If you're going the paid route, Total Uninstall is the best that I've found; Uninstall Tool the next best. I've been using a giveaway version of Soft Organizer that works well, too. Never had a problem with it.

Advanced Uninstaller Pro *used* to be a great freeware alternative -- especially their reinstall feature which allowed a backup of GAOTD software that could be reinstalled later. Then they added that trial software which couldn't be uninstalled without killing the uninstaller as well.

I've not found other freeware offerings to be worthwhile, including Geek, Revo Free, ZSoft iobit and the others since all seem to leave quite a bit of junk lying around the registry.

One other *very* useful paid product is Registry Trash Cleaner since it cleans areas not accessible by other programs ... uninstallers or registry cleaners. If you need to nuke a trial program and start over again or *really* need to clean up an uninstalled program not tracked by an uninstall program, that's the thing to get.

If you don't already have a paid program though, this offering is not a bad alternative. I've used it in the past and it works pretty well. Not better than Soft Organizer so I won't be installing it but it's worth getting if you're using a freeware program.

First let me say a word about Comodo's Program Manager:
Yes, it's a useful softw, pity it doesn't work on win 8 and/or 64bit processors, and against Ashraf's review at dottech it works very slow, so much that it can take a very long time to remove a somewhat larger app, besides I noticed it leaves an empty folder behind called 'Impostazioni Locali' (I guess it's Italian for 'Local Settings') to find it just type %userprofile% or %allusersprofile% into your windows Explorer navigation bar (NOT Internet Explorer). This happens when a sloppy programmer uses absolute paths instead of relative paths in a system whose localization is other than English.
I noticed this same phenomenon happening with other software from Comodo as well, namely Comodo Internet Security.
Another pitfall: Comodo's Program Manager eats up a whole 500mb as a work folder hidden somewhere within the C: drive, in addition to its own installation files...

Now it´s time to say something about Toolwiz Time Freeze: this one eats up a whooping 5gb (yes, five gigabytes) hidden right within C: drive's root folder! So if you're tight on disk space and don't take this into account, a lot of weird things such as data loss could happen as some people above pointed out. My compliments to Karl, but his slogan 'uninstalled via reboot' seems to be misleading to some people, yes of course you can use Toolwiz Time Freeze to 'uninstall via reboot' although it wasn't meant to be used as an 'Uninstaller software'...

which finally brings us to the point:
Dear SoftwareBabe,
Sorry to disappoint you (and others sharing this opinion), but you're just plain wrong!

This is THE MASTERPIECE of all installation monitors, program uninstallers, application-to-new-system migrators, registry tools, startup monitors, and...
You'll be astonished about how much you'll learn about the registry's inner workings, about the file system, about why some apps are somewhat portable, about any traces left behind,etc.
http://www.martau.com/

Comodo Program doesn't work on Windows 8.1 Pro. And the company has no plan to make it so (according to them). Maybe they're waiting for Windows 10 :-)

Here, here. I agree on the CCleaner. Been using it for years. One of my goto tools when working on computers.

I've been using Revo pro for years and I own a copy. For fast and thorough uninstall of unwanted software Revo Uninstaller is The Terminator. It thoroughly deletes everything the software installed on the machine, including the shortcut on the desktop. It saves the registry before uninstalling just in case something goes wrong. After many years of using Revo pro, I'm glad to say not once did anything go wrong with a Revo install.

OH NO YOU DIDN'T! regseeker :) Love that tool. I too use both revo and regseeker. if you use it to clean the reg though be sure not to check the "com" box... using both of those tools with a snapshot b4 and after has kept me running my machines like new for ages. both are on my must have list. :)

I agree Alan. There's a note at the bottom of the page that states "Please comment only on the software here. If you have technical problems or suggestions on our project, please leave us a note in our forums."

Well, I disagree. Competitors’ software performance and comparison with the one offered are surely of interest to the developer who isn't alone in the market.

