Long ago, when I bought a completely personal and absolutely personal computer in the process of learning all the subtleties and intricacies of working with a new toy, I noticed a very unpleasant regularity. It was necessary to install and configure all the necessary and not the program, perfectly set up and "patch" all your favorite operating system, choose to taste sound schemes and wallpapers, in general, to reach finally the optimal configuration of Windows and applications for it - like expect trouble. The closer you are to the ideal - the less left to live operating system.
How many times I said to myself: the best the enemy of good, everything is fine tuned, the full set of programs now on the system it is better not to breathe! But it appeared on the Internet a new interesting tool that definitely would like to try out, come out a fresh version of Internet Explorer, like seemingly little different from the previous one, but according to Microsoft assurances, users simply have to have it installed, the pirates punched another enticing toy - and it all turned out the last straw, after which the system suddenly started mercilessly "fail" (in the sense - much more than usual), work became completely impossible or, at best, very frustrating, and hands itched to fry over low heat for Bill Gates one place (or all the places but at a time that the patient ...). And even if I found the strength and resign themselves to constant "illegal operation", it is still after another portion of the programs (with the pirate disc bought in the nearest railway station tent, "kryshuemoy" local cops, and therefore freely selling counterfeit products) established out of curiosity and fifteen minutes later deleted, due to determine the total of their uselessness, the hard drive is so cluttered remaining after their garbage in the form of the "forgotten" files that work again became impossible - "Windy" even under the swap file space is not enough.
Sprinkle Medicine for Windows was only one thing - a full cremation "drift" folder C: \ Windows and C: \ Program Files, and reinstall on "naked" hard drive. Naturally, after half an hour, and not such a predicament copying operating system files to the disk, followed by much less pleasant procedure - it was necessary again to bring it to mind, putting existing hardware drivers, and all the familiar and favorite programs, which over the last few months of active experiments accumulated not one dozen. In short, all the Control Panel, "Offices", reboot, occupied by hundreds of times longer than the installation of most Windows. In the end, when Bill Gates started to appear in the nightmares, and the system is again approaching what I from it would get in the back of his mind again, the feeling that all these sufferings - only an approximation another sudden Windows demise followed by inevitable it reincarnation.
I do not remember exactly what was the average life cycle "OSes" in this endless running in circles - all depended on the integrity and skills of programmers, whose works I put an incredible amount, and "bore", and put "bore" ... But more than three- four months of Windows I have never lived ... anyway, I'm tired quickly beat his forehead against the wall, and I thought of such a radical method of burning life as a regular reinstall "Winds", go to the prevention of their death, unless, of course, this is possible basically.
How to do it, where to find such a tool that can pour cycle on the "bug-free" Windows'9x existence of at least up to a year or two, so that it roughly corresponds to the schedule of issue of "Microsoft" regular service releases, and special-editions of the Millennium? Do not bind its hands as quintet proven and reliable software and a toy! I Such a panacea, finally I found.
Looking ahead, I will say that, thanks to her, Windows98SE, delivered on "naked" hard drive (version so caught - on top of Windows98 not intended) immediately after its publication, existed for me in exactly before the "Millennium" - a year and a half, after which was ruthlessly demolished, as yet gone into the dressing, but only due to the fact that I am relying on the Microsoft, neglected this vaccine, setting seemingly innocuous IE5.5. A vaccine of this was the most normal uninstaller.
No one would argue that the newly established Windows'98 works much more stable than OS installed dozens of programs, and even more so - the system used "by the user" for the study of each news software market. Ensure that the system for years worked as a new, possible, if the track all changes made to it during the installation of each new program, preventing the program (possibly written insufficiently experienced programmer) to make mistakes in the registry, "bitch" in the most important configuration files OS not allowing it to replace the library system. And completely remove not coming up for some reason, the application of even the most reputable developers with a standard Windows tools - dialogue "Set-Remove Programs" unrealistic in principle - the "forgotten" necessarily remain in the system folders of files, and the registry will be new mistakes, the number of which over and over again to grow, trying to get closer to that critical mass, after reaching a rescue system will not be able, and the most advanced user.
So, if I convinced you and you have decided not to learn from their mistakes, and follow my advice and take care of the maintenance of the fragile Windows equilibrium with the help of specialized uninstaller, it makes sense to first see what we offer in this respect, the most famous developers to make the right choice, which will depend in the coming months, and maybe years, your peace of mind (whether it is possible at all when working with Microsoft products?).

