Uninstall for Windows Version 1.5 It's Your Money Inc. 3 Floyd Drive Mount Arlington NJ 07856 201-663-4577 Copyright (c) 1992-93 It's Your Money, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide Uninstall for Windows ===================== The following files are included in Uninstall for Windows UN4WIN.EXE Main Program File TE.EXE Text Editor UN4WIN.ICO Windows Icon File UN4WIN.PIF Windows Program Information File UN4WIN.DOC Documentation (this file) REGISTER.FRM Registration Form TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Shareware Defined . . . . . . . . . 3 Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 License Agreement . . . . . . . . . 4 Software Support . . . . . . . . . 5 Why use UN4WIN? . . . . . . . . . . 6 Using UN4WIN . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Interpreting the output file . . . 9 Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . 12 Changes in Version 1.1 . . . . . . 13 Changes in Version 1.5 . . . . . . 13 Special Notes . . . . . . . . . . 14 Page 3 Introduction ============ Uninstall for Windows is a shareware product. This means that you can find UN4WIN in and download it from many sources, but that the author reserves all rights. Shareware Defined ================= Perhaps the best way to define shareware is to explain what it is not. Shareware is not free software. Unlike Public Domain and Freeware, all rights are reserved by the author, and he may charge any fee or impose any trial period he sees fit upon its use. Public Domain software is software that has been dedicated to and released for the public good, and may be used in any manner by any party. Freeware is software for which no fee is charged, but in which the author maintains the copyright and may thus dictate the terms under which it may be used. Once again, UNINSTALL FOR WINDOWS IS SHAREWARE. The accompanying text editor, TE.EXE, that is distributed with Uninstall for Windows is an example of Public Domain Software. We did not write it, and claim no rights to it. Page 4 Trademarks ========== Uninstall for Windows is a trademark of It's Your Money, Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Other trademarks as may appear in this documentation or the program are properties of their respective holders, and their incidental inclusion is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, a violation of any rights associated therewith. License Agreement ================= By installing Uninstall for Windows on your system, you indicate your agreement to the following terms and conditions. All program files are hereby designated as included in the phrase "the program". It's Your Money Inc. is hereby designated "the company". If you elect to continue using the program after the specified trial period, you must register the program with the company by paying a fee as specified in the file REGISTER.FRM, and also noted in the output file REPORT.TXT that is created during the use of the program. You may distribute the program by providing it to public or private electronic communications services, or by any other means such as direct distribution, but you must distribute the software in its complete and unaltered form and may not charge any fee for doing so, or for the software. Further, THE SOFTWARE MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED FOR ANY COMMERCIAL PURPOSES, or as part of any commercial venture. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE TERMS WILL VOID YOUR REGISTRATION, AND SUBJECT YOU TO PROSECUTION AS A FELON. The program is supplied "as is". The entire and exclusive liability and remedy for breach of the limited warranty implied by this agreement shall be limited to the replacement of defective diskette(s) or documentation supplied by the company to users who register their copies of the program. Liability shall not include or extend to any claim for or right to recover any other damages, including but not limited to loss of profit, data, or use of the program or other software, or special, incidental, or consequential damages or other similar claims, even if the company has been specifically advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event will the company's liability for any damages to you or any other party ever exceed the actual price paid for the license to use the program. THE COMPANY SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. This license statement shall be construed, interpreted, and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware. If any provision of this statement is found void or unenforceable, it will not affect the validity of the balance of the statement, which shall remain valid and enforceable according to its terms. If any remedy provided is determined to have failed of its essential purpose, all limitation of liability and exclusions of damages set forth herein shall remain in full force and effect. Page 5 Software Support ================ Support for Uninstall for Windows is available directly from the company, or via the Compuserve Information Service using GOword "GENCOM", and the message and file areas of our publication, IYM Software Review. If you like, you may leave private electronic mail at CompuServe address 71333,2623 or 72621,2222. We can also be reached in our forum on America OnLine -- use keyword "IYM". Page 