In an ideal world, you’d never need a tool like this.
Unfortunately, if you’re online, you don’t have a choice. Download it now,
before you get stung.
My hard drive is important to me –
it’s not just where I store all of my essential work related files, it is also
home to my personal digital music and photo collections. Though I’m fully
backed up, it would still cause me all sorts of hassle if anything happened to
it.
I have a huge number of different
programs installed, many of which I no longer use, so it makes sense to have a
clear out from time to time to reduce the risk of problems. While Windows makes
it possible to uninstall software via the Control Panel, I have discovered
IObit Uninstaller, which can also be used to remove troublesome programs and
enables me to track down the programs that I use least. As well as helping me
to free up hard drive space, I also like the way the utility can be used to
uninstall browser toolbars. Some programs you install will also install browser
toolbars that are visible in Internet Explorer. These are often separate from
the program you installed, and may well be unwanted.
Uninstaller is a special tool designed
to make it easy to remove software that you no longer need. This is something
that should be included with every piece of software you install.
Read on to find out just how the
program could help you.
At a glance
Skill level: Anyone can do it
Time taken 30 mins
Suitablefor Windows 7, Windows Vista,
Windows XP
IObit
Uninstaller removes troublesome programs and enables you to track down the
programs that you use least.
On
your disc
You’ll find the program IObit
Uninstaller 2 included in the Resources section of this issue’s free cover disc.
Best
tip
If you have problems, click ‘Forced
uninstall’ to start the process of eliminating troublesome software.
Step-by-step Uninstall unwanted software
Install
IObit Uninstaller
Install
IObit Uninstaller
There’s no standard installer for IObit
because it’s a portable app. This means that you can run the software from the
cover disc, or you can copy it on to your hard drive (you can also download it from http://bit.ly/nRtiBq). Locate the program on
the disc and drag it onto your
desktop to create a copy.
Launching
the program
Launching
the program
Double-click on the
‘iobituninstaller-v2.exe’ file you just copied from the cover disc and click
the ‘Run’ button if a security warning dialogue box appears. Click the ‘All
programs’ link to the left of the screen, then browse through the list of
installed software to the right.
Uninstalling
software
Uninstalling
software
Work through the list and locate a
program you no longer want to use. Click on the program name and then click
‘Uninstall’ at the top of the IObit Uninstaller window. Click ‘Yes’ to continue,
then select the Standard option and you will be guided through the
uninstallation process.
Advanced
uninstallation options
Advanced
uninstallation options
If you would like to make sure that
all remnants have been removed, select the ‘Advanced’ option and then click
‘Powerful scan’. This will scour your hard drive for any leftover files and
registry references once the main uninstall is completed, then remove them.
Click ‘OK’ when finished.
Registry is a large database used by
Windows to store settings relating to all the software you have installed.
Removing
multiple programs
Removing
multiple programs
If you’re having a big clear out, you
can opt to use the batch uninstallation option. This allows you to uninstall
several programs at once without the need to remove each individually. Tick the
‘Batch Uninstall’ option and then tick next to any programs you want to remove
before clicking ‘Uninstall’.
Finding
software to remove
Finding
software to remove
As well as browsing the list of
programs, you can also track down software you might want to remove. The
‘Recently Installed’ tab to the left will show your programs ordered by date,
while ‘Large Program’ and ‘Rarely Used’ reveal programs that occupy the most
space and are used least.
Toolbars
and updates
Toolbars
and updates
Any browser toolbars you have
installed will show in the main list of software, but you can view a separate
list by clicking ‘Toolbar’ and uninstalling in the usual way. If you have
trouble with any updates you’ve installed, click the ‘Windows Update’ tab and
select what you would like to remove.
Keeping
things tidy
Keeping
things tidy
Using IObit Uninstaller, it’s easy to
keep you hard drive in shape by removing software you no longer want or need.
The ability to remove software in batches is a great timesaver and the ability
to track down large programs makes it possible to home in on space-hungry
software in an instant.