McAffee Uninstaller
http://www.mcafee.com/

Excellent, well thought-out program with a fairly long history of development and improvement, as was originally created by Cyber ​​Media, probably the leader in the creation of uninstallation. Former CyberMedia Uninstaller well-proven in the work and not so long ago, was taken over by one of the giants of the market software that guarantees us quality otshlifovki program code and proven reliability over the years. McAffee Uninstaller - a very powerful tool integrated service system, designed not only to properly remove windows-applications. Uninstaller has a number of very useful and necessary features that bring it on par with more well-known and essential package of care for the operating system.
When you run for half a minute Uninstaller scans the disk, remembering that where it is, how are the executable files and dynamic libraries, and then your gaze appears similar to the packaging of washing powder, with bright bubbles cleaning foam interface. Some buttons on this "box", used to call different master routines:

  • QuickClean - though derived in the form of the largest button, but this is a simple utility that comes with uninstaller. It allows you to make a quick cosmetic cleaning on hard disk, clearing the cache of temporary Internet files, throw garbage from the Recycle Bin, delete temporary files, and broken shortcuts. It also serves to clean up, and errors in the registry, but this function I do not recommend to use as little of what you can not see why the program has decided to remove one or the other key, but also to choose which option to delete, and which - no, you can not. And the likelihood is high that the wrong program and wants to "pochikat" something useful. For the treatment of the registry is much safer and more convenient to use WinDoctor utility in Norton Utilities 2000, but also correcting errors manually, not trusting it to do the program of "automatic". Everything else is QuickClean «wipe up" often quite correctly - it turns out that something like a slight dust swipe with Windows, «wet cleaning" makes another subroutine.
  • Remove - in fact, have the utility that removes the application from your computer, but use it is necessary only if the removed software installed before the very uninstaller, and for which there is no so-called rollback file, or in other words, were not recorded during its installation all changes to disk, registry and configuration files. Unfortunately, such programs Remove removes very carefully, leaving a lot of the "tails" on the disk and the registry, and sometimes the "bucks" and offers to remove all something completely extraneous. In principle, even removing the program manually, you can achieve much more effective "cleanup", as not only did the folder C: \ Windows \ System does not remove, but even easily allocated in the registry profile settings to delete the program, this routine is left . Good thing there is a semi-automatic mode, in which you can choose from a list to be mopping elements to give color hints about the danger of deletion of a file when you delete the program - it is always better it and choose otherwise still no guarantee that the program is not I'll do irreparable mistakes.
  • Archive - packing seldom-used applications, you remove that nevertheless did not hesitate. At the first address to the packed program file automatically unfold, so that the wait-especially do not have to. Overall - this is a very good way to save valuable disk space.
  • Move - the correct movement of the program from folder to folder, or on any other disc with re-registration of all the links in the registry and configuration files. Very useful if you have all the time to install programs on the C: drive by default the proposed folder C: \ Program Files, and suddenly discovered that the space on it no longer exists. The way out of this situation, of course, there will be usual or Remove Programs followed by reinstallation on another drive, but it can be trusted with this procedure and McAffee Uninstaller - will noticeably faster, save all the data and settings.
  • Transport - the most interesting feature is the uninstaller! With its help you will create a distribution to its own program, and in it will include all of its settings from the registry! This is useful if you need to reinstall Windows, (for example, when the leaves fresh version that does not support upgrade-version of installation) - do not have to re-configure all of the program. After just a few dozen unpack archives is much faster than installing the same number of programs, and then all of them and more to customize. Yes, and move from one PC to another legally bought the application that you lost the key, can often be the only way.
  • Restore - restore the master remote application works, of course, only if the program is deleted McAffee you follow the advice and create a backup of all the files to delete them.
  • BackTrack - the most important and effective means of removing applications, sour them almost without a trace, but it works only if the installation of this application was used Installation Monitor - a program that makes a system snapshot before the installation, and then after it, and by comparing these two images the detecting absolutely all the changes on your hard drive, registry and INI-core system files. It is this utility will save your system from premature failure and from cluttering disk thrashing remote programs, so do not forget to run the installation of monitoring when installing each new program, this does not necessarily hold loaded in the background so-called CyberMedia Agent, he determines the time of launch SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE file types - practical benefit in it will find only complete sklerotik. Please note that in the settings deistallyatora has a parameter that specifies the storage rollback files - set it as much as possible or even refuse to remove these files - and then a year later to provide a quality program to clean out any disc.
  • SpaceMaker - analogue standard "of windows» Disk CleanUp (Disk Cleanup) - slightly stronger version QuickClean due to search all kinds of non-critical files. First, it is not clear why it was necessary to fence a kitchen garden, not easier would be to completely abandon QuickClean in favor of more powerful SpaceMaker, but acquainted with them more closely, you realize that this tool is intended for "advanced" user, the ability to independently determine which file is needed, and what - no. And QuickClean - absolutely safe tool, which is permissible even to entrust the launch of scheduled and automatic disk cleanup.
  • PowerClean - even more powerful tool cleaning Windows, which is compared only with bleach - use should be extremely careful, because the files that are displayed after a scan disk, it is unlikely for the most part belong to the "non-critical", ie PowerClean show you almost everything, it finds on the drive, sorted by file type - thoughtlessly removing everything, you get almost naked "screw." However, to monitor the state of the hard drive, this routine is suitable not bad, it also scans the registry for the lost links, but here it is better to not use it, and "Norton» WinDoctor - less then it will be a headache.

