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Re: Another Fine Mess

Posted by Tricob on .
The uninstaller you access from the Add/Remove menu *should* function exactly the same as selecting "Uninstall" from the Programs group, but that's not always the case. The two features were written by entirely different people, and the two programs don't always "connect" with each other like they should.

The Windows OS is basically a bunch of "spaghetti code" slapped together by literally hundreds of different people, and there's very little - if any - communication between any of them. It's been this way since the development cycle of Windows 95, and MS has felt no motivation to change this technique. I don't defend MS's development method in any way whatsoever, but it is what it is.

- Tricob.

"Glass Tiger for life! "

In reply to: Re: Another Fine Mess posted by Tarbolde on .
From what I gather, the Windows Add/Remove Programs menu usually just runs the program's own uninstaller.

Normally I use Revo Uninstaller (freeware version); in advanced mode it finds folders, files and registry entries that a program's own uninstaller leaves behind. The user decides if these items should be deleted, so that could cause problems for someone who's used to clicking through without reading carefully.

Increasingly I try to avoid installing programs, using portable software whenever possible. If I can't find or make a portable version, installing into a sandbox would be my next choice.

Lately I've been taking this approach to a new extreme; that tale will likely find its way into a future post.

-Tarbolde