Hardware

Five uninstallers to degunk your computer

By // April 27, 2012, 12:55 AM PST

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  • Introduction

    It never ceases to amaze me how many applications include built-in uninstallers, yet leave fragments behind when you remove them. Fortunately, you don't have to be at the mercy of an application's own uninstaller. Here are five uninstallers that will do a good job cleaning up your computer.

    Note: If you'd prefer to view this information as a blog post, check out this entry in our Five Apps blog.

    Photo: Advanced Uninstaller Pro

  • Revo Uninstaller

    When you launch Revo Uninstaller, it automatically displays a list of the applications it can uninstall. However, this is far from being the software's only useful function. The Tools section gives you access to commonly used operating system tools, such as the Registry Editor, Group Policy Editor, and the System Properties Sheet. The software also offers an option for getting rid of junk files, like temporary files that were created upon opening Microsoft Office documents.

  • Revo Uninstaller

    The software also features something called Hunter Mode, in which you can drag a bull's-eye icon over a file or an icon and then click the mouse to remove that particular item. A free trial of Revo Uninstaller is available.

  • Your Uninstaller

    Another uninstaller worth considering is Your Uninstaller. Like Revo Uninstaller, launching Your Uninstaller displays a list of the items that can be removed. On my lab system, however, Your Uninstaller found significantly more software than Revo Uninstaller did.

  • Your Uninstaller

    In addition to its software removal capabilities, Your Uninstaller contains a disk cleaner and a feature called Trace Erase, which helps protect your privacy by clearing your history. Two other great features are the File Shredder and the Startup Manager. You can download a trial version of Your Uninstaller.

  • IObit Uninstaller

    Like the other uninstallers, IObit Uninstaller starts by listing all the programs that can be uninstalled. Although this program lacks the bells and whistles of some of the other utilities, it has two features that make it worthwhile. One is the Forced Uninstall button, which is great for removing stubborn applications.

  • IObit Uninstaller

    IObit Uninstaller also offers useful application categorization. It tells you which applications are rarely used, recently installed, or consume a lot of disk space.  IOBit Uninstaller is free.

  • Advanced Uninstaller Pro

    Advanced Uninstaller Pro is a more comprehensive software removal application than some of the others. Along with basic removal capabilities, this free tool can monitor the installation of an application to ensure that the application can be completely removed later on without leaving behind any fragments.

    Advanced Uninstaller Pro also offers several specialized cleaning utilities that are designed to clean up things like the Windows Start menu, the registry, and even your fonts.

     

  • Cleanse Uninstaller Pro

    Cleanse Uninstaller Pro offers basic software removal capabilities, along with a number of other useful features. It includes a Force Uninstall option and a Startup Manager, as well as a junk finder.

  • Cleanse Uninstaller Pro

    Cleanse Uninstaller Pro also provides some more unusual features, such as registry backup capabilities (as well as the ability to do a system-level restore) and even a file burner that lets you burn files to disk prior to removing them. You can download a free trial of Cleanse Uninstaller Pro.

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Introduction

It never ceases to amaze me how many applications include built-in uninstallers, yet leave fragments behind when you remove them. Fortunately, you don't have to be at the mercy of an application's own uninstaller. Here are five uninstallers that will do a good job cleaning up your computer.

Note: If you'd prefer to view this information as a blog post, check out this entry in our Five Apps blog.

Photo: Advanced Uninstaller Pro

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