McAffee Uninstaller integrates with the shell of the operating system, allowing the launch of several routines you perform right from the context menu of files, and in the Properties dialog box of some types of files added to the new tab «File Links», showing what relation does this file with other files. Thanks to these data, you get an additional guarantee that in a rush to sweep away everything in the world do not delete something useful. All program updates are available automatically via the Internet.
Here, in fact, everything that should be said about the most powerful uninstaller on today, it is worth to mention that under the condition of installations monitoring program does its job almost perfectly, and therefore is considered to be the most popular. Other functions of the same - especially dedicated to the «Advanced» group should be used wisely, only if you give full report in their actions.
Fortunately, McAfee and competitors are not asleep, and created a lot of quite good alternatives, especially the well-known Peter Norton tried creating already two similar Product: Norton Clean Sweep 2000 and Norton Uninstall. These programs are very similar in their function and together with McAffee Uninstaller, but still need to pay attention to some of their features.

Norton Uninstall 2.0 / Norton Uninstall Deluxe
http://www.symantec.com/

This is a very common and popular program as a twin brother recalls McAffee Uninstaller - just when you start scanning the file system, so only lasts this process ten times longer (on the end result is, in my opinion, has no effect), exactly the same set of functions: drive cleansing (also a bunch of modes), packing program, transportation to another PC, move to another disk, delete the application, remote recovery program from a backup. Similarly, the removal work mode is not held monitoring at program installation - no miracle, clean the bare minimum. Dialog "Set-Remove Programs" often works even better and certainly - is unmistakable. Built extra panel in the file properties window, perform their duties much better quality McAffee Uninstaller - funny, when you see quite a different picture of the dynamic library links on two identical, but added different programs of neighboring tabs file properties dialog. Here are just a very significant drawback - the rollback file there is always only one, so only the last installed application is deleted fullest. This approach is justified only in the rapid detection of bad and non-performing programs, but if you want some time to test new product, then immediately get very unpleasant restriction - as long as you do not decide whether to keep the new program or not - nothing else can not be installed, or rollback file zatёrt. Therefore, if you do not find any "glitches" during testing of the new program is already installed, and something else, then it will be too late to bite elbows - to get rid of the failed program is unlikely. Version 2.0 of this program is provided with a pleasant interface, fixes the basic "bugs", but overall the major changes it has undergone.

