*Uninstalling Software: Thoroughly & Safely (Full Version)

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Brandy redux -> *Uninstalling Software: Thoroughly & Safely (11/14/2007 11:41:12 PM)

NOTE: Before uninstalling ANY software from either Win2000, WinXP, WinVista or Windows 7, you MUST be logged onto the computer with Administrator rights (NOT with a Limited User Account).

If you don't know whether or not your normal account is an Administrator account, do this:

A. If you don't know your username, click on 'Start'. Then, look for your username at the top or bottom of the Start menu.

B. Go to 'Control Panel' then open 'User Accounts'.

C. When the 'User Accounts' window opens, look under your username. If you DO NOT see the word 'Administrator' under your username, you SHOULD NOT attempt to install or uninstall software - because ONLY Administrator accounts should install and uninstall software on Win2000, WinXP, WinVista or Windows 7.

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1. Software should always be uninstalled by going to Control Panel then selecting 'Add or Remove Programs' if you're using WinXP (or 'Programs and Features', if you're using Vista or Windows 7).

If you are unable to uninstall the software by way of 'Add or Remove Programs' or 'Programs and Features', it will be necessary for you to perform a manual uninstall - by searching the hard drive for files and folders related to the program you want to uninstall. then manually removing those files and folders - as is described in Step #2 below. When a manual uninstall is performed, the name of the program will not always be removed from the list of installed software in 'Add or Remove Programs' or 'Programs and Features'. However, since that list is nothing more than a list, it is perfectly safe for the name of the program to remain in the list of installed software.

NOTE: If you are uninstalling Print Shop or PrintMaster or Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Designer or Calendar Creator, please see the "Tips for uninstalling Broderbund software" message below.

2. Many programs will install files and folders in several locations on the hard drive. And, even when it is possible to uninstall software by way of 'Add or Remove Programs' or 'Programs and Features', it is always a good idea to conduct a search of the entire hard drive then manually delete any files, folders, icons and shortcuts that are found by that search - because many uninstall processes do not remove all files, folders, desktop icons and Start menu shortcuts associated with the software.

Please see the 'Hard drive search' messages below for the recommended search procedures for each Operating System.

3. After making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts have been removed from the computer, empty the Recycle Bin, restart the computer, then run a registry cleaner until no invalid registry entries are found. It is advisable to run the registry cleaner REPEATEDLY (always restart the computer before running the registry cleaner again) because fixing some invalid registry entries can cause other registry entries to become invalid.

If you are uninstalling the program because you believe that the installation is corrupt, these steps are especially important . Making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts are manually deleted after an uninstall, and using a registry cleaner to remove all invalid registry entries, is the best way to ensure that all corruption has been removed.

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NOTE #1: The only things that need to be removed from the registry after an uninstall are invalid registry entries. And, only a proper registry cleaner can find and remove ALL invalid registry entries. Beside the fact that there is no need to manually remove software references from the registry after an uninstall, it is never a good idea to do so - because manually removing software references from the registry can cause the registry to be corrupted. If/when a registry is corrupted, the only recourse is often to reformat the hard drive and reinstall the Operating System (unless you made sure to back up the registry before editing it).

NOTE: #2 If you don't have a registry cleaner installed on your computer, you can download the free CCleaner by clicking on the link below

Download Latest Version of CCleaner

If you use CCleaner, you must remember to click on the 'Registry' button on the left side of the window before starting the scan. And, with CCleaner, running the registry cleaner repeatedly will often cause the same invalid registry entries to be displayed over and over. If that happens more than twice, the only option is to allow those invalid registry entries to remain - because indications are that those invalid registry entries are not truly
invalid at all.

The 'Cleaner' option in CCleaner is a very useful tool for cleaning out unnecessary files and folders on the hard drive. So, it is also be a good idea to run the 'Cleaner' option in addition to the 'Registry' option.



Brandy redux -> Tips for uninstalling Broderbund software (2/14/2010 4:48:08 PM)

NOTE: This message does not apply to either PrintMaster 2.0 or Print Shop 2.0.

Broderbund programs, including (but not limited to) Print Shop, PrintMaster, Creating Keepsakes Scrapbook Designer and Calendar Creator, are installed in the Program Files folder where most software is installed. However, many Broderbund programs will also install files and folders in other locations on the hard drive.

When one of those Broderbund programs is uninstalled because it is suspected that that installation is corrupt, it is always a good idea to make sure to manually delete all files and folders stored on the hard drive which are not automatically removed during a normal uninstall - to make sure that all corruption is removed before the program is reinstalled.

