CCleaner

[Thore]

I have used CCleaner for a long time, and it's good..

I just wondered....:

In Tools -> Uninstall there is a "Delete Entry" Option, and in the list
there is so many items "Windows Hotfix, Safety Updates, Windows updates"
and so on... is it OK to remove the items from the list, to make the
list more readable? (Not uninstall programs, i know that.. )

--
Venlig hilsen / Best regards Thore Sorensen
DK-2700 Bronshoj / DK-2620 Albertslund
(Erstat evt. AT med @ hvis du mailer direkte)

Se min hobbyside: www.RacePhoto.dk

 

[Daze N. Knights]

I have used CCleaner for a long time, and it's good..

I just wondered....:

In Tools -> Uninstall there is a "Delete Entry" Option, and in the list
there is so many items "Windows Hotfix, Safety Updates, Windows updates"
and so on... is it OK to remove the items from the list, to make the
list more readable? (Not uninstall programs, i know that.. )

No. That removes the link to the uninstaller for the given program (or
hotfix).

 

[Daze N. Knights]

I have used CCleaner for a long time, and it's good..

I just wondered....:

In Tools -> Uninstall there is a "Delete Entry" Option, and in the list
there is so many items "Windows Hotfix, Safety Updates, Windows updates"
and so on... is it OK to remove the items from the list, to make the
list more readable? (Not uninstall programs, i know that.. )

No. That removes the link to the uninstaller for the given program (or
hotfix). It removes the link from Add/Remove Programs, as well. The
"remove" option should only be used for left-over (and thus useless)
links to uninstallers for programs that have already previously been
uninstalled.

 

[lugnut]

I have used CCleaner for a long time, and it's good..

I just wondered....:

In Tools -> Uninstall there is a "Delete Entry" Option, and in the list
there is so many items "Windows Hotfix, Safety Updates, Windows updates"
and so on... is it OK to remove the items from the list, to make the
list more readable? (Not uninstall programs, i know that.. )

To get rid of old hotfix files which can eat a lot of
storage and clear them from the add/remove list, go here and
d/l the utility. Just deleteing the entry can really screw
things w/o doing any good. I copied it to my windows
folder and then placed a link in the system tools folder of
the menu so I can easily dump the hotfixes once they are
installed and cause no problems. Doug Knox is a MSVP with
many good Windows tweaks and utilities at his site.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm

Kelly also has some great stuff for WinXP problems.

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Lugnut

 

[jvin007]

No. That removes the link to the uninstaller for the given program (or
hotfix). It removes the link from Add/Remove Programs, as well. The
"remove" option should only be used for left-over (and thus useless) links
to uninstallers for programs that have already previously been
uninstalled.

I have to somewhat disagree with that. For all normal programs you
should not delete the entry, but for Windows updates I keep them for
a few weeks, just in case there is a problem, and then I delete them.
Windows updates are something you are probably not going to ever
uninstall, so why keep them in the list of installed programs. After a
year or so, you just have a bunch of updates clogging up the list of
installed programs.

Joe

 

[Daze N. Knights]

I have to somewhat disagree with that. For all normal programs you
should not delete the entry, but for Windows updates I keep them for
a few weeks, just in case there is a problem, and then I delete them.
Windows updates are something you are probably not going to ever
uninstall, so why keep them in the list of installed programs. After a
year or so, you just have a bunch of updates clogging up the list of
installed programs.

Joe

That's a reasonable argument. But I like to keep options open and
available, even uninstallation of Windows updates, which sometimes have
problems that may not always become apparent until sometime down the
line. Since the programs list is alphabetized and all the Windows
updates are grouped together near the bottom, I have no problem with my
list becoming "clogged," even though I keep a very large number of
programs installed. Personally, I see no reason to eliminate any entries
that could possibly--even remotely so--be needed some day. But each to
his/her own, of course.

 

[Lou]

To get rid of old hotfix files which can eat a lot of
storage and clear them from the add/remove list, go here and
d/l the utility. Just deleteing the entry can really screw
things w/o doing any good. I copied it to my windows
folder and then placed a link in the system tools folder of
the menu so I can easily dump the hotfixes once they are
installed and cause no problems. Doug Knox is a MSVP with
many good Windows tweaks and utilities at his site.

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_hotfix_backup.htm

Kelly also has some great stuff for WinXP problems.

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Lugnut

A lurker says thanks!

Lou

 

[jvin007]

That's a reasonable argument. But I like to keep options open and
available, even uninstallation of Windows updates, which sometimes have
problems that may not always become apparent until sometime down the line.
Since the programs list is alphabetized and all the Windows updates are
grouped together near the bottom, I have no problem with my list becoming
"clogged," even though I keep a very large number of programs installed.
Personally, I see no reason to eliminate any entries that could
possibly--even remotely so--be needed some day. But each to his/her own,
of course.

