Opinions of IObit Uninstaller?

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I recently had my old desktop computer worked on by a third party (took Win7 off, and reinstalled XP as my computer did not have a fast enough processor for Win7).

In the process they installed a program called “IObit Uninstaller”
http://www.iobit.com/advanceduninstaller.php

I subsequently attempted to download a very simple program to open up a “rar” file to install a driver for a wireless Tenda W311u stick. As it so often happens these days my free download of some sort of Zip file that’s was deemed necessary to open the ‘rar file’ came along with some unwanted crap/tracking software (and no warnings or asking permission to download this ‘hidden crap’).

So I had occasion to uninstall these unwanted files that had been downloaded. I thought might as well try out this IObit uninstaller. Boy, it seemed to work great ! It even notified me it was really digging deep to uninstall ALL ruminants of any software I was looking to uninstall.

Anyone else had experiences with this software,….good, bad, neutral ?? Shop owner says she has been using this for quite sometime, and is very complimentary about it.

Brian

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It’s IObit (no r). I find it to be a useful free tool with no disadvantages.

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It’s IObit (no r). I find it to be a useful free tool with no disadvantages.

I agree. Just uninstall the free driver program that comes along with it. Too many false positives. Use the free SlimDrivers instead.

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I haven’t had any problems removing remnants of program uninstall or complete uninstall when a particular file required by the usually uninstall routine went missing.

Before you wonder "Am I doing things right," ask "Am I doing the right things?"

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I’ve been using IOBit Uninstaller for a while now and prefer it to the free Revo because of its simplicity and ability to deal with 32 and 64 bit programs – it’s also one of the first programs that gets reinstalled after a factory reset to dump the bloatware.

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I particularly like Advanced Uninstaller Pro:

http://www.advanceduninstaller.com/

It does 32- and 64-bit, and has gotten noticeably faster in recent versions.

Watch out for ride-along installs, however.

Zig

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Watch out for ride-along installs, however.

Zig

How does one watch for these ‘ride-alongs’ when they aren’t even announced ??

It seems to me there are more and more occasions for this to happen. Isn’t that how we get a lot of this tracking crap on our computers?

I had an occasion recently to desire a few ‘manuals’ for a particular older Sony surround sound system and combo grill/convection/microwave oven. But it seems that every site I went to offering ‘free manuals’ was loaded with this extra crap.

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I’ve been using IOBit Uninstaller for a while now and prefer it to the free Revo because of its simplicity and ability to deal with 32 and 64 bit programs – it’s also one of the first programs that gets reinstalled after a factory reset to dump the bloatware.

Even though I have purchased Revo Pro for its ability to uninstall both 32- and 64-bit apps, I like IObit for its ability to do that for free; a handy attribute when dealing with friends’ 64-bit computers.

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I am a little late to the party, but I stopped using all these programs. All I use now is CCleaner. Run the uninstaller and then the registry check and you have a satisfactory and clean uninstall with the safest free software.

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How does one watch for these ‘ride-alongs’ when they aren’t even announced ??

Always pick “Custom Installation” and uncheck the undesired add-ons; consider use of Unchecky if you’re lazy. (I prefer to do it myself.)

Zig

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How does one watch for these ‘ride-alongs’ when they aren’t even announced ??

In many cases these programs can also be uninstalled with IObit Uninstaller. However, it is good practice to never install anything without first creating a system restore point.
My habits use both these techniques.
Michael

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And IObit Uninstaller is coming w/ it’s own tag-along Driver something or other which I managed to let by my self.

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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And IObit Uninstaller is coming w/ it’s own tag-along Driver something or other which I managed to let by my self.

It has its own Unlocker.

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I haven’t been a fan of IObit since I discovered the installation of IObit Advanced System Care also added Spigot adware, an unwanted IE BHO, toolbars for IE and Firefox (Firefox wasn’t installed), settings for Safari (Safari wasn’t installed) plus a monitoring program called ToolbarAcceptRate.exe. And that’s just what I spotted during a quick trawl through the installation log created by InCtrl5.

I thought I would have a look at IObit Uninstaller 4 so tried to download v4.2.6 directly from http://www.iobit.com (rather than from download.cnet.com or http://www.softpedia.com). However, that took me to download.cnet.com anyway… (At the end of the download another IE browser window appeared advertising IObit Malware Fighter 3. :))

I cleared all temporary files (System and User), emptied IE’s cache and emptied the Recycle Bin. IE was the only browser installed in the VM. I used InCtrl5 to monitor the installation of IObit Uninstaller 4.2.6. Here’s what I found:

39598-IObit-Uninstaller01
Click to enlarge

Notice the tiny dark gray link (on dark background) for Custom to the side of the great big bright green button with Run Now in large white letters. The arrow points at the tiny checkmark alongside the dark grey text on dark background indicating IObit Advanced System Care will also be installed. I removed the tick from the checkbox and clicked on the Run Now button to see what happened.

