Manual Uninstalling Question..

[jolancer]

Need To Know:

I have never atempted or have any experience with this. So im asking cause i would like some beforhand.

What im wondering is, if i wonted to either Manually Uninstall or just monitor a Programs Installation so i could Verify that "Every Single Bit" of it is removed after Uninstallation....

example
(would i beable to monitor every detail of change that a Installation program my do to the system with these such programs so i could manually undo them if need be?)
...
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/Regmon.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/utilities/filemon.mspx

and if so, please point out a few basic starting pointers if you know any, and or anything else i may need. Thx.
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Dont Need to know:

but this is why im asking...
On my Gaming Rig, i use a Clean Windows XPpro SP1... and i keep it Very Clean... theres a few programs i would like to try out though, but possibly Rmove afterward, Either IF: they 1)cause any issues, or 2)reach there point of usefullness.

like the program "Fraps" for example. for gameplay vid capturing.

 

[technogab]

You can always just backup your registry at its current state. And when you want to revert back, just restore it

 

[jolancer]

thats a good idea... but that would only work if the program in question is the Last thing i installed.

and i would also like to know of any files it may install... example - like you know how some apps may not install everything it its own /programs directory, but may add other crapp elseware too.

 

[technogab]

That's true. Then how about www.drivesnapshot.de

A good little imaging program (free to try). Even after the trial expires, it will still let you restore from passed images, just not make new ones.

But it will let you image that drive (even while windows is running). And it also includes a file explorer so you can mount the image as a new drive and explore it if you need to retrieve any files without actually re-imaging the computer. This is nice because sometimes we make an image of a PC, and then a person may need a file off it, then you can just open the image with the program and pull the individual file out.

I guess what I'm getting at is you can image the PC. Then if you want to see what changes have been made, you can always explore the image and run a "compare" on it and see what differs.

 

[jolancer]

thx for the suggestion,

but i already have a image backup program.. i use ImageDrive 7.
because i have more then one computer, the only thing besides drivers on my gaming rig, are games... so i backed up Windows b4 i installing any games. Doing a proccess like you mentioned now would be Impractical cause with all the games installed the OS Volume is now roughly somewere over 30GBs used.

im lookin fora bit more practial method.

 

[technogab]

Hmmm, then that's a tough one. I don't know of any Windows programs that would do what you are asking.

Good luck, let us know if you find a solution.