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Luke

What about Comodo Programs Manager? (http://programs-manager.comodo.com/)

Fred

You left out the best unistaller, Total Uninstall (it does a great job and gets rid of all registry entries and files/folders). Also, don’t forget that the free version of Revo is only for 32-bit.

jusplyn

heavy didnt know free revo was for 32 bit only. ive been using it for last year on 64 bit seems to be working. how would tell if it wasnt?

Sudip

It is. It never enlists any 64-bit software installed. Try it and IObit side by side and you will know.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

Our intent was not to test every program out there but to test programs representative for the approaches that can be taken for removing software. If Comodo Programs Manager or Total Uninstall use an approach similar to IObit or Revo, then they should be worth considering at least for a trial.

bud berry

what about Your Uninstaller? I was interested if it works as well.

frelwa

A very useful comparison. I’ve used Revo for almost a year. It has another small disadvantage: you can’t delete its desktop icon or move it to the Win7 taskbar or Start menu, so it has to clutter up your desktop. I like to keep that clean to see all of my wallpaper photo.

Roger

try unlocker to remove icon

pc16658

I use Yamicoft’s Windows 7 Mananger…it has everything I need to tweak and clean my pc and it works perfectly. The are also windows xp and vista versions available

startmytest

Nice work over here, but where is Your Unin-staller! in this list? I do believe that it is one of the best if not the best, it has many features that the applications you listed over here don’t have, like the hunter mode, the complete scan feature and go on.

Vivek

Comodo Programs Manager is a competent program that I have used, but not extensively tested. It has worked for me on Win7HPx64 to uninstall some small programs. It monitors the installation and activity of each program and then removes all its traces.

Alain

From all these comments it seems you really should test the whole bunch − at least the free ones? I’ve been using Revo for 4-5 years now and i guess the scene has improved, so i’d be interested in a new comparison.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

You have a new comparison – I am saying that IObit returns slightly better results and it is free. I’m not sure what else you need.

Alain

My english is not great : i meant testing the other suggested softwares mentioned in the comments. But i did read your answer about testing only “programs representative for the approaches that can be taken for removing software.” Thanks.

Michael

I have been using two uninstallers … Total Uninstall and REVO (free version). When I remove an application, I first use REVO which uses the application’s uninstaller first. Then, after RECO, I use Total Uninstall to assist in any clean-up of possibly REVO or the application uninstaller may have missed. I believe that there is no true “complete” uninstaller. The only way I see to completely remove any application is to perform a system backup before installing the application. Then, if need be, all that is required is to restore the computer with the last backup just prior to installing the application.

marko

Hi, gotta say that Ashampoo doesn’t deserve the bad rap it got. I can understand why it did tho. Thing is you really have to disable that “Installation Monitor” crap that lives in the system tray (file menu/settings). I even remove UIWatcher.exe from the installation folder to kill it properly. By disabling this item you have much more control over Ashampoo’s behaviour, stops it jumping in automatically where it’s not wanted. Just means you have to train yourself to begin every installation by starting Ashampoo first, open the Installation Assistant, let it scan, then browse in there for the setup.exe. Used that way it’s solid and reliable. I also use Revo Pro quite a lot. Also gave ZSoft a lengthy try-out recently. I like that you can complete the installation log AFTER a reboot, but on some very basic uninstallations it just left HEAPS of stuff behind, which totally defeats the purpose. More for Revo to clean up. ASH can be picked up pretty cheap if you’re patient. Just run the 10 day trial out, get the 30 day extension, run that out and watch your emails for a good offer…..(yes there will be HEAPS of emails….) 🙂 Cheers.

