15-Minute Reviews :: Cleanse Uninstaller v2.57

Hello and welcome to another 15-Minute Review! Today’s target is Cleanse Uninstaller version by Zards Software – An application to aid in the full uninstall of applications, including registry keys, loose files and so on.

Software Description

As Giveaway of the Day states:

“Cleanse is a program uninstaller that finds and remove even the most stubborn of programs. Uninstall faster, easier and more completely than you do with other programs.

First, Cleanse Uninstaller will try to use the original uninstaller that came with the software; then, Cleanse Uninstaller will do its own search of the system registry and local drives to find any left over files or registry entries (often these are left behind causing clogs which slow your computer) and remove all of the remaining traces to optimize your computer s performance.

Cleanse Uninstaller also includes a startup optimizer to make your computer boot alot faster and by removing any Trojans or adware that might startup with your computer you are able to make your computer safer for every day use.”

Quick Pros

• Built-in registry backup feature
• Wizard-style interface for uninstalling simple and easy to use
• Application did find leftover registry entries in test case – Does appear to do its job well
• Warnings are helpful to encourage reviewing registry changes

Quick Cons

• First install failed, even though .NET 2.0 was in place
• Startup manager is less than stellar (Works though)
• ‘Items to be removed’ window is not resizable and hard to read

Expansion

Due to the nature of Windows and how the registry has been designed, registry bloat is a very real issue. As Fubar has kindly pointed out about on previous Giveaways on the forums – They can be quite extensive and even reach beyond the installed application’s own use. While Microsoft should have taken the initiative themselves, in as many years as the registry has existed, nothing has been really changed. This application tries to help with part of the registry bloat issue by offering a more robust uninstall procedure.

First notable part of the application I spotted was in options; A backup registry feature. I recommend doing so before each install run you have. Any application which alters your registry or files on your computer can be a recipe for disaster, no matter how well written the application altering it may be. The initial interface, while not looking overly stylish, does the job well for what it needs to do. I found I flipped to the Details view and turning on the Info Panel through the ‘View’ button. This gives you a lot more information on each application in your application listing including Publisher, help link, install date, estimated size and so on.

I decided I would try this on WinAMP for testing initially. I chose WinAMP and clicked uninstalled. I was greeted by a three-step uninstall screen. The first step launches the original uninstaller, clearing the application the normal method. Next two steps run together by scanning the registry and the hard drive for leftover junk. In the final screen, it displayed 16 registry entries, no leftover hard drive files (looked – WinAMP’s uninstaller cleaned the files nicely,) as well as a nice warning about making sure you check all the registry entries before letting the application at them. This part here is very handy indeed – Many people would normally just click on, thinking everything is safe. As mentioned before, always need to be careful with any application which uninstalls. What would have been nice here would have been an option to back up the registry entries that are being deleted (and then upon next application launch, prompt you to delete these small backups.) One issue I did have at this step was that the window in which the registry entries pop up in is not resizable. It makes reading each entry awkward at best, having to scroll left-to-right-to-left to read each entry. Really needs to be fixed so that reading the registry entries is much easier and doesn’t promote the ‘Oh heck, this is too hard. Click next anyways’ mindset.

I did have a few other comments on issues other than the window that is not resizable. First, my first attempt to install failed, citing that .NET must be installed to continue installation. It was in place, so I was unsure of what the issue was. My second install attempt did not have the issue so I am not sure what happened where. My other issue is that the startup manager is not the greatest. All tossed into one table with a simple check mark and a ‘Google It’ button for more information – While this may be useful for power users, it really isn’t an effective layout. That said, it does work, so it isn’t that bad.

Final Verdict

While the application worked for me without butchering anything, I do recommend as always with any application which claims to clean your registry or hard drive in any means to be cautious and make sure you are backed up. That said, the application isn’t a bad thing to have, especially if you are a chronic-downloader of giveawayoftheday.com applications/games and really want to give your system a long-term chance. It is decent for free, and really, the $12.95 pricepoint is definitely a manageable price for most and definately worth it (Just, again, use caution) – Even if it doesn’t get quite everything, it at least gets enough to minimize collateral damage on your registry and system.

Posted by BladedThoth on Friday, June 15, 2007