Norton Clean Sweep 2000
http://www.symantec.com/

A more modern uninstaller, which seems to have eliminated the major shortcomings of the previous program. However, perhaps all the improvements due to the fact that it is not in-house development of the Symantec, like Norton Uninstall, and acquired for example McAffee on the side, this time Qurterdeck, successful and well-known program. It has a standard set of functions specified, apparently the leader - by CyberMedia, here are some supplements that may have many users will push to the acquisition of this particular utility. For example, adding a so-called BackUp Wizard - Wizard creates a backup copy of the installed program particularly important in case of unforeseen disasters. It is unclear, however, what is not suitable for this normal distribution program. Even if it is necessary to keep the whole program directory with all the data, then went to the master and transportation, which creates a similar file with all program settings. Another unusual ingredient - «CleanSweep Safe» - a kind of protection of certain types of files from being accidentally deleted when cleaning the disc by the uninstaller. But the removal of an important user files such protection does not help. Registry Cleanup Wizard very long scan it, and then gives an extensive list of errors found, where you can choose delete keys, but, unfortunately, again not explained what is not pleased that a section in the registry and is not offered alternative solutions, in addition to banal disposal as it is practiced in the usual WinDoctor. Moving the program to another computer is possible only if the existence of the rollback file created in the monitoring installation. This, by the way, although imposes a very serious limitation, but allows for more qualitative transfer all settings from the registry, and not lose a single file. Interestingly mode Orphan Finder, where the CleanSweep looking for the DLL-files that are not used any of the installed programs, the "forgotten" by someone in the folder C: \ Windows \ System. This is perhaps the only way to deal with waste in this directory, if issued a list was not as extensive - errors in it a huge amount, and if you really want to clean this way drive, it is best to search for files from the list in the usual Windows Explorer, open the windows their properties and the comments that are there - the developer name, the purpose of the library, the creation (file associations, the program does not show, and should be in such a dangerous mode) - to determine which of the deleted file program applies, and only after that make a decision on his removal (best to just move to a different folder so that you can return). A more reliable - all to forget about it and trust mode is a dangerous occupation Clean System Directory Program ( http://www.ozemail.com.au/~kevsol/sware.html#clnsys ), do the same thing more efficiently, since it looking for file associations, not only in EXE, DLL, OCX, but even in HTML documents, significantly reducing the likelihood of loss of the desired file. Similarly, the search for non-critical and temporary files by the Board with a small specialized tool The Broom! ( Http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/MichaelBrick/ ), surpassing in this consideration monsters.
In general, a powerful uninstaller created a lot, but completely rely on them is not necessary, as there were oddities, when at the same time removed from the program "cleans" itself Internet Explorer, simply because in the program directory caught HTML file. So, never use automatic modes remove applications and deep cleaning of the disc!