ace

hi! just had a good read about your comparison. i’ve been using iobit for 2 yrs now and it really does its job almost perfectly, just to my preference though. however, being so complacent about it, i almost forgot to check if it indeed removes all the files installed by a software until one day when i tried uninstalling free comodo firewall (as i wanted to do a clean installation due to me messing up with its configuration) that i found out it was not able to wipe out its program files entry at all. for all i am aware of, it will create some scheduled task to remove the files it left before a program asks you to reboot after uninstallation but it actually did not, at least for comodo free firewall.. i guess i may need to try using it again because frankly speaking, it is really tedious looking up for files being left behind by a program you have just uninstalled after trying it. not to mention the other registration entries it might left which is not listed under “softwares” of registry items. as for comodo programs manager, i would strongly suggest beware of using it. i once left feedback to comodo team after it uninstalled a program and it includes a windows application to uninstallation that left my laptop dealing with bsods. my bad that i was not cautioned by its notice that some files are being used by other programs which will be included in uninstallation. thank you for such a nice article!

Druuge

I appreciate this comparison and would *love* to see a comparison of uninstallers for 64bit applications. Revo (free version) doesn’t even show any 64 bit applications due to it being 32bit only. As other commenters have pointed out, there are other uninstallers that do this (does iobit?). The 64bit situation is arguably the most important feature other than how thorough they are.

This is a good article though, please consider doing one on the above for the rest of us. I would venture to say a lot of your audience are on 64bit systems.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

My tests were done on a 64-bit system.

Druuge

Did you not encounter the absence of 64 bit applications in software like Revo Uninstaller (free)? I didn’t see it mentioned.

Regardless, thanks for the article – since reading I’ve downloaded IoBits Uninstaller but haven’t tried it yet.

Ciprian Adrian Rusen

I did not test or use the free version.

Druuge

Oh my mistake, I’m an idiot. Just noticed you were using “Pro”.

Nevertheless, I would love to see a comparison of the newer uninstallers that some commenters have already mentioned. It would be great to see how they measure up to the ones here.

Steve

Ashampoo can work well.

I do what Marko does — remove the UIWatcher files completely. And I carefully create my own custom selections, doing reboots and scans without installing anything, so I log only what an installer changes or adds. And I check all the settings that maximize backups and logging (including logging and backing up file version changes). And finally, I use the ‘advanced’ view and choose the commands I need when I need them — sometimes that’s a full log via new compare or whatever the command menu item is, and sometimes it’s an incremental log via incremental compare. With a big program that I might wish to uninstall or I’m unsure about, I try to test the software right after installing & logging, OR I try to remember to copy all the backup files from that session to another location, along w/ the log, and label it appropriately w/ the name of the software installed & logged (then I can completely reverse the changes later). Ashampoo also allows users to see how PC has changed over time, if one saves and dates configuration files periodically. In short, it’s a VERY powerful programs w/ precise logging and removal capabilities, BUT one must be patient and knowledgeable to get the most out of it. (Choosing selections wisely helps save scanning time too!!)

Mike

Great review. Thanks!

Regretfully though, “Your Uninstaller Pro” has not been tested as well.

Have not found a recent review of this product compared to Revo Uninstaller Pro (i.e. both payware). There are some older reviews of the Free version of Revo where Your Uninstaller has also been taken into account, but sofar, I have not seen a side by side comparison/review of both Pro-versions, both are roughly 40 dollars.

Just a suggestion…

Thanks again for the review.

stanley

Revo uninstaller after working with it for a few years is for 32 o64 bit the pricing is about when not on sale around 35 for 3 computers untill amajor up date which has been around three years FANTASIC I have tried all I will stick with REVO

Toby

I fail to understand how ashampoo has been in business for so long. Their software has been so consistently bad, often coming bundled with toolbars or malware and never doing what it should, how it should…. Its beyond me that they manage sto continue to pump this shit out.

Dennis

The Free Revo Uninstaller is really good for getting rid of program leftovers. Maybe check it out.

ebayusuff

I read the whole articles thanks. but I think many have changed. could you revise your opinion about uninstaller and write new article?

Mahesh Verma

I tried all methods suggested above but couldn’t done it, but it happens with IObit uninstaller.
Thanks