I think it is a matter of personal preference and each person should
do whatever makes them feel comfortable. Your argument is just as
valid as mine and, although it does not work for me, it may work for
someone else. Personally, I have never had to uninstall a Windows
update and if a problem does not become apparent until somewhere
down the line, it is going to be with a program that I don't use very
often and probably won't care about.

I did one time need to uninstall Windows XP Service Pack 2, on
my computer at work, as it messed up a program that I used quite
frequently. It was still in the add/remove list, so I uninstalled it and
my program was still messed up. Uninstalling it obviously did not
remove everything that it had installed, which makes me wonder
just how well all those other update uninstalls will work. I wasted
half a day trying to figure out what was messing with the program
and then said the hell with it, reimaged the hard drive, installed my
programs that were not on the image, and was back in business in
about an hour.

By the way I am a computer technician with over 1000 computers
on our network and I have never had to uninstall an update on any
computer. Also those uninstalls do not always completely uninstall
everything. I have uninstalled hundreds of programs and frequently
they leave directories, files, and registry entries behind. Don't rely
on them completely as sometimes you have to do a little manual
cleanup.

Joe

 

[Daze N. Knights]

I think it is a matter of personal preference and each person should
do whatever makes them feel comfortable. Your argument is just as
valid as mine and, although it does not work for me, it may work for
someone else. Personally, I have never had to uninstall a Windows
update and if a problem does not become apparent until somewhere
down the line, it is going to be with a program that I don't use very
often and probably won't care about.

I did one time need to uninstall Windows XP Service Pack 2, on
my computer at work, as it messed up a program that I used quite
frequently. It was still in the add/remove list, so I uninstalled it and
my program was still messed up. Uninstalling it obviously did not
remove everything that it had installed, which makes me wonder
just how well all those other update uninstalls will work. I wasted
half a day trying to figure out what was messing with the program
and then said the hell with it, reimaged the hard drive, installed my
programs that were not on the image, and was back in business in
about an hour.

By the way I am a computer technician with over 1000 computers
on our network and I have never had to uninstall an update on any
computer. Also those uninstalls do not always completely uninstall
everything. I have uninstalled hundreds of programs and frequently
they leave directories, files, and registry entries behind. Don't rely
on them completely as sometimes you have to do a little manual
cleanup.

Joe

I have never needed to uninstall a Windows update, either, but I did
need to "turn off" KB891711 on two boxes running Win98 by removing the
startup entry--(It was a rather unusual MS patch. I don't recall any
others requiring startup entries)--because it was causing BSODs and
spontaneous rebooting into Safe Mode. In both cases the problem only
became apparent a week or two after applying the patch. I'll have to
admit, though, that you've made a good point. And BTW, although I am
also a computer technician, I only have *one* computer on my "network." ;-)

 

[Daniel Mandic]

I have never needed to uninstall a Windows update, either, but I did
need to "turn off" KB891711 on two boxes running Win98 by removing
the startup entry--(It was a rather unusual MS patch. I don't recall
any others requiring startup entries)--because it was causing BSODs
and spontaneous rebooting into Safe Mode. In both cases the problem
only became apparent a week or two after applying the patch. I'll
have to admit, though, that you've made a good point. And BTW,
although I am also a computer technician, I only have one computer on
my "network." ;-)

Hi Daze!



How can it be your Network, when you only have one Computer?




Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic

 

[Daze N. Knights]

Daze N. Knights wrote:
And BTW,



Hi Daze!



How can it be your Network, when you only have one Computer?




Best Regards,

Daniel Mandic

Notice the "network"? A joke, Daniel, a joke.

 

[old jon]

Notice the "network"? A joke, Daniel, a joke.

 

[jvin007]

I have never needed to uninstall a Windows update, either, but I did need
to "turn off" KB891711 on two boxes running Win98 by removing
the startup entry--(It was a rather unusual MS patch. I don't recall any
others requiring startup entries)--because it was causing BSODs and
spontaneous rebooting into Safe Mode.

That was odd, I have never seen that happen either. I have seen plenty
of programs that were in the Startup group cause problems of one kind
or another, but never a windows patch. I don't remember seeing any
patch or update put an entry in the startup group, except sometimes to
finish the update, after a reboot, and then it was gone

In both cases the problem only became apparent a week or two after
applying the patch.

Which is why I keep the uninstall routine around for a few weeks, and
sometimes longer if I forget about removing them. I have left them for
a month or so at times.

I'll have to admit, though, that you've made a good point.

Thank you, your point was just as good. As I said before, it's a matter
of personal perference, there is no right or wrong way.

And BTW, although I am also a computer technician, I only have *one*
computer on my "network." ;-)

LOL!!! I wish I only had one computer on the network, but that
would not be very good job security. Not that any job is really
all that secure anymore.

Joe