14 DAY TRIAL // Having more and more dedicated software available, the task of uninstalling software on your computer becomes less and less of a hassle; especially since there are also freebies that can take care of the task quite gracefully.
Uninstall Tool is one of the paid solutions if you’re looking for removing software more thoroughly the default solution in Windows. The price of the application is set to $24.95 (€20.30) and you have 30 days to test the application before you buy it, although with one limitation: leftover files of uninstalled programs are not removed.
Getting the application on the system is an easy task, but which requires your attentions if you want all the components installed. During this process you can opt for “Install and Trace” feature, which is the recommended action if you want Uninstall Tool to track all the new entries an application adds when you put it on the system.
Furthermore, the installation process offers the possibility to place Uninstall Tool’s icon in Windows Control Panel, if you’re accustomed to starting the uninstall procedure from there.
Looks are not at all impressive, but points are gained in terms of functionality, as all the details and options are within easy reach. All installed software is displayed in the right part of the interface.
In the left side there are available various details about the selected item (version number, publisher, installation date and path). Also in this section of the screen are the options for uninstalling listed applications or force removing them.
Uninstall Tool features more than one method to eliminate applications from your computer. One way is to run the uninstaller said app comes with and then sweep the computer for left-overs both in the registry and on the hard drive.
The second method relies solely on Uninstall Tool’s ability to detect the entries belonging to the program you want to remove. This option is useful in case of incomplete uninstalls, as it scans the computer for data associated with the program you want to eliminate and lets you delete it.
The third method requires “Install and Trace” feature to be available, as it monitors the entire installation process and records the entries that have been added. Thus, when you need to remove that app Uninstall Tool knows exactly what to delete.
Our testing focused mostly on this function as it makes for the cleanest method to uninstall an application. We tried it on several items and Uninstall Tool did a great job in each case, as all items added to the registry during the installation procedure were eliminated.
One of the best things about the monitoring system is that it does not slow down the installation process and getting rid of the monitored app is smooth and quick, as well. In some cases a computer reboot might be required for the entire operation to be carried out.
However, you may have trouble when multiple installations are bundled in the same operation, as is the case with software that requires third party tools (.NET, Microsoft Visual Studio C++, etc.) to function properly.
All applications that have been monitored during the installation process are marked in the list; but with multiple-installs you get to choose which component gets the stamp.
During our testing of the “Install and Trace” feature we used various applications, including security suites from Kaspersky, BitDefender, Panda and Symantec. No conflicts were recorded and the amount of entries in Windows registry was minimum, most of the data being entered by the operating system.
The regular uninstall method that performs a scan after the uninstaller of the application finishes its job is also a good way to clean the computer of eventual remnants. However, more traces are left behind.
Apart from kicking applications out of the system in a clean, thorough manner, Uninstall Tool also brings a startup manager to the table. You can use it to handle the items loading up with Windows in order to achieve faster boot times.
The details about the processes listed in this section include current status (running or not), source in the registry (useful for advanced users) as well as the developer (where the detail is available). You can also use it to add new items.
Uninstall Tool proved that it can do a great job when it comes to thoroughly eliminating applications from the system. It won’t waste time taking before and after snapshots of the system in order to track the modifications as it can monitor them as they happen.
You can use it to eliminate remnant files from incomplete uninstalls, as it can scan the registry for left-overs. It also comes with a startup manager that lets you check the processes that load with Windows and trim the list down for faster boot times.
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