(BTW, the License Agreement shows that you are not permitted to install IObit Uninstaller on Windows 8.1 (or Windows 10 TP).)

The actual installation was very quick… not surprising as the installer is less than 16 Mb.
39599-IObit-Uninstaller02
Click to enlarge

At the end of the install, IObit Uninstaller launched itself… and a new IE browser window showing an advert for IObit Advanced System Care. I closed both then told InCtrl5 that the installation had been completed. InCtrl5 took longer than usual to create the post-installation files then show the finished installation report. As I ploughed through it I was pleased to see none of the umm… “features” that I had seen with the installation of IObit Advanced System Care. In fact, the installation appears remarkably clean of any PUPs.

I realised that it was taking me forever to wade through the report file and then it hit me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing… so I trashed the VM and carried out exactly the same test… with the identical result.

Unlike the InCtrl installation report of IObit Advanced System Care (which weighs in at a paltry 163 KB), the InCtrl installation report of IObit Uninstaller each time was 42,235 KB… yes, more than 42 MB.

When I looked at the report more closely I realised why. IObit Advanced System Care adds 150 keys to the registry. IObit Uninstaller adds quite a few more… 46,795.
39600-IObit-Uninstaller04
Click to enlarge

Thanks IObit… but I think I’ll pass.

Hope this helps…

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I’ve always been satisfied with Revo Uninstaller. I bought the Pro version a couple of years ago.

Always create a fresh drive image before making system changes/Windows updates; you may need to start over!

We all have our own reasons for doing the things that we do with our systems; we don't need anyone's approval, and we don't all have to do the same things.

We were all once "Average Users".

Computer Specs

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+1 for Revo. I found it much simpler to use than IOBit. Bought the Pro version to get 64 bit support as well.

Jerry

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I agree, I too have been using Revo Pro for a number of years.

But do be careful with it, always look at what it is about to delete/modify.

A few years back when I had Open Office installed I used Revo Pro to delete an unrelated program. None of the Open Office components worked after that so I re-installed. The penny didn’t drop.
A few weeks later, uninstalling another unrelated program, this time a traced program I decided to use Custom Uninstall. To my surprise it displayed pages of registry entries relating to Open Office which it wanted to delete.

Now that I’m paranoid I tend to instal programs with Revo Pro, uninstall them using Windows 7 Programs and Features and then use Revo Pro to get rid of anything remaining using at first Custom Uninstall to check things before using Uninstall in Traced Programs.

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Let’s be honest here. IObit and Revo go about getting paid differently. IObit uses the bundled software as a way to generate revenue. Revo uses the restricting of 64-bit uninstalls to its paid version, Pro. (Advanced Uninstaller is new to me.)

What we have to decide is which form we will be most tolerant of; paying for Revo Pro or be vigilant of IObits crapware.

Some anecdotal evidence in support of Revo Pro. When I read about Microsoft Security Essentials falling behind other free AV programs in performance, I uninstalled it to switch to Avira. On my own computers Revo Pro made short work of uninstalling MSE. On 2 other computers that did not have Revo Pro and I was not yet aware of IObit, no such luck. On one of those systems, I had to run Microsoft’s hot fixes several times before every last bit of MSE was removed and then be able to install Avira.

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Well kids,
grandpa has seen so much junk together with IObit *anything* that IObit is on his REMOVE list.

He likens IObit to a BAR for malware seeding.

Wonder what BAR is? Think M1918!

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Although I have clients that LOVE iObit, and all of their products seem to work very well, I never recommend it for folks who have something to lose – as in intellectual property. It seems iObit is in court with Malware Bytes Anti-malware for stealing some of their code! I just can’t trust a company like that with my files, or any innovator client I represent.

I do regularly install it on Joe and Jill sixpack computers, as there is no danger of anything like that. I personally use Revo Pro, but I am noticing more and more that Revo fails to find many of the things I want to uninstall. More and more I am amazed to find such thing visible in the regular Microsoft programs manager!! This is unacceptable, and if they don’t get moving on keeping up with the times, I may start looking for something else. Many thanks for loungers who recommend competitors!! I am forced to use AdwCleaner more and more for PUPs and such. Super-Anti-Spyware and MBAM usually find them first. Revo does have a log list of pesky programs though, so if you find it listed in the log method of removal, you will find success!

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@ JCitizen – I have no scruples as to the provenance of IOBit Uninstaller – as long as it’s free and does the job – perhaps you should start using it instead of Revo ?

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Thanks for responding Sudo15 – you would be right except that I do develop industrial ideas, and I’ve been under attack myself from sources that suggest nation state bad actors who are looking for exploitation of company secrets for purposes of industrial espionage; and apparently have already figured I’m a person of interest. I don’t keep my stuff on my computer anyway, but I do work for clients that are more vulnerable than me. So I have to think about their welfare and be careful what kind of files could end up on my computer. I’m afraid of catching Advanced Persistent Threats(APT) that cannot be detected by the usual security utilities, so iObit is off limits to my network – unfortunately.

