Program Uninstall
- Thread starter ZeeOSix
- Start date
Originally Posted by Pew
You can uninstall it from the built-in Win10 uninstaller, no need to activate Office 2019 you haven't already. Or you can install Office 2013 with Office 2019 still on there.
I'm just wondering if Revo Uninstaller will remove it better because it cleans up files and folders that most built-in uninstallers usually leave behind. And will Revo Uninstaller work without issues of the trial version of Office has not yet been activated on this machine?
I don't want to load Office 2013 over Office 2019 … that might cause some issues, but even if not I'd probably be left with a load of unused files/folders.
You can uninstall it from the built-in Win10 uninstaller, no need to activate Office 2019 you haven't already. Or you can install Office 2013 with Office 2019 still on there.
I'm just wondering if Revo Uninstaller will remove it better because it cleans up files and folders that most built-in uninstallers usually leave behind. And will Revo Uninstaller work without issues of the trial version of Office has not yet been activated on this machine?
I don't want to load Office 2013 over Office 2019 … that might cause some issues, but even if not I'd probably be left with a load of unused files/folders.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by Pew
You can uninstall it from the built-in Win10 uninstaller, no need to activate Office 2019 you haven't already. Or you can install Office 2013 with Office 2019 still on there.
I'm just wondering if Revo Uninstaller will remove it better because it cleans up files and folders that the built-in uninstallers usually leave behind. And will Revo Uninstaller work without issues of the trial version of Office has not yet been activated on this machine?
I don't want to load Office 2013 over Office 2019 … that might cause some issues, but even if not I'd probably be left with a load of unused files/folders.
You'll be fine using the traditional route, I've done it hundreds of times.
Originally Posted by Pew
You can uninstall it from the built-in Win10 uninstaller, no need to activate Office 2019 you haven't already. Or you can install Office 2013 with Office 2019 still on there.
I'm just wondering if Revo Uninstaller will remove it better because it cleans up files and folders that the built-in uninstallers usually leave behind. And will Revo Uninstaller work without issues of the trial version of Office has not yet been activated on this machine?
I don't want to load Office 2013 over Office 2019 … that might cause some issues, but even if not I'd probably be left with a load of unused files/folders.
You'll be fine using the traditional route, I've done it hundreds of times.
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
Originally Posted by Touring5
Revo can remove things the normal uninstaller omits, but it can be a bit risky if you use the agressive mode. In the pro version you have the option to monitor the installation and then use that data for uninstall - a much safer and thorough removal.
I've used Revo Uninstall (free version) to remove quite a few programs on my Win7 machine over the years. It always seemed to do a great job.
I'd rather have the uninstall be as clean as possible (no left over Office files/folders/Registry files), so thinking I might download Revo Uninstaller (free version) and give it a try. Question is, will it do a complete uninstall on Office if I haven't "activated" Office yet?
Originally Posted by Touring5
I've used Revo and other installers in the past to remove all traces of trial software (some trials add registry key data that doesn't get uninstalled, so if you re-install you can't "reset" the counter).
Can you explain more about your comment in red? So are you saying Revo Uninstaller would take care of that better than just using the Office built in "uninstall".
I don't know what the counter is you're referring too.
Several years ago I used a program that had a 30-day free trial. After 30 days it would no longer run. If you uninstalled it and then re-installed it, it would continue to refuse to run because the 30 day trial was up. I did a little poking around and found that on the first install it created a registry key (it was the name of the program spelled backwards so it wouldn't be too easy to find with a regedit search). That key contained the time (in seconds past midnight from some year in the past) of the install. If the program is uninstalled, it left the key behind and any subsequent installs would look to see if it existed and not overwrite it. That time was checked whenever you started to run the program to see if the trial period had expired. I used a program back then called Total Uninstall - it basically took a snapshot of the file system and registry before the install and then did another after the install to find the differences. You could then do an uninstall via Total Uninstall and it would use that info to either do the uninstall or clean up after the windows uninstaller did it's thing. Revo Pro has an program install monitor that does something along the same lines as Total Uninstall. I don't recall if the free version has it.
I believe that when a program is installed, it creates a file that windows uninstall uses to remove it (sometimes called uninstall.exe or uninst.exe, located in the program file folder or appdata). Often you will find such a file in the program file directory for that program with a time/date identical to when you installed the program. I don't know what happens with factory installed application.