They are of even more interest to visitors here, since what they want is not to necessarily install what is offered irrespective of others available, but to choose the best of them, based on users’ comments.

But you are technically right in that comments on the offered software are the prime requirement.

@Alan Rayan

So, you think that sharing experiences (bad or good ) with other programs or recommending different programs are just lecuures and not helpful at all ?
Yeah, in general it may not be helpful to the developer but does not the comparison with another similar make developer thinking to improve or modify ? Healthy comparisons and Constructive criticisms are always have been welcome and Good for something for further improvement or modifications. There are so many giveaway forums but The healthy and instant interactions between the users' and developers or sharing so many little experiences/knowledges is just going to enrich this forum and make it entirely different giveaway site where the 'profit of developer' is not the only goal but 'profit of users/visitors' is also looked after.
Thanks

So Alan, we are fodder or guinea pigs for this site with nothing expected to be gained by us? If that were the case I would not be here. It is certainly useful to hear about competing programs for us and also the program developers featured.

To quickly minimize the Ribbon, double-click the name of the active tab. Double-click a tab again to restore the Ribbon.

@Ab Minimize the ribbon is not the same as a change to the classic menu.

As good as the images look I will stick with my Toolwiz Time Freeze. No need to uninstall some thing if I can try it and decide not to install it at all

I was a Toolwiz Time Freeze/Machine Freeze fan till last night. Tried to start it up, it wouldn't start. (was going to install yesterdays give away). Decided to uninstall. Rebooted as it said and BOOM! Won't boot, won't recover, even with Win7 cd. I know for fact I had no less then 5 recover points and they were all gone. Couldn't even go back to a known good boot. Having to restore from an image I made 3 months ago. At least have a different drive as my data drive so my files are intact but you can bet Toolwiz just lost it's place in my bag of tools.

There is a difference between Time Freeze and Time Machine. Time Freeze is set up as a virtual system and will discard any changes made with a reboot. That is what I use. Time Machine on the other hand takes snap shots of the system to roll back your system to an earlier time. similar to Rollback RX. I think of Time Freeze as something I turn on and use only when I need it. Time Machine is meant to be used all the time.

I had the same problem with Time Freeze. The software is simplistic to use. One click of a button and you enter into Freeze mode. It's quick and easy.... but too much! What goes on "behind" the scene after pressing the Time Freeze button to make it a really quick operation, I don't know.

Time Freeze worked many times for me in the past, but it took only one day, to "bomb" my system. I had to reinstall everything (I had backups, but still.)

I will give a try for today's giveaway, since I lost my key to REVO Pro during my TimeFreeze adventures!

@ Jackie
Revo Pro will send you your key if you email them. I have 3 paid copies and have moved them to different computers several times by emailing them. Also, they are very quick to respond to any questions.

@ Karl – Someone may be after you, in a way. I don't know how he/she or they can manage to do it !

Quite interesting: Since this morning I have repeatedly tried to click “yes” under your original comment, above, but I got a pop-up error message. To my surprise, this did not happen when I clicked on comments of other users.

Having voted “no” for a single other comment — and noticing that the same number (+53) was stuck underneath yours — I decided to see what it would happen if I did so on your “no” , as well. My Firefox browser came up with a different error pop-up. See both:

http://imgur.com/7hwONol

Not disastrous but not so funny, either.
_

Sort of P.S.: I thought, perhaps the GOTD Team had decided not to give you more prominence than that. Silly thought — for I refreshed the page, and now your "plus" number augmented up to number 83. Smile :-)

@TK: Good of you to spend time explaining but, in my particular case, you can't be all that right. I think I do know how the voting system works. Though the number in itself means absolutely nothing, due to simultaneous voting "yes/no" by different users, a single —non-malicious— visitor can vote only once; either of the "yes/no" words will be grayed-out.
Also, two additional facts: 1) My public IP number isn't dynamic, it thus remains unaltered. 2) More than a couple of hours had elapsed between my first and the finally working last attempt, while I clicked on "yes" for other posters than Karl.