Following are the paths to additional folders where Broderbund software is commonly installed:

WinXP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Broderbund Software\Print
    and

    C:\Documents and Settings\[your-username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Broderbund Software\Print

WinVista/Win 7: C:\Users\All Users\Broderbund Software\Print
    and

    C:\Users\[your-username]\AppData\Local\Broderbund Software\Print\

    and

    C:\ProgramData\Broderbund Software\Print

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PrintMaster Address Books can be accessed from and saved to ONLY the BOOKS folder which is a subfolder of the Print folders displayed below (PrintMaster Address Books cannot be accessed from or saved to the Documents folder)

WinXP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Broderbund Software\Print

WinVista/Win 7:C:\ProgramData\Broderbund Software\Print and C:\Users\All Users\Broderbund Software\Print

(As can be seen, when PrintMaster Address Books are saved on WinVista and Windows 7, they are saved into two folders.)

For example, the Address Books for PrintMaster 18 would be saved to these folders on a WinVista or Windows 7 computer

C:\ProgramData\Broderbund Software\Print\PrintMaster\18.0\Books

C:\Users\All Users\Broderbund Software\Print\PrintMaster\18.0\Books

To make sure that saved Address Books are not removed during the uninstall process, they should be backed up before PrintMaster is uninstalled. When those Address Books are restored, it will be necessary to restore those Address Books back to the same two folders - because an Address Book will not be displayed in the File | Open list if it is not in both folders.

Print Shop Address Books can easily be saved to the Documents folder. So, if you have saved your Address Books to the Documents folder, it is not necessary to back up those Address Books before uninstalling Print Shop.

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The files which control the Project Gallery and the Art Gallery are stored in the ART & PROJECTS folders which are subfolders of this Print folder

WinXP: C:\Documents and Settings\[your-username]\Local Settings\Application Data\Broderbund Software\Print

WinVista/Win 7:C:\Users\[your-username]\AppData\Local\Broderbund Software\Print\

For example, the ART & PROJECTS folders for PrintMaster 18 would be found in this folder on a WinVista or Windows7 computer

C:\Users\[your-username]\AppData\Local\Broderbund Software\Print\PrintMaster\18.0\PROJECTS

Since those files can easily become corrupt if the video card driver is outdated or corrupt, the folder for the program that was uninstalled (in this case, the 18.0 folder) should be deleted before the program is reinstalled. It is completely safe to delete the PrintMaster folder - because a fresh install of that 18.0 folder will be performed when PrintMaster is uninstalled.

If there is only one version of PrintMaster installed on the computer, the PrintMaster folder in this example can also be safely deleted.

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It is not absolutely necessary to delete the Adbook.exe file which controls the PrintMaster Address Book program. But, it is always a good idea to know that that file is installed in this folder

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Broderbund\UMM



Brandy redux -> Hard drive search: WinXP (2/14/2010 7:04:14 PM)

Hard drive search: WinXP

The preferred method for uninstalling software in WinXP is to go to Control Panel, select 'Add or remove Programs', click on the name of the program which is to be uninstalled, then click on either the 'Change/Remove' button or on the 'Remove' button (depending upon which button is offered). Then, follow through with whatever steps are required to complete the uninstall process.

After the uninstall process is completed, the next thing to do would be to open Windows Explorer, go to C:\Program Files\, then look for a folder which matches the name of the program that was just uninstalled. If you find a folder which EXACTLY matches that name, you'll want to delete that entire folder - because until that folder is removed, the program is not completely uninstalled.

Then, if you want to make sure that all files and folders related to that program have been removed, it will be necessary to perform a search of the entire hard drive.

Following are the recommended steps for performing a search of a WinXP hard drive:

1. Click on 'Start', then click on 'Search'.

2. When the 'Search Results' window opens, click on the down arrow next to 'More Advanced Options'.

3. When the menu drops down, click in the box next to

* Search System Folders
* Search Hidden Files and Folders
* Search subfolders

to place checkmarks in those boxes.

4. Click on the down arrow next to the 'Type of File' box, then select (All Files and Folders) in the list that drops down.

5. Type the name of the program that was uninstalled into the "All or part of the file name:" box. Be sure to type the name correctly and without any misspellings.

6. Click on the down arrow next to the "Look In:" box, then select the C:\ drive in the list that drops down.

If the program was not installed on the C:\ drive, select 'Local Hard Drives'.

7. Click on the 'Search' button.

8. When the search is completed, delete only those items which EXACTLY match the name and version number of the program that was uninstalled.

After making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts have been removed from the computer, it is always a good idea to restart the computer and run a registry cleaner REPEATEDLY until no invalid registry entries are found. It is advisable to run the registry cleaner REPEATEDLY (always restart the computer before running the registry cleaner again) because fixing some invalid registry entries can cause other registry entries to become invalid.

If you are uninstalling the program because you believe that the installation is corrupt, these steps are especially important . Making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts are manually deleted after an uninstall, and using a registry cleaner to remove all invalid registry entries, is the best way to ensure that all corruption has been removed.



Brandy redux -> Hard drive search: WinVista (2/14/2010 7:33:51 PM)

Hard drive search: WinVista

The preferred method for uninstalling software in WinVista is to go to Control Panel, select 'Programs and Features', click on the name of the program which is to be uninstalled, then click on 'Uninstall' at the top of the screen. Then, follow through with whatever steps are required to complete the uninstall process.

