A monster mess

[wrenchead3]

I feel like Dr. Frankenstein. I have created a monster, it's alive. Over the past few years I have swapped out hd's , d/l'ed programs,copied, borrowed and plain old scavenged programs and they are everywhere on this beast. Way to many locations and folders. Is there any software or maybe a process to hunt down all the programs in their uninstalled state so that I can collect them and get them onto a dvd or whatever? Then I can reinstall the os and not have such o mess.

 

[mssssee2]

What exactly are you asking for? Frankly I did not quite comprehend your question. You want to delete thoe programms or to keep them in Dvd? If you want to delete them why don't you just uninstall them? Additionally, do you want to keep the programm setup files or the installed files, whether it's the second you'll have to backup the whole drive. I don't think there's a process for what you are asking for, which apparently is not very clear. I hope someone can help you out.

 

[KSoD]

Basically the only thing you can do is under folder option make sure to uncheck the box that says to hide known file extensions. That way when you are looking thru your folders you can find the .exe files that are used to install most applicaitons. There is also .msi for some windows ones as well.

Best bet is to do what i ahve done. Make a seperate partition just for your downloads. From there create several folders in there. Each folder for seperate things. A Executable folder, zipped folder, unzipped folder, ISO folder, and so on. That way when you download somethin you have it go to the root of the drive. Than after you install it or whatever you want to do with it you can move it to the correct folder.

It is the same way on my External drive as well. I have the same setup. That way when my downloads drive starts to get full i can move everything to my external and it looks the same. So that way when i am looking for a specific setup i know where to look. I have things saved from over 5 years ago.

But for a script or applicaiton to search your drives and do this all for you...i have not seen anything like it. Sorry.

 

[mssssee2]

Ah, that's what I also do, sorry for not understanding his question.

 

[EricB]

use the windows search to find all of your .exe and .msi files. then follow their advice