REM said:
These work pretty nicely together for a single install:
http://www.woundedmoon.org/win32/undoreg.html
Undoreg succeeds flawlessly for newly added keys. I use its GUI
version for instant removal of the newly-added keys it reads from
the logs it is handed. (I also routinely use its cmdline version to
provide me undo.reg files. Those undo.reg are systematically re-used
on my config, automated, for those programs which I run as guests.)
As to ChckCTrl5, it is fully reliable for one thing alone. Creation
of a batch for removal of the newly-added files read in the log.
http://members.tripod.com/~randy_hall/download.htm
On its other functions, it is significantly unreliable. At least when it
reads Inctrl logs, which is what I've tested it on; but I believe it would
make no difference if it were Regshot logs. It too often fails to remove
keys. Especially those with numeric tails, but there were several other
types of patterns in its failure too, AFAIR.
It's too bad that it does not succeed in all things it is designed to
do, since they were desirable goals. For instance, it makes an attempt
to work with the situation of added and changed values under pre-existing
keys. It also specifically makes its undo reg file for only those keys
which it spots currently in the registry, as opposed to the full works
of all it is reading in the log, that which could perhaps be useful info,
if it were successfully implemented, (and ideally if it were an optional
mode). As well, it also attempts to try to help out with creating a text
file to let user know which lines in certain files to change back (in
autoexec and system.ini etc).
Regshot was trying to develop some, from last I looked. The latest version
had something going on to do with undo functionality. It was wholly failed
in implementation, when I looked, though. I'd have to spend time on back-
reviewing my test notes, or rerunning, if required to expound on this.
But my conclusion was essentially this: while not successful yet in its
newer objectives, it is encouraging that they are working that direction.
Regshot is also opens source, and there are at least two people, maybe
more, focussed on its evolution.
RegShot can back up the entire registry before an install. I tried
these before adding them for download, but that was quite awhile back
and I don't remember much about them.
I don't have memory on that part, would have to investigate....
For me, if an installer has gone really bad, where it's too messy for
taking care of via just my first line of defense (inctrl+undoreg), then
I have other programs that take care of it. I always have a TUN pre-snapshot
hanging in the background. Frequently same deal with Installwatch. (You
can tell that I am a little obsessive in this area. <g>) And as last resort,
I can revert to a full backup of my registry from 9x's scanregw operation.
The main thing people are after I think, it is not to so much to be able
to get out of a known bad install right after it's done, where they then
tend to use their OS backup functionality (scanregw for 9x'ers or system
restore for other), it is instead the matter of being able to do a decent
uninstall much later in time...
[...]
I'll get a copy of TUN up asap.
I suppose it might be likely enough that the author will remove the LFW
of TUN from his site upon release of the shareware one. It would be a
good thing were you to house TUN at woundedmoon.org... As well, for
increasing awareness for those who don't know about its availability.