NOTE: If you don't see 'Uninstall' at the top of the screen (between 'Views' and 'Change'), restart the computer then try the process again.

After the uninstall process is completed, the next thing to do would be to open Windows Explorer, go to C:\Program Files\, then look for a folder which matches the name of the program that was just uninstalled. If you find a folder which EXACTLY matches that name, you'll want to delete that entire folder - because until that folder is removed, the program is not completely uninstalled.

Then, if you want to make sure that all files and folders related to that program have been removed, it will be necessary to perform a search of the entire hard drive.

Following are the recommended steps for performing a search of a WinVista hard drive.

First, however, a little explanation is required of the Search process in WinVista. When WinVista was first released, it was possible to place a 'Search' button in the Start menu. When SP 1 was released, the 'Search' button was gone. But, it was possible to perform a simple search by clicking on 'Start' then just typing the keyword for the search - without clicking on anything first. If the search didn't find anything, it was possible to go to Advanced Search by clicking on 'Search Everywhere'. However, with SP 2 installed, clicking on 'Search Everywhere' causes the default browser to open.

A simple search can be performed on a WinVista hard drive by opening Windows Explorer, clicking on the drive or folder to be searched, then typing the search word into the Search box in the upper right hand corner. However, searching in that manner will not find all files and folders which match the search word. And, searching in that manner will find items which are not related to the search word.

The method I prefer for searching a WinVista hard drive is to do an Advanced Search. However, getting to the Advanced Search window is more complicated now than it used to be:

1. Open Windows Explorer.

2. Click in the 'Search' box in the upper right hand corner of the window.

3. Type anything into that box.

4. When 'Search Tools' appears in the toolbar at the top of the window, click on the down arrow next to 'Search Tools' then select 'Search Pane' in the window that drops down.

5. When the 'Search Pane' window opens, click on the down arrow next to 'Advanced Search' in the upper right hand corner of the window.

6. When the 'Advanced Search' window opens, click on the down arrow next to the 'Location' box, then select the C:\ drive in the list that drops down. (If the program that was uninstalled was not installed in the C:\ drive, select 'Local Hard Drives'.)

7. Click in the box next to 'Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files (might be slow)' - to place a check mark in that box.

8. Type the name of the program that was uninstalled into the 'Name' box. Be sure to type the name correctly and without any misspellings.

9. Click on the 'Search' button. Then, find something else to do - because the search could take several minutes to complete.

10. When the search is completed, delete only those items which EXACTLY match the name and version number of the program that was uninstalled.

After making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts have been removed from the computer, it is always a good idea to restart the computer and run a registry cleaner REPEATEDLY until no invalid registry entries are found. It is advisable to run the registry cleaner REPEATEDLY (always restart the computer before running the registry cleaner again) because fixing some invalid registry entries can cause other registry entries to become invalid.

If you are uninstalling the program because you believe that the installation is corrupt, these steps are especially important . Making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts are manually deleted after an uninstall, and using a registry cleaner to remove all invalid registry entries, is the best way to ensure that all corruption has been removed.



Brandy redux -> Hard drive search: Windows 7 (2/14/2010 8:03:06 PM)

Hard drive search: Windows 7

The preferred method for uninstalling software in Windows 7 is to go to Control Panel, select 'Programs and Features', click on the name of the program which is to be uninstalled, then click on 'Uninstall' at the top of the screen. Then, follow through with whatever steps are required to complete the uninstall process.

NOTE: If you don't see 'Uninstall' at the top of the screen, restart the computer then try the process again.

After the uninstall process is completed, the next thing to do would be to open Windows Explorer, go to C:\Program Files\, then look for a folder which matches the name of the program that was just uninstalled. If you find a folder which EXACTLY matches that name, you'll want to delete that entire folder - because until that folder is removed, the program is not completely uninstalled.

Then, if you want to make sure that all files and folders related to that program have been removed, it will be necessary to perform a search of the entire hard drive.

Following are the recommended steps for performing a search of a Windows 7 hard drive.

1. Click on Start.

2. Type the name of the program that was uninstalled - without clicking on anything first.

3. When the 'See More Results' option appears at the bottom of the Start menu, click on 'See More Results'.

4. When the 'Search Results' window opens, wait for the Search to complete.

5. When the search is completed, delete only those items which EXACTLY match the name and version number of the program that was uninstalled.

After making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts have been removed from the computer, it is always a good idea to restart the computer and run a registry cleaner REPEATEDLY until no invalid registry entries are found. It is advisable to run the registry cleaner REPEATEDLY (always restart the computer before running the registry cleaner again) because fixing some invalid registry entries can cause other registry entries to become invalid.

If you are uninstalling the program because you believe that the installation is corrupt, these steps are especially important . Making sure that all files, folders, icons and shortcuts are manually deleted after an uninstall, and using a registry cleaner to remove all invalid registry entries, is the best way to ensure that all corruption has been removed.



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