How to Uninstall pre-installed software?

[Peabody]

I'm new to XP and new to pre-installed software. I would like to
uninstall virtually all of the pre-installed stuff.

It looks like some of it is Windows components, such as MSM
Explorer and Windows Messenger. I assume I can take care of those
through Add/Remove Windows Components.

Others include:

AOL
Google Toolbar
Norton Internet Security, incl.(?) LiveReg and LiveUpdate
McAfee AntiSpyware and Security Center
Microsoft .NET
Microsoft Office
Napster
Nero (might leave this one on)
Pure Networks Port Magic (?)

I assume these would be uninstalled through Add/Remove, but some of
them may be running, and I don't know how to shut them down. When I
hit Ctrl/Alt/Del, instead of the Explorer and Systray I had under
98SE, there are now about 50 processes, most of which I can't
identify.

If anyone out there has been down this road, I would appreciate any
general or specific advice you might have on how to do this.

 

[Guest]

I would start with Add/Remove programs. Once you get rid of those you can
focus on the others.

As for processes, I wouldn't look at those using Task Manager. I would
concentrate on what auto loads or starts up when Windows starts. These do
show up in Task manager and can be identified by using Msconfig utility, but
most should be removed by add/remove programs even if the process is listed
in task manager.

 

[Heirloom]

Re: Messenger, do a Google search for "Remove Windows Messenger".....there
are some nifty little reg tweaks that will get rid of it, for now or
permanently. Also, get yourself a copy of jv16 Power Tools, (Google search
for a dl'd of the free version 1.3) and a copy of the free Crap Cleaner (new
version just came out), www.ccleaner.com . Both of these apps do a fine
job of removing the detritus left over from previously "removed" programs.
Heirloom, old and going to bed now

 

[John John]

I would think twice before uninstalling all the pre-installed stuff.
Some of it you should really uninstall, others why? I'm cutting into
your post to reply:

It looks like some of it is Windows components, such as MSM
Explorer and Windows Messenger. I assume I can take care of those
through Add/Remove Windows Components.

Get rid of these! MSM might be removable from the Add/Remove programs.
Windows Messenger is a security risk that hardly anyone should have on
their pc, disable it! See here for an easy, small disable utility:

Shoot The Messenger
http://www.grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm

While you're on the GRC site also run this:

UnPlug n' Pray
http://www.grc.com/unpnp/unpnp.htm

The thing is probably not running but even better to have it disabled!
All kinds of other good information on that site to check on.

AOL

Is it really installed? Probably just desktop or C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs shortcuts. Uninstall or delete
these.

Google Toolbar

I would get rid of that.

Norton Internet Security, incl.(?) LiveReg and LiveUpdate

Disable LiveReg and LiveUpdate. Internet Security? Probably a bag of
bugs. But AV software might be bundled in there. Might be useful, can
be disabled instead of removed.

McAfee AntiSpyware and Security Center

AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy probably just as good. As Norton
above, possibly includes AV software. Might be useful, can be disabled
instead of removed.

Microsoft .NET

Part of XP core files (.net framework). Extremely hard to remove
properly, and may cause problems if you try or do remove.

Microsoft Office

Why remove it? It's a pretty good suite and would cost approximately
anywheres between $300 and $700 to replace. If you don't use it it
hurts nothing and if you want to use it it will be there. I would not
remove this unless I had a severe philosophical grudge against Microsoft.

Napster

Crap to me, but up to you to decide, some absolutely love it. If you
really don't use it uninstall it. Used to download music from $pay
music providers.

Nero (might leave this one on)

Probably yes leave it there for now. If you dont use it it won't hurt
anything, like Office above. What will you replace it with? Certainly
not Roxio! (I hope...)

Pure Networks Port Magic (?)

I don't know what it is.

I assume these would be uninstalled through Add/Remove, but some of
them may be running, and I don't know how to shut them down. When I
hit Ctrl/Alt/Del, instead of the Explorer and Systray I had under
98SE, there are now about 50 processes, most of which I can't
identify.