6 Why use Uninstall for Windows? ============================== Everybody who's used Microsoft Windows for more than a few days has come up against a problem. With very few exceptions, there's no good way to remove a program written for the environment from your system, if you decide you don't want it there anymore. With DOS programs, the problem usually isn't severe. More often than not, all you need to do to remove a DOS-based program is delete the directory in which it has been installed, plus its contents. Sometimes there will be changes made to the system files AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, but those files almost always reside in the root directory of your first hard drive (C:\), and x86-based computer users have become used to dealing with those files on a regular basis. Under Windows, though, the situation gets ugly. You still need to keep track of AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS, but there's much more to worry about. Some programs install in their own directories, while others get thrown in with Windows itself. Sometimes you get a choice of where to locate the software, other times not. Even when you think you've isolated your new program, it often proves to be spread about your system in a way that makes its removal all but impossible. Files end up in the SYSTEM subdirectory of WINDOWS, .INI files can be in the subdirectory you specify or in the Windows directory, changes are often made to WIN.INI -- the list of potential problems goes on and on. Uninstall for Windows solves this problem, simply, quickly, and easily. All you do is copy the files to any directory on the same drive where you've installed Microsoft Windows, and run it before you install a new application or utility program. Invoke the "system survey" option, and the state of your system is captured for comparison against its condition after the new software has been installed. Page 7 Using Uninstall for Windows =========================== First of all, we need to make a point. Uninstall for Windows is designed to help you overcome a problem that occurs as a result of using the Microsoft Windows graphical environment. Yet, we have delivered UN4WIN as a native DOS application, instead of a Windows program. Why? There are two reasons: since the information that UN4WIN deals with originates at DOS level, we thought it more honest to treat it accordingly. Also, by making UN4WIN a DOS program, we are able to deliver it in a much smaller packages than if we burdened it with the overhead inherent to Windows software. Since Uninstall for Windows is so easy to use, there isn't even an issue over interface - there's just one menu with five choices - do you REALLY need 3-D buttons for that? Of course not! At the same time, we recognize that many users NEVER "drop to DOS". So, we have provided icon and program information files that let you set up Uninstall for Windows to run directly from Windows at the click of a mouse. Setting up the program ====================== This is easy. Just copy the files to any directory ON THE SAME HARD DRIVE ON WHICH YOU HAVE Windows INSTALLED. You will need UN4WIN.EXE and TE.EXE, and we also recommend keeping this file, UN4WIN.DOC. However, if you plan to run Uninstall for Windows from DOS, or using a command line from within Windows (instead of clicking on an icon), you won't need UN4WIN.ICO. Similarly, we provide UN4WIN.PIF strictly as a convenience -- it will use only 160 kilobytes of memory, but there really isn't anything else special about it, so you can run UN4WIN without it. Of course, you also won't need it if you run the program from DOS or a DOS session under Windows. If you decide to set up Uninstall for Windows to run under Windows using the included .ICO and .PIF files, here's what you do (instructions are for Program Manager): 1) Display the program group where you want the UN4WIN icon to be, and use the "NEW" command on the File menu. Make sure that "Program Item" is marked, and click "OK". 2) Put whatever name you like -- we recommend "Uninstall for Windows" -- in the description box. 3) In the command line box, point your system to the directory where you are keeping the UN4WIN files, and either the UN4WIN.EXE program, or UN4WIN.PIF if you are using it. For example, if you are keeping the files in your Windows directory, and Windows is installed on your "C:" drive, and you have decided to use the .PIF, then you would type (omitting the quotes) "C:\WINDOWS\UN4WIN.PIF". 4) Click the "OK" button. Is it better to put the Uninstall for Windows files in their own directory, or in with Windows? You'll have to decide this issue for yourself; putting the files in your Windows directory makes sense, and will cause no problems, but if clutter bothers you, you'll probably prefer to create a separate directory for UN4WIN. This seems like a bit of a waste, since there are so few files in the package and they are easily identifiable by the "UN4WIN" prefix, but it's our job to give you the facts, not tell you what to do. Page 8 You should be aware of one more thing: during its first step, surveying your system, UN4WIN creates quite a few files that are left on your disk until you run the comparison that enables you to restore your system to the state it was in before you installed your new Windows