Revisiting Zsoft's Uninstaller

[BrownSugar]

I finally installed Zsoft's Uninstaller and I have to say it's a pleasure to work with. I've used Martau's excellent Total Uninstall. but I found the freeware version (2.35) very slow. It would take about 2-4 minutes to analyze the file structure and registry, whereas Zoft's Uninstaller takes about 45 seconds (that will increase slightly as the registry and file structure gets larger).

 

 

It's quite a simple program to use. You choose the "analyze" button before installing a new software program in order for Uninstaller to analyze your OS and program drive(s). Then you run the exe file of the program. Once that's finished, you open the newly installed software to ensure that all initial registry changes are made. Close the software, and then choose the "after" selection on Uninstaller to finish the file/registry analysis. An option box will appear after the analysis is finished asking you to save the filename of the installation log. Uninstaller then compares the before and after and saves the file.

 

The great part is opening the log file and seeing what these programs add or delete from the registry and the system32 directory.

 

If your newly chosen software requires a reboot - no problem. Instead of immediately choosing the "after" button to analyze the registry/OS drive, reboot and then open Zsoft Uninstaller again. The program remembers that there was a before analysis, and gives you the option to continue with the "after" analysis.

 

When uninstalling a program, you can either use Zsoft, or your add/remove programs option in Control Panel AND Zsoft Uninstall as a 2nd uninstaller to make sure everything was removed from the registry. As we know, software uninstalls rarely remove most of the registry strings they initially install.

 

Before choosing to uninstall any program, you must check three boxes. One of which is stating you won't hold the programmer responsible for loss of date. Considering it's freeware and still being updated, I think this is reasonable. That's why I suggest using a good disk imaging program like Ghost or Acronis True Image to ensure you can always restore your OS/program files to its pristine state, if necessary.

 

 

UPDATE:

 

I found a few bugs in the program (it may be because I'm using Windows 2000 Pro and the programmer uses XP for testing). However, it might be prudent to check this thread from time to time (and the forum). The programmer is very quick to answer questions.

 

 

note:

Today (Feb. 20, 2007), I tried to recreate the bugs I had found and couldn't. At the time, my system was running slowly and that was proably the cause.

Btw, Zsoft Uninstaller has been updated to v 2.4.4.

[MajoMo]

The programmer is very quick to answer questions.

I agree with you.

 

And about Total Uninstall support?

 

You can read in their forum this curious, really weird and a bit disappointing info: "locked because of excessive spamming"... ...

 

ZSoft Uninstaller isn't only a install/uninstall analyzer application. The user have a very good add/remove manager: e.g. you can hide the Windows Updates and others additional programs that the user don't need displayed always.

 

Isn't it faultless, irreproachable? Of course not! But it is excellent.

 

P.S.: Now, Uninstall Tool is payware too...

 

Regards

[wgan]

never heard of it,

any more feedbacks on this fella?

[Andavari]

I finally installed Zsoft's Uninstaller and I have to say it's a pleasure to work with. I've used Martau's excellent Total Uninstall. but I found the freeware version (2.35) very slow. It would take about 2-4 minutes to analyze the file structure and registry, whereas Zoft's Uninstaller takes about 45 seconds (that will increase slightly as the registry and file structure gets larger).

Have to agree with you 100%.

 

I previously didn't like ZSoft Uninstaller ("ZU") and even slammed it but I now know I didn't give it enough of a chance nor did I previously check out completely and thoroughly - my bad.

 

After reading this thread I realized that I was finally fed up with how long Total Uninstall ("TU") takes to do the after install analysis therefore I decided to give ZU another try. As you've stated it runs faster than TU does to the point where I'm only going to keep TU installed during this installation of Windows and abandon it all together the next time I format and start clean.

[MajoMo]

I decided to give ZU another try.

Really, you are not a dogmatic.

 

It's always a pleasure to read your acknowledged posts and learn with. Even when happen to think otherwise.

 

Regards

[JDPower]

Well I finally got round to trying this out and got to say I actually prefer Total Uninstall. Yes ZU is very fast but I just prefer the way TU works. Plus I tried installing and uninstalling a program with ZU and it said some files couldn't be removed. It didn't tell me what and just said it'd try again next time I started the program. So I restarted the program and nothing, no notifacation of whether it did or didn't remove them. At least if Total Uninstall can't remove something its listed it immediately after uninstall, allowing me to remove it myself (and know its removed).

 

I'm not saying its a bad program, just not for me in its present form.

[Andavari]

Plus I tried installing and uninstalling a program with ZU and it said some files couldn't be removed. It didn't tell me what and just said it'd try again next time I started the program. So I restarted the program and nothing, no notifacation of whether it did or didn't remove them. At least if Total Uninstall can't remove something its listed it immediately after uninstall, allowing me to remove it myself (and know its removed).

I ran into that too, however after investigating I found that it actually removed all of the application and nothing was left. I have no idea why it displayed that in my case.

[BrownSugar]

I ran into that too, however after investigating I found that it actually removed all of the application and nothing was left. I have no idea why it displayed that in my case.

 

 

Same here. I loaded quite a difficult graphics program, too. I first used the Windows uninstaller and then did a search for leftover registry strings and system files. Several system files were found, and a load of registry strings were still present. I then ran Zsoft and it removed everything.

 

The same happened for a program that just used the Zsoft uninstaller. In both instances, Zsoft said it couldn't remove everything and would try again (even though all traces of the program were removed).

I have a feeling that registry values such as MRU's that were since deleted, or temp files may have been created during the analzye process. Zsoft's zulog.txt file still has these listed as installed, but can't delete them because they're no longer there. That may be the cause of the warning.

 

I'll post this to the Zsoft "Bugs" forum and perhaps post a link to this thread. The author usually answers promptly and maybe we can get him to post here.