Fine-grained control over apps
When you’re uninstalling software one-by-one, it isn’t much trouble, but if you have more than one app to get rid of you might be glad of a little help. Another uninstallation pitfall—some software can be more tricky to fully erase than others and a simple Windows uninstall may not remove every trace of the app. In cases like this, some users will turn to an uninstall app to scrub their computer of both multiple and complex programs. Is this a good idea, or is it too much for the average user?
Remove even deep-rooted software
Uninstall multiple apps at once with this super uninstaller
IObit Uninstaller is an uninstaller app for Windows. It allows you to uninstall multiple apps at once, as well as offering other features that make the uninstall process easier and more effective.
Installing the app is painless and quick. The interface is attractive and modern and, most importantly, lays out all of the options and features very clearly, so you’ll never be in any doubt as to what to do next. The program’s main options are laid out on the left-hand side. Here you’ll see all the software you have installed on your computer, and a few filtering options to make it easier to see what you should uninstall first, including the biggest offenders, programs you use infrequently, and software you’ve installed recently.
In the same menu, you’ll also see options that will allow you to see the default Windows apps, as well as a toolbar monitor for the browsers you have installed. Finally, there’s an update center, alerting you to any apps that are out of date. The other apps you see here are not what they seem—the Install Monitor (which sounds useful) is only available to Pro subscribers, and the options under Action Center are actually other IObit apps you can download and not options included in IObit Uninstaller.
The central part of the uninstaller is where the apps you have installed on your computer will appear. They will be sorted according to the criteria you have selected, and you’ll be able to find out more about each app, in case you’ve forgotten what they do or where they came from. Simply select the ones you no longer need, and hit the Uninstall button. Depending on how many programs you’ve selected for uninstallation and how “deep” their roots are, the time needed to do this will vary.
By clicking the small briefcase symbol on the right of the screen, you’ll find some of IObit Uninstaller’s other features, one or two of which are quite interesting. One is a spot uninstaller, where you bring the little target to a program icon to uninstall it, rather than looking for the name in a list. This can be useful for malicious programs that are trying to avoid being uninstalled. There’s also an uninstall history, which again can be useful if you’re trying to uninstall software that might have come from suspicious origins.
IObit Uninstaller isn’t the kind of program you’ll have lots of problems with, but if you do happen to run into trouble, there is an active forum on the IObit website and plenty of instructional videos online.
Where can you run this program?
IObit Uninstaller will work on machines running Windows 10/Win8/Win7/Vista/XP.
Is there a better alternative?
IObit Uninstaller’s glaring negative is that you cannot access the install monitor function without paying for Pro, but none of the competing programs do either. On that basis, no—talking about the free version of the program, IObit Uninstaller is the best around.
Our take
Uninstalling software is no fun. Uninstalling multiple pieces of software is downright annoying. Using a program like IObit Uninstaller will help you out in a situation like this, allowing you to complete the job more effectively and offering you a variety of other, useful tools in the process.
If you’re very careful about what you install on your Windows machine, there’s a good chance you won’t need to uninstall apps with enough frequency to warrant a specific download, but if you’re a little more debonair with your installs, it’s definitely a great app to have waiting in the background. One thing—IObit Uninstaller works by running each app’s uninstall program. This means you still have to press buttons and make decisions, so even this program won’t make the process totally hands-free.
Should you download it?
If you find yourself uninstalling apps on a regular basis, this tool is a great one to have to hand.
