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Why are Many Programs so difficult to Completely Uninstall?
Installing a program on Microsoft Windows is a straightforward process, one with which we are all familiar. Software developers leverage a common set of Windows tricks to make software installations as painless as possible: put the disc in, run the setup executable (chances are it runs automatically using Autorun), click "Next" a few times, and top it off with a reboot (whether you need it or not).
Removing a program that you no longer wish to use is not as straightforward a process. In fact, the removal of software installations from Windows machines is itself a cottage industry for some software developers who create and sell software for the express purpose of removing other software.
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Part of the reason software is so difficult to remove from a Windows PC is that a software installation, while quick and easy, is prone to scatter its components in wild and strange places on your hard drive and might not keep track of what goes where.
Some of the locations a software package may install itself to include:
1. Program files. Each program you install has its own folder in the "Program Files" directory of your system drive. Ideally, the entire self-contained ecosystem of files necessary to operate a piece of software would reside here, in a clearly identified folder, that could be removed in a one-step uninstall process.
2. Registry. The Windows Registry is a database of configuration information that Windows uses to track everything about your computer: user preferences, hardware devices, paths to important system files -- you name it. If Windows knows about it, Windows keeps a note in the registry. Unfortunately, Windows also allows other programs to use the registry to store data. When a program is installed, it's likely that some or all of its configuration data will be written to the Windows Registry.
3. Start Menu. Most programs install shortcut icons to the Windows Start Menu. There is more than one Start Menu, however. There is a system Start Menu that everyone sees, and in addition to this each user of a Windows PC has their own personal start menu. A program may install launch shortcuts to either or both of these Start Menus.
4. The System Folder. Often, software packages will ship with DLL files, which are libraries of code that allow programs to share functions and subroutines in a modular fashion. These DLLs are typically installed into the Windows or the Windows\System folder of the hard drive, presumably so other programs can find them if they need them.
5. My Documents. A software program might also install some files to each user's My Documents folder. Typically, Microsoft rules for software require that user-created data must be stored in the user's personal folder. A program certified by Microsoft will create a folder for this purpose and might also populate it with templates, configuration files, or other useful tidbits.
A software installation might put pieces of itself in other spots, too, depending on its function: screen savers, printer drivers, and log files all have their special homes within the Windows system folder hierarchy, for instance.
Because of this scattering effect upon installation, removing a piece of software can be difficult. Hunting down all the fragments can be difficult if they are not all in one place. DLL files can be hard to identify and harder to associate with the programs that are using them. User permissions may prevent the removal of files from the Windows system folders, and the Registry can be difficult to access and navigate. Presumably the Add/Remove Programs applet in the Windows Control Panel will cleanly remove programs, but in practice many bits may be left behind after this process. User files in My Documents, for instance, will rarely if ever be removed by a software's uninstall routine. DLL files may remain untouched -- if an uninstall routine encounters even the slightest difficultly in removing a file, it'll just leave it there to be on the safe side. This results in bloated Registries full of obsolete entries and orphaned DLL files that inflate the storage footprint required by the system.
Even though software titles come in a single package and are a breeze to install and get working, it's easy to see now why they're so stubborn and obstinate when it comes time to clean them up.
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