Yes, use Add/Remove first if the items are available in there for
removal. For the other stuff be careful. Look here for information on
some of the processes:

http://www.answersthatwork.com/
(Look in the Task List)

Services Guide for Windows XP
http://www.theeldergeek.com/services_guide.htm

As with W98 use msconfig to look at what starts when you start the pc.
Also this is one of the niftiest startup control tools that I have ever
come across, easy, simple and quite informative, works on ALL Windows
versions:

http://members.lycos.co.uk/codestuff/

50 startup processes is pretty heavy in my opinion. A lot heavy! Most
likely you can easily pare that down to less than 30 and less than 20 if
you are aggressive and know what is going on and what to shut down or
disable. But take it easy, one thing at a time. Don't disable things
that you are unsure about, search the net for information or ask again
in this group for the things you are unsure about. There are other
places to look at to stop or disable services/processes but best to
start slowly and get used to XP before you go in too deep.

John

 

[Towelie]

Wow, they preinstalled Norton *and* McAfee?! Unbelieveable. Seriously,
I'm speechless. Does the incompetence of OEMs know no bounds?

Who's the manufacturer? There may be an easier method built in to
remove preinstalled stuff or even to remaster it with Windows & drivers
only.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Wow, they preinstalled Norton *and* McAfee?!

So the user gets their choice of system hogging, bloated, stick my fingers
into every nook and cranny and gum up the works software.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Peabody]

John John says...

Thanks very much for the reply. Generally, I prefer to
remove ununsed apps entirely, particularly from the
registry. My responses interleaved:

Get rid of these! MSM might be removable from the
Add/Remove programs. Windows Messenger is a security
risk that hardly anyone should have on their pc, disable
it! See here for an easy, small disable utility:

Both MSM Explorer and Windows Messenger appear under the
Windows Components tab in Add/Remove. I was planning on
just unchecking these boxes. Does that not work? Does it
remove them from the drive and registry, or just disable
them?

UnPlug n' Pray
http://www.grc.com/unpnp/unpnp.htm

The thing is probably not running but even better to
have it disabled! All kinds of other good information on
that site to check on.

Thanks for reminding me about UPNP.

Yes, Gibson's site is great. I've been using his un-binding
network setting rules under 98SE, and I think they've kept
me out of trouble. But I can't figure out how to duplicate
them under XP.

Is it really installed? Probably just desktop or
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs
shortcuts. Uninstall or delete these.

Yes it is installed. But I haven't activated it. So I need
to uninstall.

Disable LiveReg and LiveUpdate. Internet Security?
Probably a bag of bugs. But AV software might be
bundled in there. Might be useful, can be disabled
instead of removed.

It's just a 30-day trial, and I wouldn't use Norton for this
anyway. It's too big and combersome to leave in, but I read
all kinds of bad things on the net about how difficult it is
to uninstall. Norton itself even offers a program to do it
if Add/Remove doesn't work. But they say that program
doesn't always work either. This one bothers me.

AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy probably just as
good. As Norton above, possibly includes AV software.
Might be useful, can be disabled instead of removed.

Apparently it's just the AntiSpyware stuff. The Security
Center seems to be a management tool for whatever McAfee
stuff you have installed. This appears not to be a trial,
but I would just rather use Spybot.

Part of XP core files (.net framework). Extremely hard
to remove properly, and may cause problems if you try or
do remove.

There's an entry in Add/Remove for Microsoft .NET Framework
1.1. Does that not do it?

Why remove it? It's a pretty good suite and would cost
approximately anywheres between $300 and $700 to
replace. If you don't use it it hurts nothing and if
you want to use it it will be there. I would not remove
this unless I had a severe philosophical grudge against
Microsoft.

Well here again, it's a trial that expires in 30 days, and
I'm just never going to buy Office for this computer. So I
want it gone.

Thanks again.

 

[Peabody]

Towelie says...

