[jud149]

My system is XP Pro, SP2. I just recently installed a rather complicated program and it does not allow entry as I did something wrong. I'm told that a simple uninstall/reinstall will not work without cleaning the registry of all remnants after the uninstall. Since I don't want to mess with the registry, I'm wonder if I do a system restore to a date prior to the installation, it will free the system of this program.

Edited by jud149, 03 January 2008 - 10:17 AM.

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System Restore, as the name implies, restores only system files and will do nothing to application entries. Every time you uninstall a program you are left with some footprints in your computer. This shouldn't worry you. If the program was made by serious people then they must have taken into consideration the uninstall options. Some programs (Norton Antivirus, Avast antivirus) produced uninstallation tools to help removing their software.

Having said that I would like to add that the installation and removal of programs can end up with problems and shouldn't be taken too lightly. If you wish to uninstall then go ahead. I hope you won't have any problem. latter you can run CCleaner (use a link in my signature) to clean un-necessary file fragments.

[The Skeptic]

System Restore, as the name implies, restores only system files and will do nothing to application entries. Every time you uninstall a program you are left with some footprints in your computer. This shouldn't worry you. If the program was made by serious people then they must have taken into consideration the uninstall options. Some programs (Norton Antivirus, Avast antivirus) produced uninstallation tools to help removing their software.

Having said that I would like to add that the installation and removal of programs can end up with problems and shouldn't be taken too lightly. If you wish to uninstall then go ahead. I hope you won't have any problem. latter you can run CCleaner (use a link in my signature) to clean un-necessary file fragments.

[bdrew6]

Hello, if you are worried about registry fragments after a uninstall you might want to consider downloading Abexo free registry cleaner. That does a pretty good job of removing orphaned registry entries that are no longer needed.

V/R
Drew

[dsenette]

jud...what's the program in question? if it's really that sticky of a program then the software vendor probably has a removal tool to take into account the complications of removal

[jud149]

jud...what's the program in question? if it's really that sticky of a program then the software vendor probably has a removal tool to take into account the complications of removal

It's the Mercedes WIS workshop file.

[Ztruker]

Uninstall the program from Add or Remove Programs, then do a System Restore to before you installed it. System restore does contain a complete backup of the registry so it will load a registry that does not contain any of the entries for the program you installed. Cleaner and safer than running a registry cleaner IMNSHO

This assumes System Restore works, which is not, unfortunately, always the case. If not then a registry cleaner may be the way to go. I would recommend RegSeeker. Use it's "Clean the registry" option then select only the green entries (you have a choice of Red, Green or all) as that will only remove entries that point to things that no longer exist. Make sure the box is checked to backup entries before deleting them so if something goes wrong you can easily recover.

Make sure whatever you do that you backup the registry before proceeding. Install ERUNT. Allow it to add an entry to your Startup folder so it will make a backup each time you boot (keeps 30 days worth by default). Run it once now to create a backup before you start messing with the registry.

[jud149]

Thanks for the responses.