: Removes fewer
files than Uninstaller, can't perform multiple installations.
Symantec Corp.
800/441-7234
www.symantec.com
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Symantec's $40 Norton
Uninstall Deluxe removed fewer unneeded files than our two front-runners:
It left 74 more files on our drive than were there originally; in comparison,
CyberMedia's Uninstaller left 17, and PowerCleaner left 21. It also can't
do multiple installations; it keeps a log of only your latest install. But
the package does have useful tools for deleting unneeded files and invalid
Registry entries, and for background-monitoring and graphically reporting
disk usage. Symantec's Live Update offers program fixes and updates via the
Web. Norton's documentation and interface are easy to use, but you'll get
better performance for the same $40 with our Best Buy.
| SUMMARY | |
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PowerCleaner 1.51 for Windows 95
PRO: Best with preinstalled apps, lets you modify list of files before
it deletes them.
CON: No Internet updates, no automatic
monitor for new installs.
Alpha Software
800/451-1018
www.alphasoftware.com
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Coming in a close second, Alpha's $30 PowerCleaner
1.51 did the best job of removing preinstalled applications, but wasn't as
good with new installations. To monitor new applications, you must start the
install process from within PowerCleaner; it has no background monitor. Still,
the program lets you see and modify the list of intended deletions before
it removes them. And you can delete, move, or archive files, or transfer them
to another PC. Optimizers track and remove duplicate and orphan files. If
you really need to save the $10, PowerCleaner is fine; otherwise, spring for
Uninstaller.
| SUMMARY | |
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Remove-It 98 4.0
PRO: Inexpensive, backs up apps before deletion.
CON:
Deletes files that remaining apps need.
Quarterdeck Corp.
800/354-3222
www.quarterdeck.com
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Though at $20 it is the
cheapest uninstaller here, Remove-It 98 can be dangerous: When we asked it
to delete Microsoft Excel, it also removed some shared Microsoft Office files,
crippling Word. Fortunately, Remove-It backs up apps before removing them.
Its interface is clean and simple, and a background monitor watches for new
installations while you work. And its database includes the file extensions
for over 1200 programs; Remove-It refers to these during application deletion.
As a bonus, it also builds an emergency crash recovery disk. But it's a tad
too aggressive for our tastes.
| SUMMARY | |
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Uninstaller 4.51
PRO: Most effective with new apps, nice graphical
reports.
CON: Less effective with preinstalled apps.
CyberMedia
310/581-4700
www.cybermedia.com
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CyberMedia's
$40 Uninstaller came closest to returning our hard disk to its original state,
especially with new applications. It had a little more trouble with preinstalled
ones. For example, when we tried to delete Excel, it deleted only Excel's
Shortcut. Like other packages, it lets you delete, move, archive, and transfer
apps to another PC, and its intuitive interface, documentation, and reports
make it useful for all levels of users. Like a good cleanup crew, it's quick,
thorough, and unobtrusive.
| SUMMARY | |
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WinDelete Deluxe
PRO: Finds applications from their Shortcuts, provides good graphical
reports.
CON: Deletes fewer files than other programs,
complicated interface.
IMSI
800/833-8082
www.imsisoft.com
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WinDelete Deluxe is clever at finding and deleting preinstalled
applications--even if you only point it to the app's Shortcut--and it manages
and clears unneeded Internet files, Registry debris, and duplicate files.
But the $50 program's performance was middling (it left 107 more files than
were there originally), and its interface (except for bar charts that map
disk space) is complicated. IMSI offers free Web updates and agent programs,
which monitor your work from the background.
