                       UnInstaller 2 for Windows

                             by Tony Curro


Several months ago I reviewed the first release of UnInstaller. At the
time I was pleased with the product. Now, after looking at UnInstaller
2, I am more enthusiastic.

Deleting programs from DOS is easy. You just delete the directory, and
maybe remove or alter a few lines in Autoexec.bat and/or Config.sys. In
Windows it is not such an easy task. Anyone who uses Windows can attest
to this fact. UnInstaller 2 is the answer. It simplifies this task and
goes even further in helping you clean up your system. Removing an icon,
or deleting all files in a directory, most times, does not completely
get rid of a file. Programs have a tendency of placing files in the
Windows and/or the System subdirectory. In addition many create their
own INI files and alter the WIN and SYSTEM.INI files. UnInstaller 2
looks for all places an application has touched your system.

UnInstaller can even network administrators remove applications from a
network server and all the workstations on the network. Using its unique
SmartDecoy Technology, UnInstaller creates a decoy copy on the server,
in place of the original program. When someone tries to run the program,
UnInstaller offers to clean their system as well. It also advises them
that if they have any questions they should contact the network
administrator. This can save the administrator many of hours of work.

Features include:

* An MDI interface that includes an optional status bar, a button bar
and 3-D effects.
* An Undo option that will restore an uninstalled application.
* Support for Norton Desktop for Windows and other popular shells.
* A built-in File Viewer that displays most popular file formats.
* An INI editor to assist with .INI file maintenance.
* Enhanced support for tracking entries in WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI,
AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS.

When first started UnInstaller has icons on the top toolbar and a status
line on the bottom of the window. This Status line is broken into two
segments. The left segment contains hints and information about the
functionality of each button on the toolbar, while the right segment is
used as a progress percentage complete indicator.

The opening screen of UnInstaller 2 consists of drop down menus, icons
and a help button. Following is a brief description of what each icon
does:

* UnInstaller -- The heart of the program.


You can select the program you wish to uninstall using several methods.

Double-click the mouse button on a group to view applications within the
group.

Select the application to be removed by double-clicking the mouse button
on the program's icon or by clicking on the application icon and
pressing the "Analyze" button.

You can use 'Find' or 'Scan' buttons to locate an application not listed
in a group.

* System Cleanup -- helps you remove extraneous files that you no longer
need.

This consists of display drivers, Windows fonts, system support files
and non-Windows application support files (eg: Smart Drive, RAM Drive,
etc.), from your system. For example I run in 386 enhanced mode. I have
no need for the KRNL286.EXE file, so I can safely remove it. Likewise if
you have video drivers for your graphics board you can delete the
8514\a, XGA, and other video display drivers if you never use them.
Cleanup will not allow you to remove a file that is in use.

As you can see from the graphic (CTM Viewer users only, press ALT-V),
there are several sections to Cleanup. If an area has no deleteable
files the option will be grayed out.

The manual gives you a list of fonts, drivers, and other files that can
be deleted.

* INI Clean -- helps you when you've deleted an application without
UnInstaller.

INI Clean will list all INI files. It will also show sections in both
WIN and SYSTEM.INIs. This is an excellent way to see references and
associations that you want to change or delete.

All INI file deletions are immediate and CANNOT be undone by
UnInstaller.

THINK THIN! TRIM IS IN! I can use many phrases to get the point across.
The point is to keep your WIN.INI file as trim as possible. This will
help you in faster startups, and overall better performance of your
system. INI Clean and System Cleanup will help you to achieve this goal
by helping you remove or clean up sections of your INI, and by removing
unneeded drivers, fonts, etc.

*DupeFinder -- helps you remove duplicate files from your system.

Many programs when they install will place .DLLs and other files in
various directories. VBRUNxxx.DLL is one such common file. Programs will
place it in their own subdirectory or those of \WINDOWS or
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM. In most cases you will only need one copy of a file.
DupeFinder points these out and allows you to delete them. Since you
will still have a copy of the file on your system, you can always copy
it in the event a program fails to run.

* OrphanFinder -- allows you to view and remove orphan files.

Orphans are files that are not associated with an icon. These may be
files for which you removed an icon and no longer use, but forgot to
remove the associated files. However, programs that have icons may run
some programs for which an icon is not necessary, as they cannot be run
on their own but run only from the parent program. CAUTION should be
used when deleting these files.

* Restore Backup -- restores applications that were removed using
UnInstaller.

Make a backup of the deleted application, which can then be restored
using the Restore Backup feature later.

Confirm all deletions will prompt you for each file it deletes. Use
Trial Run to show you what will be deleted, without actually deleting
any files. If you also use 'Create Report' you will get a report of all
files that have been deleted for the application. When used with 'Trial
Run' you get  report of files that would have been deleted. This is a
good cross-reference in the event you accidentally delete a needed file.

Using Find and Delete Orphan files allows you to search your system for
files that are not associated with an icon ('Orphan'). You may have used
a program then deleted its icon, but never removed the associated file.
This option allows you to remove them. However, this is NOT to be used
by inexperienced users. It is a powerful option and should be done with
care. There are many files that do not have icons associated with them,
but they are called by other programs and may be vital to the running of
these programs. Use this with extreme caution.

UnInstaller 2 will also search out duplicate files. I found several
versions of a file on my system. Some programs place a .DLL, for
example, in the \WINDOWS directory, while others will place it
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM, and others still will place it in its own subdirectory.
You only need one copy of a file in most instances. There may be the
rare time when a program will look only one place for a file. If you
delete a duplicate file, and have a problem, you can always copy the
file to where the program looks for it as you do have a copy on your
system.

The manual is well-structured for both the novice and power users. There
are two chapters devoted to 'priming' the beginner. These chapters
explain things like associations, INI files, overall use and features of
UnInstaller 2. Novices should read the entire book. Power users can use
the quick help card, or look for the sections with the airplane icon in
each chapter. These 'quick' instructions describe a feature in
UnInstaller 2.

This is one program that any Windows user cannot do without. It is
simple enough for the novice, and well suited to the power user, or even
people like me who run hundreds of programs a year and need to remove
them at a future date.


SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

* Windows 3.1
* MS Windows file PROGMAN.EXE, Windows Program Manager does NOT need to
be loaded but the file MUST be present.
* VGA or higher monitor.
* 4MB RAM
* 3.5" 1.44MB floppy drive.
* 3MB free hard disk space.
* Mouse (not required but recommended).

Upgrades from version 1 are $29.00 and are available directly from
MicroHelp. MicroHelp also has a BBS for support and latest information.


Product Information

UnInstaller 2 for Windows

SRP -- $69.95

MicroHelp, Inc.
4359 Shallowford Industrial Parkway
Marietta, GA 30066

800-922-3383 (ORDERS)
404-516-0899 (Cust. Svce.)
404-516-1099 (FAX)
404-516-0898 (Tech. Support)