software. Many people will consider this a pretty good argument for giving Uninstall for Windows its own directory. Running Uninstall for Windows ============================= Start Uninstall for Windows either by changing to the DOS drive and directory where you have placed the files, typing "UN4WIN", and tapping the key, or by double clicking the icon you created in Windows when you followed the steps outlined above. You will see the following screen: =================================================================== Uninstall for Windows, v1.5 =========================== Do a System Survey Compare Old System to New Help Look at Report Quit and return to DOS Please make a choice : COPYRIGHT (c) 1992-93 IT`S YOUR MONEY INC. REGISTERED: #00000000 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED =================================================================== You can view this file anytime you see the menu, just by tapping the "H" key. WARNING: you can also CHANGE this file, so be careful, and make sure you don't lose the original! The "Q" option is available all the time, too. The other three options control the actual operation of Uninstall for Windows. "L", (look) lets you view the file REPORT.TXT, which is created by using Uninstall for Windows to compare the before and after statuses of your system around an installation of other software. If the file doesn't exist (as it won't when you first introduce UN4WIN to your system), you will be told as much and returned to the menu. Page 9 Choice "A" runs the survey process that tells Uninstall for Windows about your system, and should be used immediately before installing any new software. When you are done installing a new Windows program, use "B" to compare your system before and after the installation. Like the report viewing option, these two selections will tell you if you are using them incorrectly. *************** *************** IMPORTANT NOTE: You should RUN your new software before using choice "B". While many software titles make all the changes they will ever effect during installation, OTHERS WAIT UNTIL YOU RUN THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME, and some even wait until you close them down. The correct flow for using Uninstall for Windows is this: 1) Use choice "A" to survey your system. 2) Install your new Windows application. 3) Run your new Windows application. 4) CLOSE the new program 5) Use choice "B" to compare what your system looked like before software installation to how it is afterward. 6) After you have created REPORT.TXT, we recommend examining it to see the changes to your system. While this is NOT mandatory (the information will be just as useful later), YOU MUST NOT RUN UNINSTALL FOR WINDOWS AGAIN, OR THE FILE WILL BE DELETED. We recommend changing the name of the REPORT.TXT file to another name that you consider meaningful in identifying the program that you used Uninstall for Windows to protect the integrity of your system against. This can be done with the DOS "REN" command, or whatever other DOS or Windows utility you prefer. *************** *************** INTERPRETING AND USING UNINSTALL FOR WINDOWS' OUTPUT FILE ========================================================= The REPORT.TXT file contains a lot of information. It tells you what new directories have been created anywhere in your system, what new files have been created in the root directory of your C: drive, the WINDOWS directory, and the SYSTEM subdirectory of Windows. It also logs changes to WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT, and C:\CONFIG.SYS. This is a complete list of the variables that are effected by any Windows program that we have seen, with one exception: lately, we've seen a few programs that add menus to File Manager. IF YOU EVER REMOVE A PROGRAM THAT HAS DONE THIS, AND FIND YOURSELF WITH EXTRANEOUS MENUS THAT YOU WISH TO REMOVE, JUST OPEN THE FILE WINFILE.INI, FIND THE SECTION THAT REFERENCES THE UNWANTED ITEMS, AND REMOVE IT. Using the information in REPORT.TXT is fairly straightforward. When you want to uninstall a program, examine the file, and note the following: 1)Any directories that have been created (and their contents) can be deleted. They will be noted in the section of REPORT.TXT marked "[Directory trees for all drives in this system]" For example, In every system there will be a line that says "Comparing files TREE-C.OLD and TREE-C.NEW". Under this line will be a listing of any Page 10 new directories on the C: drive. Likewise, if you install your new program on the G: drive of a system so equipped, there will be a line that reads "Comparing files TREE-G.OLD and TREE-G.NEW". 2)If any changes have been made to the file WIN.INI (located in your WINDOWS directory), they will be noted in the section marked "[WIN.INI]" The changes that can be listed hear are too numerous to list, but the main point is that anything that is in the WIN.INI that was not in WIN.OLD can usually be deleted. Treat the changes found under the heading "[SYSTEM.INI]" similarly. 