Uninstaller facts for kids

An uninstaller (sometimes called a deinstaller) is a special computer program. Its job is to completely remove other software from your computer. Think of it as the opposite of an "installer," which puts programs onto your computer.

Uninstallers are super helpful because many programs spread their files across different folders. Some parts of a program might even be shared with other software you still use. An uninstaller makes sure everything related to the program is gone.

These tools became popular in the 1990s. Back then, computers often had less storage space. Programs also used "shared libraries," which were pieces of code used by many different programs. Uninstallers helped clean up these shared parts and free up valuable disk space. Today, programs are often designed to be easier to remove, but uninstallers are still very useful.

How Uninstallers Work

Most uninstallers have different parts that work together to remove software. These parts help them keep track of changes and clean up your computer.

The Logger: Remembering Changes

• Logger: This part acts like a detective. When you install a new program, the Logger watches carefully. It records every change the new program makes to your computer. This includes new files, changes to existing files, and updates to special computer settings called "registry entries." When you want to uninstall the program later, the Logger uses this record. It reverses all the changes, making your computer go back to how it was before the program was installed.

The Uninstaller: Reversing the Installation

• Uninstaller: This is the main part that does the cleaning. It uses the information from the Logger. It goes through the recorded changes and undoes them one by one. This way, all the parts of the program that were added during installation are removed.

The Analyzer: Finding Hidden Parts

• Analyzer (optional): Sometimes, you might want to remove a program that wasn't "logged" when it was installed. The Analyzer helps here. It scans your computer to find all the files and settings related to that program. Once it finds them, it can help you delete them.

The Watcher: Spotting New Installations

• Watcher (optional): This part keeps an eye on your computer for new installation programs. If it sees a program trying to install something, it might ask if you want to start the Logger. It often recognizes common installation program names like SETUP.EXE or INSTALL.EXE.

Other Helpful Tools

• Other tools (optional): Some uninstallers come with extra features. These might include tools to clear out temporary files or remove other unwanted junk from your computer.

The History of Uninstallers

Before the 1990s, uninstallers didn't really exist. Most computer programs were simple. To "remove" a program, you just deleted its files. But as computers and software became more complicated, simply deleting a program wasn't enough. Programs started leaving behind extra files, settings, and other data.

The Invention of Uninstall

The idea of an uninstaller was created by a person named Jack Bicer. He was working at a company called Symantec in 1991. He came up with the idea and developed the very first uninstaller program.

On March 23, 1992, a software package called Norton Desktop for Windows V.20 was released. This was the first software ever to include an uninstaller. It had a special section for "Uninstalling Norton Desktop."

Spreading the Idea

After Norton Desktop for Windows 2.0 came out, another person named Ken Spreitzer took the uninstaller idea further. He had been a tester for Symantec. Spreitzer wrote the first widely used uninstaller program for personal computers. It was first sold by a company called MicroHelp.

In 1995, Spreitzer told The New York Times that he became a millionaire by age 30 from the money he earned from his Uninstaller program. Later, Tim O'Pry, who was the president of MicroHelp, largely rewrote the code for Uninstaller version 2. This new version became a very popular program.

See also

• CCleaner
• IObit Uninstaller
• Revo Uninstaller
• Should I Remove It?
• ZSoft Uninstaller