The free version of Revo Uninstaller is among the best tools for removing programs from your system as thoroughly as possible. The Pro version of the application expands the uninstall features of the program and adds a few more tools for cleaning up the system of junk files.
You have a 30-day trial period to test the full version of Revo Uninstaller Pro and decide whether it is worth the $39.95. Getting the bundle on the computer is no difficult task and you’ll be able to complete the procedeure in a few clicks.
The interface is slightly different from what the free edition offers in that the layout is populated by a larger number of tools and overall functionality of the package is much increased. Besides the instruments designed for performing clean software uninstalls, Revo Pro also fits in tools for sanitizing the free space on drives, cleaning up junk data in Windows and web browsers.
Overall, looks are not too appealing, and the layout seems crowded, especially if you access multiple modules. All menus roll down in the left hand part of the application window, with options being displayed on the right.
The interface records in tabs all the menus you go through and shows them in the upper part. Thus, when you move to a different module you have to ways to get back to the previous one, which makes for a less clean layout. The choices for each module are displayed in the toolbar area.
As uninstalling programs is the purpose of the app, the developers strived to ensure that you have plenty of options to pick from, depending of the situation. Revo Uninstaller Pro can carry out the procedure just like its lighter version (which runs the default uninstall command for the target program and then runs a thorough scan for leftovers), but it also brings in some extra options.
In this edition you’ll be able to force uninstall an application, which enables you to clean up the system after incomplete uninstallation of a program. The entire procedure seems pretty simple, and you have to provide either the full name of the application or the installation folder.
Having at least one of the two details Revo Uninstaller Pro can proceed to scanning Windows registry for left overs. But before starting anything, a registry point will be created and the registry is backed up so you can undo the modifications without any hassle.
Forced uninstall works by a simple principle: provide the installation path of the targeted application or its complete name and Revo Uninstaller will nail down all related entries in Windows registry. During our tests the application did a fine job and came up with accurate finding in the registry on the targeted application.
During our tests, we noticed that not all the traces are eliminated. However, in our case we counted only harmless data, such as entries for firewall rules or the record of the install location.
Another way to run thorough uninstall procedures is to monitor the targeted application when you put it on the system. Revo Uninstaller Pro can record system modifications when an application is installed and, when the time comes, it knows exactly what to roll back.
Installing the desired program is normal, with the difference that it must be launched from Revo Uninstaller Pro. The entire procedure won’t take longer than the regular install, but you have to take into account one single rule: nothing should interfere with the installation process of the desired app; this means that no other setup files or programs should be launched, as this may compromise Revo’s recording of the system changes.
All the programs which had their installation process recorded are available in a different section in Revo’s interface, under “Traced Programs”.
The additional tools present in the bundle are designed to keep your system clean of junk data; this refers to what Windows leaves behind as well as traces stored by web browsers.
Working with either of them is a snap, because all you have to do is select the traces you want out of the system and start the drive scan. In the case of junk files Revo comes prepared with a set of predefined extensions known to serve only a temporary purpose, at the time of their creation.
The list is already well-groomed but you can add any file type you want. However, during our tests we created some types of our own and added them to the bunch, but scanning would fail to report them. Further tries, this time with genuine junk files already detected by the application on other drives, came to the same unsatisfactory result. But this is not to say that the feature is useless, because it did manage to detect plenty of useless data just sitting on the disk with no purpose whatsoever.
Cleaning up browsing traces requires no other effort from your part than to select what exactly you want removed from which browser, and then you can initiate the cleaning sessions. One thing to keep in mind: close the affected programs before starting cleaning.
What is unusual about the procedure is that Revo does not ask you to close the browsers if they’re launched. Instead, it will display the message that track cleaning completed. When we checked the data, it would still be there, unaffected.
Things are different if you close the browsers first (Chrome, IE, Opera, Firefox and Netscape supported). During our tests on Chrome, Opera, IE and Firefox the cleaner did a great job with the first three, but failed to eliminate all the traces in the case of the last one. Thus, Firefox still had its history and all the cache after the cleaning completed.
An additional cleaning tool takes care of the tracks left behind by Windows. The list includes clearing the history in the Run menu, recent documents, Start Menu usage logs, emptying the clipboard or the Recycle Bin.
Although it may look like it has nothing to do with taking the trash out, Revo Uninstaller Pro comes with a startup manager. With the help of this tool you can make your Windows boot faster by disabling the items you do not need loaded up at system start.
More cleaning is present in the package through instruments able to sanitize free space as well as delete a file beyond recovery. Both Evidence Remover and Unrecoverable Delete proved to be reliable during our tests, despite the lack of any settings.
The Good The uninstall procedures featured in the bundle ensure that software gets removed from the system as thoroughly as possible. It is capable to eliminate left-overs from broken uninstalls requiring only the installation path of the program or its complete name
Also, you can use it to monitor the installation of a new application and record system changes in the process. Traced installations are accurately rolled back and remnants are accurately eliminated.
The Bad We experienced trouble with cleaning web browsing traces in Firefox 7.0.1. Also, users are not advised to close the web browser before the cleaning begins, which makes the entire procedure useless. Junk files we placed on a test drive were not detected.
The Truth Revo Uninstaller Pro’s purpose is, first of all, to thoroughly remove from the system all the traces of other applications when uninstalled. And it fulfills its mission with flying colors.
But adding the rest of the features and tools into the mix makes it bloated with modules most users do not need or would rather do without in such a package.
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