3)Sometimes, a program will modify C:\CONFIG.SYS and C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT. It's rare, fortunately, that these changes are made without backup copies being created first, but we don't want to take that for granted, do we? You will find sections marked "[AUTOEXEC.BAT]" and "[CONFIG.SYS]" to help you here. Changes made to these files can vary, but they are usually limited to only a few choices when made by Windows programs. SET commands and lines that load special pieces of software called device drivers will be added to CONFIG.SYS ("device="), and the PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file is frequently appended with the name of the directory in which you installed your new software. simply use TE.EXE or any other text editor to restore these files to their earlier condition, if you need to uninstall something. 4)In the section headed with "[Files in \WINDOWS and \WINDOWS\SYSTEM]" you will find the results of a comparison of the contents of those two directories before and after you installed new software. Simply put, there are many programs that put files in these two places. You will likely find unusual .INI files in the WINDOWS directory (but there could be almost anything), and most of the time you will find that the files left in WINDOWS\SYSTEM end with the extension .DLL. How do you deal with these? Usually, you will just delete the new files that your new software gave you, but there are exceptions. For example, in Windows 3.1 there is a file called COMMDLG.DLL that controls the appearance of most dialog boxes. You may find that you have before and after listings that look as if you have a different version of this file than you started with. You wouldn't want to delete this new file unless you were planning to restore the original one from your Windows program disks. However, when changes like this occur Page 11 they usually mean that Microsoft has released an update of the file to software developers, and that the installation routine accompanying your new software has put it on your system. 5)The last section of REPORT.TXT lists any new files that have been added to the root directory of your C:\ drive. An example of files that are treated this way are special device drivers that have been designed to work with more than just your new program. These files are expendable by definition once you remove the software that they came with, but if you encounter any it's probably a good idea to use the software developer's technical support services to find out precisely what purpose they serve. There are two other situations that need some explanation. Look at this: ================================================== ================================================== [Directory Trees for all drives in this system] Comparing files TREE-F.OLD and TREE-F.NEW FC: no differences encountered Comparing files TREE-E.OLD and TREE-E.NEW ***** TREE-E.OLD 213 file(s) 0 bytes 5988352 bytes free ***** TREE-E.NEW 213 file(s) 0 bytes 5980160 bytes free ================================================== ================================================== This is the result of before and after comparison of the directory structures of the E: and F: drives on a system. It appears to say that there are not any changes on E:, so why is there information included in the report instead of the simple "no differences encountered" message? When you look a little closer, you'll notice that the "bytes free" figures don't match. Is this a problem? No! The number reflect the fact that Uninstall for Windows had created a few temporary files, and that they still existed when the report was created. Page 12 The second puzzling piece of output you'll encounter is this: =================================================== =================================================== [SYSTEM.INI] Comparing files SYSTEM.OLD and \WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI ***** SYSTEM.OLD [mciseq.drv] disablewarning=true ***** \WINDOWS\SYSTEM.INI [mciseq.drv] disablewarning=true (a right-pointing arrow -- STRAY END-OF-FILE MARKER -- can show up here) =================================================== =================================================== Notice that the before and after listings here for the SYSTEM.INI file are identical except for the parenthetic note we've added at the end. What does this note mean? The "end of file" marker (ASCII decimal 26, hex 1A for technical types) is a special "control character" that some (but not all) software places, as you've guessed, at the end of a file. We can't safely insert it in the middle of this file, and you probably couldn't print it, which explains why we've made that notation above instead of just showing the character. The fact that it's in REPORT.TXT is only partially explainable. When REPORT.TXT is created, it compares certain other files and memory variables to each other. Sometimes this results in the insertion of this stray character even though it doesn't belong there and doesn't even really exist! When you use TE.EXE (which is also called internally by Uninstall for Windows) to view REPORT.TXT, any of these characters will show up in their native form. If your REPORT.TXT file includes any sections that show this character as the only difference, they may simply be ignored. Miscellaneous Subjects ====================== Since the REPORT.TXT file is composed of regular ASCII text strings that can be displayed by almost any program we can think of, you might wonder why we have bothered to include TE.EXE in this package. The answer is as simple as using