Hackergrrrrl said:
I have this question but 2 answers. Can someone clarify this for me, please?
What is the best way to do a clean, complete uninstall of a program in
windows xp? (I need to remove a logitech mouse program because it
interferes with a kensington trackball program I need to install).
Here are my 2 answers:
--Just go to ADD/REMOVE programs and uninstall and that's it (easy!)
-- you must use windows uninstall program or equivalent (is this some sort
of wizard of something?
Thanks!
Hackergrrrrl
Add Remove programs ought to work. Windows install scripts are supposed
to make a disk file containing a list of all the files copied to hard
drive, all the registry keys planted, and any other changes made to the
target (victim?) computer. The un install merely reads the list and
reverses the LISTED changes. Some (many?) install scripts forget to
list all the changes (damages?) they do at install time. In these cases
the un install program will be less than successful at blowing the
program away. Sometimes it's just a matter of some files left behind on
disk. Sometimes time consuming invisible programs are left active.
If you are faced with a machine that seems to have some distructive
remanents of an uninstalled program gumming up the works, here are a few
things to try.
1. Use Regedit to search and destroy keys containing the program's
name, the program's maker's name, or pointers to the zapped program's
home directory.
2. Run taskmanager and look for active tasks that aren't part of windows
or some other installed program. You can google the names of unknown
tasks to find out what they are. You can speed this up by downloading
"process explorer", a jazzier task manager that googles the net for just
right clicking on the unknown task name.
3. Use windows explorer to zap any files or folders of the zapped
program that still exist on disk.
4. Pray a lot.
David Starr