I think sometimes poorly written install configurations don't properly include all the changes, so that when the uninst is used by windows uninstall, things can get orphaned. I had an install of a program get corrupted and despite trying to use windows uninstaller, reinstalls would tell me I hadn't entered the product key (which I owned), but if I tried to enter it, it would tell me it was already registered. I didn't use any monitoring on the install and could never get it to function (I ended up ditching it and going to a free program). Some programs, and I'd think Office would be a prime example, make massive changes to the registry - hopefully they do uninstall fully.
Originally Posted by Touring5
Revo can remove things the normal uninstaller omits, but it can be a bit risky if you use the agressive mode. In the pro version you have the option to monitor the installation and then use that data for uninstall - a much safer and thorough removal.
I've used Revo Uninstall (free version) to remove quite a few programs on my Win7 machine over the years. It always seemed to do a great job.
I'd rather have the uninstall be as clean as possible (no left over Office files/folders/Registry files), so thinking I might download Revo Uninstaller (free version) and give it a try. Question is, will it do a complete uninstall on Office if I haven't "activated" Office yet?
Originally Posted by Touring5
I've used Revo and other installers in the past to remove all traces of trial software (some trials add registry key data that doesn't get uninstalled, so if you re-install you can't "reset" the counter).
Can you explain more about your comment in red? So are you saying Revo Uninstaller would take care of that better than just using the Office built in "uninstall".
I don't know what the counter is you're referring too.
Several years ago I used a program that had a 30-day free trial. After 30 days it would no longer run. If you uninstalled it and then re-installed it, it would continue to refuse to run because the 30 day trial was up. I did a little poking around and found that on the first install it created a registry key (it was the name of the program spelled backwards so it wouldn't be too easy to find with a regedit search). That key contained the time (in seconds past midnight from some year in the past) of the install. If the program is uninstalled, it left the key behind and any subsequent installs would look to see if it existed and not overwrite it. That time was checked whenever you started to run the program to see if the trial period had expired. I used a program back then called Total Uninstall - it basically took a snapshot of the file system and registry before the install and then did another after the install to find the differences. You could then do an uninstall via Total Uninstall and it would use that info to either do the uninstall or clean up after the windows uninstaller did it's thing. Revo Pro has an program install monitor that does something along the same lines as Total Uninstall. I don't recall if the free version has it.
I believe that when a program is installed, it creates a file that windows uninstall uses to remove it (sometimes called uninstall.exe or uninst.exe, located in the program file folder or appdata). Often you will find such a file in the program file directory for that program with a time/date identical to when you installed the program. I don't know what happens with factory installed application.
I think sometimes poorly written install configurations don't properly include all the changes, so that when the uninst is used by windows uninstall, things can get orphaned. I had an install of a program get corrupted and despite trying to use windows uninstaller, reinstalls would tell me I hadn't entered the product key (which I owned), but if I tried to enter it, it would tell me it was already registered. I didn't use any monitoring on the install and could never get it to function (I ended up ditching it and going to a free program). Some programs, and I'd think Office would be a prime example, make massive changes to the registry - hopefully they do uninstall fully.
Last edited:
Touring5 - what you described above is why I'm thinking that using Revo Uninstaller is maybe the best way to go on this. The free version of Revo does not do a super deep clean like the paid version, but the free version does go and remove left over files & folders, and does go into the Registry and clean that up too of anything associated with that removed program beyond what the program's built-in uninstall does.
Originally Posted by ZeeOSix
I don't want to load Office 2013 over Office 2019 … that might cause some issues, but even if not I'd probably be left with a load of unused files/folders.
You're making this too way too hard. Just uninstall the short term Office 2019 version, then install your 2013 version.
I don't want to load Office 2013 over Office 2019 … that might cause some issues, but even if not I'd probably be left with a load of unused files/folders.
You're making this too way too hard. Just uninstall the short term Office 2019 version, then install your 2013 version.
- Joined
- May 16, 2021
- Messages
- 414
"Revo Uninstaller seems to result in a cleaner uninstall because it cleans up related folders and the registry."
I've used the revo uninstaller for several yrs and find that it works much better than the
built in Windows installer. You can do a deep search with it for leftover pieces of a program you are deleting.
Just my 2 cents worth.
