Where do they hide these junk files?

Hi,

I was wondering about when you install some trial, demo or some share ware programs etc. When you uninstall (supposed to remove the files they planted on your PC) the program it is well known that some file/s are left behind so that when you try and reinstall the program it greets you with "This program has expired or was installed already" or something in the like. Is there a certain place where this "tracking" file/junk is stored? Is it only in the registry or in the Windows, System, System32? In the past I had some limited success by climbing into the regedit and removing traces of leftovers of the uninstalled program. That does not always work and besides is risky to fiddle with the registry (make backup first).

Utilities like Norton, CleanPC, Registry Medic does not seem to sniff out the planted file or entry.

Does anyone knows about a utility that can actually remove all this junk that gets left behind on your PC. I am sure over time it must accumulate and surly must slow down performance and cause freeze-ups etc.

Also how do you remove the entry in Window's uninstall list when it reports that there was an error in the uninstall process which now leaves you with the program (or part of it) missing but still shows up in the list?

I am asking the above questions not for illegal purposes and are not referring to any specific program, but more for interest and for the fact that I hate unnecessary junk left behind on my PC.

Thanks E

There are few utils that monitor your system and find changing on registry and systems files.

Search REGSNAP - they claim that it can track all this info, and can make back steps on registry keys.

I am using it for a week and do not have time to explore features.

Also I am using Firelog utilite - you can start it before installation of any program and it will report all changing in your HDD, registry and any system file that you pointed. Using it (ver 1.0) for about 2 or 3 years with success.

It is free, take it here (ver 1.5):

**broken link removed**

hmm seems that page is pointed to nowhere, I have found link on ftp:

ftp://nich4.science.tsu.ru/Tools/System/FireLog/fl_setup.exe

but I do not know program version on this ftp.

Best Wishes! klug.

Another way to deal with this is to save your disk's image, run the trial program and when you've had your play, restore the image.
Try Partition Magic.
8)

JJ

Using DiskCopy or Partition Magic is some fussy method - I have 20 GB on windows partition why I need to backup all partition?

For windows backup I am using WinResque - It makes copy of "d:\windows\" and "d:\Program Files" with great success.
Restoring is possible from DOS floppy.

Also it is simply to make by Linux - there is some Linux distributive on
single 1.44M disk - boot, mount vfat, and tar -zcvf ... all LFNs are correctly keeping.

Snapshot of windows 98 directory is about 600M - good to place on CD.

ftp version 1.5

The file on the ftp link is version 1.5