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I take your point and have wondered if Kaspersky has anything untoward in it with it being of Russian origin.

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Very Handy Tool. Use it in our shop Frequently. As with any piece of software you install, one must be vigilant not to allow the third party tag along programs to be installed. Unfortunately, this has become the norm for even legitimate software installs. Software developers have to get paid somehow, it’s unfortunate that the capitol raised is from any source available (duping the vulnerable). It even attempts to add unwanted (PUP’s – Potentially Unwanted Programs) software even when you uninstall it!

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I’m a long time fan of COMODO Programs Manager. It doesn’t add anything extra, as far as I can tell, and when it finishes with a program’s built in uninstaller, it shows you every single registry entry and file it wants to uninstall. You can even let it make a “put it all back the way it was” file before you do the uninstall. You don’t even have to tell it to monitor programs you install (althoughs there’s a right-click link to do so): when the installallation is done, it tells you it monitored (name of program).

It’s not quite as thorough with programs installed before you installed it, but many times you can reinstall the program, with Programs Manager monitoring, and uninstall thoroughly.

Lastly, back when other uninstallers wanted you to buy the pro version to be able to uninstall 64-bit programs, it was already doing that.

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I’m a long time fan of COMODO Programs Manager. It doesn’t add anything extra, as far as I can tell, and when it finishes with a program’s built in uninstaller, it shows you every single registry entry and file it wants to uninstall. You can even let it make a “put it all back the way it was” file before you do the uninstall. You don’t even have to tell it to monitor programs you install (althoughs there’s a right-click link to do so): when the installallation is done, it tells you it monitored (name of program).

It’s not quite as thorough with programs installed before you installed it, but many times you can reinstall the program, with Programs Manager monitoring, and uninstall thoroughly.

Lastly, back when other uninstallers wanted you to buy the pro version to be able to uninstall 64-bit programs, it was already doing that.

As you are a fan of Comodo, perhaps this article will be of interest http://www.pcworld.com/article/2887632/secure-advertising-tool-privdog-compromises-https-security.html

It includes a link for the online HTTPS test to see if Superfish or Privdog has been bundled with any Comodo products that you have installed.

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First off, it appears as though this turned into a quite interesting subject thread.
This one in particular caught my attention,…posting #11,…thanks Rick
http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread//167178-Opinions-of-IObit-Uninstaller?p=989105&viewfull=1#post989105

Per this following quote, I am one of those vulnerable people that is getting real fed up with this practice of getting unwanted junk added onto their computer while just seeking out a very basic piece of software.

Very Handy Tool. Use it in our shop Frequently. As with any piece of software you install, one must be vigilant not to allow the third party tag along programs to be installed. Unfortunately, this has become the norm for even legitimate software installs. Software developers have to get paid somehow, it’s unfortunate that the capitol raised is from any source available (duping the vulnerable). It even attempts to add unwanted (PUP’s – Potentially Unwanted Programs) software even when you uninstall it!

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I am one of those vulnerable people that is getting real fed up with this practice of getting unwanted junk added onto their computer while just seeking out a very basic piece of software.

I’m pleased to hear that (previously well-respected) SourceForge announced yesterday it will stop bundling third-party adware with the downloads of open source apps hosted on its platform.

I hope others follow this practice soon because, like you, I’m tired of searching out the genuinely clean downloads without any unwanted tag-alongs or misrepresentation. (For example, Foxit Reader… with its Foxit Cloud tag-along that gets re-installed automatically with every automatic update… grrr!)

Hope this helps…

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I’m pleased to hear that (previously well-respected) SourceForge announced yesterday it will stop bundling third-party adware with the downloads of open source apps hosted on its platform.

Not really. “… third-party offers will now only be included with the approval of project developers or with those projects where offers are already included …”

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I’m pleased to hear that (previously well-respected) SourceForge announced yesterday it will stop bundling third-party adware with the downloads of open source apps hosted on its platform.

I hope others follow this practice soon because, like you, I’m tired of searching out the genuinely clean downloads without any unwanted tag-alongs or misrepresentation. (For example, Foxit Reader… with its Foxit Cloud tag-along that gets re-installed automatically with every automatic update… grrr!)

Hope this helps…

I just found this ‘review’ of SourceForge,….not too good at all ??
Warning: Don’t Download Software From SourceForge If You Can Help It
http://www.howtogeek.com/218764/warning-don%E2%80%99t-download-software-from-sourceforge-if-you-can-help-it/

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I’ve noticed that when IOBit Uninstaller has an upgrade, it now takes you to MajorGeeks and the AFC box is no longer included.

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