2 Tools to Clean Broken Uninstalls

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Most uninstallers on Windows don’t remove everything, and often times they leave behind orphaned registry keys, file type associations, icons or even entire folders.

Here are two software that will help you remove those unnecessary left overs.

Piriform CCleaner
Piriform CCleaner, available as freeware, scores high points all around with a simple interface and a complete set of features. CCleaner will:

  • Search the computer and remove obsolete system files.
  • Delete browser history, cookies and cache for all the major browsers.
  • Search the registry for problems, back it up and fix it.
  • Uninstall applications, rename and remove entries from ‘Add/Remove Applications’.
  • Remove or disable start-up items.
  • Automatically update itself if you allow it.

Revo Uninstaller
Revo Uninstaller, although it has a more advanced uninstaller routine, comes in second because the interface is slightly clunky when compared to CCleaner. In addition to removing applications and cleaning the registry, Revo Uninstaller also has:

  • ‘Browser Cleaner’ that removes traces of web surfing.
  • ‘Microsoft Office Cleaner’ that clears the recent documents history.
  • ‘Windows Cleaner’ that removes cache and history files from Explorer, such as Recent Documents.
  • ‘Evidence Remover’ that overwrites free space to clean tracks of already deleted files and an ‘Unrecoverable Delete’.
  • The ‘Hunter Mode’, specific to Revo Uninstaller, enables you to choose the application you want to remove with the mouse – which is useful if the program you’re trying to remove doesn’t show up in the Add/Remove Programs list.