Note to self:

A contractor friend of mine used to say that the best shortcut on any project is a trip out to the truck to get the right tool for the job.
In that spirit, I've learned that nail-clippers, even large ones, are a very poor substitute for needle-nose pliers. Needle-nose pliers can do two things - forcibly extract that widget from that place and pick out the pieces of broken plastic that resulted from forcibly removing the widget.
When it comes to extracting software, it's often the case that that there are pieces left over. Windows applications are supposed to obey a standard set of protocols for installation and uninstallation. Anything that is written to the Registry should be removed when the product is uninstalled. Files, including programs, configuration resources, and even data files, should be removed when you decide to remove a product.
Most programs, however, fall short of these best practices. As a result, after installing trial versions of programs and the like, it's easy to have a bloated Registry full of unused keys, your Program Files directory littered with stray entries, and your %APPDATA% directory cluttered with old data.
Enter one of my favorite programs and one of the first things that I install when I get a new Windows system -
Revo Uninstaller. It not only runs an application standard uninstallation script, but it also scrubs the registry and file system of detritis. The free version does a great job, while the paid version adds some extra system maintenance tools and gives you the satisfaction of paying for something that you find of value. (Feature comparison table is here.)
And, yes, there are other solutions - sandboxes, virtual machines, and the like - for installation and removing trial software. Having trashed system configurations beyond repair by editing the Windows Registry when trying to remove a badly configured installation, I know that Revo Uninstaller is the right tool when you need it. It's a lot better than trying to make your own tools.


see more There I Fixed It