Wow, they preinstalled Norton *and* McAfee?!
Unbelieveable. Seriously, I'm speechless. Does the
incompetence of OEMs know no bounds?

Who's the manufacturer? There may be an easier method
built in to remove preinstalled stuff or even to
remaster it with Windows & drivers only.

Apparently it's just the AntiSpyware app in McAfee. I don't
know what's in Norton, but it's just a trial anyway, and
it's not activated. Installed, but doesn't come up at boot.
I just don't want it on my computer.

This is an eMachines T6524, which appears to be a good
machine for the money. The only complaint I have is the
"free" software.

I'm working on the remastering idea. It came with a System
Recovery DVD, and I tried replacing the system drive with an
old empty 20GB drive, and booted with the DVD. It installed
what appears to be only Windows. This might be because the
drive was so small that it didn't try to install the apps,
but I've looked at the DVD in WE, and I don't see any of the
app stuff there.

But then on the original install, there's a function called
System Recovery which lets you burn a restore DVD for
"applications and drivers", and I did that, and indeed there
they are, each in a separate folder.

Then in the hidden partition on the big drive, it looks like
there's full recovery for everything - Windows and the apps.

It looks like "restore" CDs have come a long way. If your
hard drive is still working and the hidden partition still
intact, you appear to have three choices:

1. Destructive reinstall to as-delivered status. Lose all
settings, apps, and data.

2. Copy entire contents of C: to a file, then do #1. At
least saves data.

3. Repair install of XP.

 

[John John]

Hi Peabody. If you really don't plan on using the applications and
really don't want them on your pc then use the Add/Remove Programs
applet to remove them properly. DON'T bother trying to clean the
registry! Whatever remnants are left in there won't bother anything but
over scrubbing the registry might cause problems. Of course it's your
pc and I know that it might bug you thinking that the registry might
have a bit of clutter in it, it's your call. Other answers and comments
inline:

Both MSM Explorer and Windows Messenger appear under the
Windows Components tab in Add/Remove. I was planning on
just unchecking these boxes. Does that not work? Does it
remove them from the drive and registry, or just disable
them?

I don't know about MSM and how it would remove, I have never installed
it on any of my computers. As I said earlier the first thing to do is
to try to uninstall them from there. As for Messenger use the GRC
utility and disable it completely.

Yes it is installed. But I haven't activated it. So I need
to uninstall.

Then do uninstall it if its showing in the Control Panel Add/Remove.

It's just a 30-day trial, and I wouldn't use Norton for this
anyway. It's too big and combersome to leave in, but I read
all kinds of bad things on the net about how difficult it is
to uninstall. Norton itself even offers a program to do it
if Add/Remove doesn't work. But they say that program
doesn't always work either. This one bothers me.

Yes, Norton/Symantec products can be big, cumbersome bags of bugs.
McAfee is no better. Again uninstall them as suggested earlier. If the
Nortons hit a snag you will have to use the Symantec supplied utility to
"try" to properly remove it. Before you try to remove Norton go on
their site and read the relevant instruction and caveats there. By the
way, I don't know what is in that Norton suite but if Clean Sweep is in
there you can use that to remove stuff like AOL. Clean Sweep was not
that bad an application as developed by Quarterdeck in its days, no
saying how "nicely" Symantec would have "fixed" it since it acquired QD.

There's an entry in Add/Remove for Microsoft .NET Framework
1.1. Does that not do it?

I really wouldn't do that if I were you! You might be asking for a king
size headache if you try to uninstall that, plus, some of the software
that you have on the computer may stop working. Leave that alone!

Well here again, it's a trial that expires in 30 days, and
I'm just never going to buy Office for this computer. So I
want it gone.

Then uninstall it. That one will leave a lot of unwanted stuff on the
pc. There is or are Office cleanup and removal utilities available on
the Office web site for complete removal. Check there for further
instructions or post on the Office newsgroup for further help and advice
on it.

Good luck,

John