Uninstalling

[Anthony]

I have read the help file and have a few questions about the uninstall process.

When selecting uninstall from the tool bar or right click context menu when selecting a program from the "installed programs tab" this uses the installed programs own uninstaller like Add/Remove programs does correct?.

What is the proper way to remove an "analyzed" program so it can be totally uninstalled? Select the analyze tab and than from the menu select "uninstall a previously analyzed program"? Or can I just select the "analyzed program tab" and than select a program and use the "uninstall" tool bar button or right click context button? I guess I am asking if using the tool bar button or right click button while viewing the "analyzed program tab" will use the Zsoft uninstall or the selected programs uninstall?

[Admin]

When selecting uninstall from the tool bar or right click context menu when selecting a program from the "installed programs tab" this uses the installed programs own uninstaller like Add/Remove programs does correct?.

Correct.

What is the proper way to remove an "analyzed" program so it can be totally uninstalled? Select the analyze tab and than from the menu select "uninstall a previously analyzed program"? Or can I just select the "analyzed program tab" and than select a program and use the "uninstall" tool bar button or right click context button? I guess I am asking if using the tool bar button or right click button while viewing the "analyzed program tab" will use the Zsoft uninstall or the selected programs uninstall?

When I do it, I first use the programs own uninstall-routine (via the "Installed Programs" tab) and then switch to the "Analyzed Programs" tab and uninstalls 'again'. First uninstalling using the programs own uninstall-routine shouldn't be necessary, but I (mostly) do it anyway.

Choosing "Analyze" in the toolbar and then selecting "Uninstall a previous analyzed program" is the same as switching to the "Analyzed Programs" tabs and clicking uninstall (either from the toolbar or the right-click-menu)... Both will get you to a box where you have to check 3 boxes (4 unless you want to confirm every file deletion) and then click "Uninstall".

I hope this answers your questions. If not feel free to ask again

[Anthony]

Thank You that answered me perfectly

Just for your info I did some experimenting with your program. As you know there are many programs out there that say they do not need to be installed to use. They claim to have no install process. Usually you copy the exe to a folder and run  it or unzip it to a folder and run it. Well I "analyzed" this process with Zsoft Uninstaller and was surprised to see that these programs do create many reg entries. They do leave a foot print even though they claim to not need an install. This was very interesting.

Some examples of these programs are  Process Explorer and Autoruns from Systeminterenals, Myuninstaller, and System Information for Windows (SIW). 

[Admin]

In their defense, saying that it doesn't need installation isn't saying it wont 'install' registry entries etc. - if they said it was portable it shouldn't add any anything though.

But I do think that programs like this should just save their settings in a .ini file - it would kind of give a better impression

[Anthony A]

SIW is fact portable. Runs of a UBS drive if you want. And it lease a foot print big time. I started a thread abut this on the CCleaner Forum (which is were I learned about your great program). One of the people there tested SIW by analyzing the  So called "non install" and posted his results. Very interesting. Take a look. There were more than "some reg entires". http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=9267

It just proves to me the need for a program like yours.

Here is a piece from SIW's web site

SIW is a standalone utility that does not require installation - one less installed program on your PC as well the fact that you can run the program directly from a USB flash drive (Portable Freeware).

 

[Admin]

Hehe, you're right -- "SIW" is definitely not portable.

It adds a "gtopala" folder in "Application Data", and some stuff in "HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\SIWIO" and "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SIWIO".
On top of that it adds some stuff in "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Tracing\RTCDLL", but that might be necessary for the program to get the information it needs...

Indeed... very interesting !

[Brown Sugar]

This is why I'm recommending this program to many of my friends.  Unfortunately, most don't understand how important the registry is (and the majority of those have never even used a regedit command!).

The SIW program gives some excellent information, but what do you think could be the ramifications of the "trace" string?

What usually alarms me is when I load a program and some time later, I see my Zone Alarm icon start flashing.   Then I either check the Zone Alarm program tab or top right icons to see what's active,  do a netstat command or open TCPview.   Usually, the program authors tell you that the program is set to check for updates and that you can configure your firewall to prevent it, but I always am suspicious of those things.

[Anthony]

Just curious about the folders/files that Zsoft Uninstaller adds. I found only the Uninstall directory in C:/Prorgams. Is there any other folders in Documents and Settings? I didn't see any.

[Admin]

As I recall I only 'play around' with the folder you installed it in (+subfolders in this directory) and the registry items in "HKLM\Software\ZSoft"

Oh... and + the desktop icon and the shortcuts in "Start"

[startreksuite]

Hi there! I had a question as well about using the analyze feature of this program. I have analyzed several programs, and when I decided to uninstall an analyzed program, several things on that program refused to be uninstalled. Some examples are deleteonclick, file shredder 2.0. I ran regseeker to find it, and it was still located in the registry! Is this because of the fact that I ran these programs, which changes features of the registry, or is there something else going on? I like this program overall, for it finally got rid of mysoco screen saver, an anathema in my add/remove section, as well as several other programs.
Thanks,
 startreksuite

[Admin]

It only removes what was registered as had been created. So if you just analyzed, installed, and analyzed it is (very) possible that the program creates, for instance, some registry entries upon execution... If ZSoft Uninstaller didn't tell you that something couldn't be removed, everything (in the log file) was removed.

[soyabeaner]

So I suppose Zsoft is similar to Total Uninstall in that it's recommended to run all the options that you're ever going to need in a given program because there's always the possibility that it will generate new registry keys/files, before finishing the analyzing process .

[Admin]

Well, theoretical yes. I just analyze, install, run and close (without really doing anything) and analyze again... Something might slip though, sure, but I'm not that sensitive...

[startreksuite]

Thank you Administrator! So if I change how I analyze programs, say run it between the pre and post installation, theroetically the registry changes will be included in the snapshot, therefore should be erased in the uninstalltion process. I'll give it another go!

[Admin]

Well, I said that theoretically you should run all options etc to get a 'complete image', but that I just did the other thing. I think that that most of the time it's enough, but I naturally can't be sure.