If software is uninstalled is it still there............?

[joe1]

Hi all,
If a piece of software/program is uninstalled by Add/Remove or other? Is it totally gone or is it still hidden away in some dark corner of a silicon chip??

[markysngc]

in general it is gone, but some may leave a few bits and peices in a few places on the system, but it does depend on what software it is, some have cleaner uninstalls then others

[vehelpfulguy]

Following on from joe1's answer, which is totally correct.

When you actually delete a file from Windows (and this includes uninstaling a program) then normally the file or files are NOT deleted.

All that is deleted is a POINTER to the file, the actual file or files are still there on your hard disk. So it is sort of hidden but not deleted.

This can be an issue if you sell or give away your computer because people with the correct software can recover deleted files and read the contents.

If you have deleted banking details or other financial information, or maybe passwords, these could be recovered if a person wishes to do so.

There is software available to properly delete files and it is a good idea to run this before you get rid of a computer.

[joe1]

Thank you.
J

[sphinxy]

a good free download to completely erase files is eraser 586 supposedly use by the cia

[webdude]

As markysngc rightly said, in general most of the program files are removed, however often a program will leave some folders and other data files, which are not always removed by the add/remove utility.

vehelpfulguy is also correct in what he says if we are talking about data files which the user has created, and yes if they are sensitive files i.e. financial etc, then yes you should be aware that anyone with a little knowledge could access your files even after you have 'deleted' them.

Your question however was about removing programs not data files, so the answer is yes, most of the program files will be deleted, but as I said sometimes there can still be .dll files or more importantly, entries in the registry which could cause your PC to run slowly or even crash if not removed.

After using add/remove, I then locate the original folder where the program was stored, and I then delete all files and folders permanently i.e. not to the recycle bin. To clean up any problems in the registry I then use a registry cleaner to locate and delete any possible orphans.

[joe1]

Thanks folks - excellent answers.
J