Ashampoo Uninstaller 2000
http://www.ashampoo.com/

I'll tell you a secret, I personally opted for a much more simple program from the developers, who in the asset only a two or three projects - Ashampoo Uninstaller 2000. Despite its simplicity, this utility has a number of important advantages. For example, it returns all the changed parameters with the registry an application installation the previous value, and not rude removes them, as often happens with other uninstaller.
After analyzing the system before you install another application and then (have to call the uninstaller, as no background programs, monitors it, fortunately, does not require) and then comparing these two images, Ashampoo provides the most detailed report of all detected changes - what was / what was - other programs show only again without saving settings. Moreover, the form of this report ideal user-friendly and visually. It consists of three tabs, respectively, for the changes in the registry, disk space and configuration files. The structure of each tab reminds Explorer folder tree or a registry editor, making navigation through it is extremely simple. And the great convenience Ashampoo is that by looking at all the changes that have occurred during installation, you are just two clicks of the mouse will return any parameter or group of parameters in the registry and configuration files to the original state, and this - the basic method of maintaining system health and operational identify and eliminate errors occurring. In other programs, for some reason, this mode is not provided - only to delete all at once, or crawl on the registry manually. The number of rollback files is not limited, and, because the uninstaller tracked absolutely all of the events the application is installed, you are at any time by removing it using of Ashampoo, the operating system will return to its original appearance - get a pullback in the literal sense of the word. It is very convenient in a way to extend the life of "trousers", prescribing the date of installation in classified sections of the registry - once all the secret becomes clear.
There is, of course, and automatic rollback, at which good faith, the changes of the system settings. Nothing superfluous at this uninstaller does not invent, so you even in this mode, completely free from any trouble occurring when more powerful uninstaller type Norton Uninstall decides, in the absence of the installation protocol, what components are leaving the program, and what - no.
Although Ashampoo Uninstaller 2000 weaker competitors, basic "gadgets" he has - find duplicate files, delete temporary files, the cookies have infiltrated from the Internet, as well as unused fonts, provided the export program to another computer and delete the file without rolling back. All these activities are under constant control of the user, the program itself does not solve anything, relying on your experience and knowledge. In practice, most of these "features" mode uses a unique comparison of different system configurations. Regularly making the settings of Windows images, you then analyze the changes that have occurred over the last week, month, regardless of the installed applications, and is a great way to maintain vital functions suicidal operating system.
The only thing that, perhaps, be attributed to the shortcomings, so it is impossible to recover deleted or replaced during the installation of the system file - issued only to the information note of the versions of the old and the new file. But we did not think about long and most venerable competitors. The way out of this situation is the use of a conventional System File Checker (C: \ Windows \ System \ SFC.EXE) - this is a simple utility that comes with Windows98 allow time to prevent the fatal substitution of critical system libraries (one of the main causes of "glitches"), analyze version all files and notify you of detected sub-menu will offer to remove the "right" file from the Windows distribution. Unfortunately, WindowsME System File Checker is not enabled, the creators seem to have considered that the function System Recovery provides a sufficient margin of safety system, but, first, using System Recovery, you can not delete any application of your choice - just to return the settings OS to one of the saved states. And secondly, the library system is still very poorly protected against spoofing illiterate written application. Therefore, if you have already switched to "Millennium", it is set a good uninstaller - replacing him until "WIND" is not, and take from the Windows 98 utility System File Checker - this file C: \ WINDOWS \ Default.sfc, C: \ WINDOWS \ Default.sf0, C: \ WINDOWS \ Sfcsync.txt, C: \ WINDOWS \ SYSTEM \ SFC.EXE, C: \ WINDOWS \ SYSTEM \ Sfcdll.dll - just copy them to your computer, respectively. When you first start the System File Checker from the "Millenium" make any changes it finds in the database to update it - because there is a general comparison with other versions of Windows, with the subsequent launches, you get already a real picture of what is on your computer. There are, however, a program that does not take place on the disk gives any changes when installing software - it creates for them something like a virtual hard disk, where all the work takes place - 9Lives ( http://www.duomark.com/9Lives/ ) - try it and experience a nearly complete its analogue - TrialBlazer ( http://www.procode.com.au/trialblazer/ ). These utilities will protect your system from the harmful effects of even some running viruses.

The conclusion from all of my arguments will probably be the following - not necessarily the most common, popular and powerful program can handle the job better than others. Most of the functions of these giants is hardly used and only serves marketing purposes, often simpler program is exactly what you need to end user, perhaps because many such programs are, in fact, by the same user - because good programmer - the user, and must, first of all pay attention to the user experience with their development, their quality and compliance with putting problems, and only then - on all sorts of publicity stunts.
PS My friend, who has a computer other than Windows itself constantly, there is only one program - Quake2, and use the uninstaller it laziness, which year bimonthly resets the system - I am afraid, will soon fall into the "Kashchenko" ...