Uninstalr 2.0 - Or why making this Windows software uninstaller was the hardest thing I have ever done

[karenwnc]

Uninstalr is a fast, lightweight and accurate way to uninstall software in Windows.

This is how it looks like in dark mode:

https://preview.redd.it/ew8iyn9qdqi...bp&s=49373fa55954ea432aac76b685073c37b0b56946

With this major new version, I’m also releasing an updated benchmark to show you how Uninstalr is able to uninstall apps in Windows better than the other popular uninstallers.

By better, I mean two objective factors:

1. Uninstalr can perform an unattended batch uninstallation of the test apps where every other uninstaller failed to do this.
2. After Uninstalr is done, there are way less leftovers remaining from the removed apps than with any other of the tested uninstallers.

To see the benchmark results, the full Change Log of what is new and to give it a try yourself, please visit: https://uninstalr.com/

If you want to read more about its development and what goes one behind the scenes, you can read my blog post about it: https://jv16powertools.com/blog/uni...aller-was-the-hardest-thing-i-have-ever-done/

Uninstalr is freeware and comes as a single file portable version that is only about 6 MB in size. A setup version is also available.

 

[bcjammerx]

@karenwnc Sorry to hear about your father.

Also, good work on the release!

I think he would have been proud of you.

 

[karenwnc]

@bcjammerx Thank you!

 

[edson]

@karenwnc As a web dev, I always wonder how someone can make windows app with custom ui like this. What IDE, programming language, and framework do you use?

 

[karenwnc]

@edson There is not much custom UI going on with this program, actually. Mainly the buttons are custom and the installed software listing component. But it's mainly just some panels, text and an image holder for each app.

My plan is to actually allow user to choose whether they wish to use standard Windows buttons in the UI, by the way. Implementing that is pretty trivial, but I have been busy just getting everything done.

I made this with Delphi IDE, so that's Object Pascal. I didn't use any additional frameworks.

 

[jobob_0]

@karenwnc looks cool. since it's free, please consider open-sourcing it

 

[karenwnc]

@jobob_0 Thanks! I will probably go open source one day.

 

[joanne%E2%9D%A4jesus]

@karenwnc That's the reason I can't install... ehm.. uninstaller. It's free and I don't have insight into what else it might be doing on my computer.

 

[karenwnc]

@joanne%E2%9D%A4jesus Sounds like you will be using Linux, then, because Windows isn't open source either. Nor is vast majority of any Windows software.

But in case you are still using Windows, I can let you know that I have been making software since 1998 and not a single file with my digital signature has ever contained anything malicious.

If you prefer to use Windows and open source uninstaller in it, the only one available is Bulk Crap Uninstaller which I also included in the benchmark and it's one of the better uninstallers out there, in my opinion. You can click either of the links included in my original post to see how it performed.

 

[jobob_0]

@karenwnc Oof. Hard pass.

 

[karenwnc]

@jobob_0 You asked me to consider open-sourcing it, I said I will probably do it one day, and then this. I don't get it.

 

[glendavidson]

@karenwnc I will try it out and see but i hope you can take time and make it open source

 

[karenwnc]

@glendavidson Probably one day I will, thanks! Please let me know if there is anything within the app that I could make it better for you.

 

[nellie1234]

@karenwnc Can it uninstall system bloatware? I'm on Windows. Bit iffy about an unknown uninstaller having access to my new laptop tho lol

 

[karenwnc]

@nellie1234 It can uninstall many types of software from Windows. If by bloatware, you mean some software, then yes, it can probably uninstall it. For example, I have successfully tested it to be able to uninstall Microsoft Edge from Windows 10 and 11.

But if buy bloatware you mean some Windows features that are technically not separate software, then it probably can't help.

 

[nellie1234]

@karenwnc Edge is the one I want to get rid of the most, thats about it.

 

[karenwnc]

@nellie1234 I don't know what Microsoft says about the safety of removing Edge, but in the testing that I have done, I couldn't detect any issues after removing Edge with Uninstalr. Please have backups before doing anything like that, though.

 

[kourtney]

@karenwnc That's awesome! I'm definitely gona try it.By the way, does it completely removes traces of "free trial" softwares?

Edit: sorry about your father. But surely he left a priceless legacy

 

[karenwnc]

@kourtney It will remove all traces it can detect, it's usually never 100% that can be detected and removed, as Windows doesn't offer this kind of file to app ownership tracking.