the DOS command "TYPE REPORT.TXT". This command, and many DOS-based word processors and text editors, chokes on those pesky end-of-file characters. While the two editors included with Windows (Notepad and Write) can both handle the characters properly, we didn't think it was a good idea to force you to use those, especially since many users remove them from their systems. Also, since Uninstall for Windows was written as a DOS program, it wouldn't make much sense to force you into Windows to read its output. Page 13 We do not support TE, beyond echoing here the instructions you will encounter while using Uninstall for Windows. , followed by "Y" for yes and "1", "2", or "3" to indicate which parallel port your printer is attached to (usually "1") lets you print the file you are reading, and exits TE. We don't recommend running Uninstall for Windows while you are logged on to a network. There are no problems that will cause damage of any sort, but the information you get in REPORT.TXT might not be accurate. If possible, log off before running Uninstall for Windows. If you use Stacker with SSWAP (version 3.0 or earlier), SuperStor, or any other utility that causes your system to see drives with different letter assignments than are accurate as DOS boots, Uninstall for Windows will not be able to survey your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files or root directory on the C: drive. We've long recommended against using these utilities in our consulting and publishing endeavors, and here's a great example of why. The most recent versions of these products, including DOS 6's DoubleSpace, DO NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM, bacause the compressed drive that becomes "C:" is also the place where you store AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS. Finally: during operation you may see a few "File not found" messages scroll by on your screen. They reflect the interim status of your system while Uninstall for Windows is running, and may be ignored. Changes in Version 1.1 ====================== We came across two major problems with the design of Uninstall for Windows in version 1.0. First (and thanks to the MANY people who contacted us about this), version 1.0 would only work on systems where Windows was installed in a directory named \WINDOWS. This is no longer the case. Now, UN4WIN prompts you to supply the name of Windows' home when you run it, and if you type a directory name that doesn't exist, tells you so. Second, we came across intermittent problems when UN4WIN was run on computers with CD-ROM drives installed and currently available. We took the easy way out on this one: since there won't be any changes for UN4WIN to ferret out on these read-only drives, you are simply given the chance to identify them to UN4WIN, and the program won't try to search them. Changes in Version 1.5 ====================== Uninstall for Windows now operates properly in systems employing the "/p" parameter of the SET DIRCMD= command available in version 5.0 and later of DOS. You can now rename and/or move REPORT.TXT after you have created it, right inside UN4WIN. We recommend using this enhancement as follows: Copy REPORT.TXT to the home directory of the application for which the information in it applies. Either name the files consistently according to the name of the application (for example, "U4WEXCEL.TXT for Excel), or just keep the name REPORT.TXT (in as many places as is necessary). Page 14 The program now checks to make sure you have at least one megabyte of available disk space when you run it. While this is actually A LOT more than most people will need to use UN4WIN successfully, we thought it safer to err on the conservative side of things. Some items are now color-coded. Not a big deal, but a few people asked for it, so here it is. Certain screens displays that used to lag have been made faster. SPECIAL NOTES ============= In the section of REPORT.TXT dealing with directories, you may find anywhere from a few to a few hundred references to the dirctories "." and ".." . Specifically, these refer to the file entries for the directory in which you currently reside (.) and the parent directory of that location (..) . You'll notice that these entries only appear in SUBDIRECTORIES, since their purpose is moot in the root directory of any drive. In most cases, these entries can be ignored. While there will be an occasional program that drops pieces of itself in newly-created subdirectories of programs other than itself, we've never seen that happen except as a subdirectory of Windows (most Microsoft products create "MSAPPS" there, for example). We know how frustrating it can be to plow through page after page of this stuff, but there are occasions when it proves to be useful information. IF YOU ARE CERTAIN THAT YOU DON'T NEED THIS INFORMATION, JUST SKIP TO THE PART OF REPORT.TXT THAT STARTS WITH "[WIN.INI]". Usind TE, the SEARCH command is -, . We are aware that Uninstall for Windows doesn't always work correctly when alternate command processors like NDOS or 4DOS are used in place of COMMAND.COM. Although we have not yet figured out a solution for this (and in fact suspect that there is none), we can report that you can solve the immediate problem by invoking an instance of DOS' COMMAND.COM underneath the alternate.