I'm appreciative of mysteries, but I also like a plausible denouement.

There is no any time limit. It's free to use but without free updates.

From what I read in the T&C's you tick on installing, it is a standard license, not the lifetime, (see also in the "about"). This means it is a 1 year license

I personally do not buy anything that has only a 1 year license, the full version as I call it, lifetime license, is just too expensive for me when there are so many free/lower cost alternatives on the market.
I will keep it installed for a while to fully test it out of interest.

Thanks GOTD, I look forward each day to see what you have put on offer.
Brian

karl, thanks for pointing link to today's GOTD. it is indeed well written. i was curious to look for an 'undo' button and found the directions to choose the "delete to the recycle bin" when uninstalling. that seems significant for me to try this application.

Thanks as allways, Jahid, but I wouldn't recomment Advanced Uninstaller any longer. It comes bundled with a "maintainence program" (Daily Healt Care/Check), you just can't avoid during installation. After the trial version runs out, you'll have to pay for something, you never ever asked for. Innovative Solutions didn't make their flagship freeware after all, did they...

Hi Jahid,
Are you sure about the "1 year license" as I read the above, and for the life of me, I cant find any such limitation??

@Allan

Actually I didn't try to recommend any one of those 4 freeware uninstallers. I just shared my preference and satisfaction with 'Your Unistaller PRO' than those Free Uninstallers which I used till date. I forgot to mention that 'Your Uninstaller' is not 'monitoring' based like today's GOTD.

@Peter

In this page 'This is a 1-year licence' was written just above the phrase 'Get the unlimited version with discount!' but now that has been removed. But in the program actually no such limitation has been found.

I'm also still using Your Uninstaller Pro. The last version 7.5.2013.2 is happy with Giveawayoftheday registration key.

I have both Your Uninstaller Pro and Revo Uninstaller Pro. Of the two I find Revo Uninstaller has a scan option by which one can remove left over registry entries and also all the files located in Drive C of the particular programme uninstalled.

Rangan D P

No, Mr D P Rangan,

'Your Uninstaller Pro' also offers scanning after uninstallation process to remove left over registry entries and unnecessary files . It has four uninstall modes:

built-in (the standard uninstall process),

safe mode (includes built-in mode and it's the quickest way to uninstall while scanning registry files on a simple level),

normal mode (includes safe mode, plus an extended registry scanning, and it's slower than the safe mode),

super mode (includes normal mode, plus a complete scan on traces left in Windows; the slowest but the most efficient mode).

Sorry for posting a comment on different programs.

@Allan - iobit uninstaller does indeed install a limited version of advanced system care without asking HOWEVER you can uninstall this component using the iobit uninstaller program so uninstaller is not dependent on this being present. Would be nice if they gave you a choice about this but then it is free.

@Jahid. I'm very satisfied with your recommandations, sharing of experience and the over all very nice way, you contribute to this forum on a daily basis. Perhaps, you just didn't know, that Advanced Uninstaller Pro comes bundled with a "maintainence" program in trial version nowadays ;-)

@clive - I actually installed IObit Uninstaller e few days ago on a friends computer, and you're right to a certain point. However you have the choice to uncheck the installation of their ridiculous Advanced System Care Free version. Everybody can avoid most of this unwanted BS, if they run Unchecky during all installations and program updates. It's one of the very first programs, I install after new Windows installation. I recommend it as a wise choise : http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/OS-Enhancements/Unchecky.shtml

Thanks, NYB, for yet a freeware alternative. I really don't get, why you "deserve" thumbs down for that suggestion. Other users "wins" 150 thumbs up for posting simular. Well, I just don't like that "Bully Bottom". It's a degrading thing for this site.
Let's compare, who gets the most thumbs down, 'cause I prefere IObit's Freeware Uninstaller: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Uninstallers/Advanced-Uninstaller.shtml

Thanks to North American Solutions for the generous offer - and to the team behind GOTD. The market is however over crowded with very good freeware alternatives