Comments on: Clean up your PC with Windows Installer Clean Up Utility

By: S93Coder

S93Coder — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Don’t use this tool on Vista 64 Enterprise. The Windows Installer Clean Up Utility resets the owner on the ..S-1-5-18\Components keys that represent shared components to Administrators and REMOVES System from the key ACLs and ownership. This breaks functionality for applications like Symantec AntiVirus.

By: ShadowWolf

ShadowWolf — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:50:10 +0000

This has to be some of the worst advice you could give. If an installation is broken on the machine, this utility won’t clean it up. Instead, it just removes the MSI meta-data about the installation and leaves you in a broken state. Unless you know for a fact ( i.e. contacted the company in question ) that this tool will work: do not use it.

This tool isn’t user-friendly because it wasn’t written for average users. It was written for installation developers and has been mutated and promoted enough that people who shouldn’t use it are, well, using it. And the MSDN KB article doesn’t really describe accurately how this tool could really mess things up.

By: Hannes

Hannes — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:59:32 +0000

Thanks a million for this hint.
Had the last two days trouble with my space navigator from 3d-connexion getting it work in SolidWorks2009 this tool did a great job which no other previously mentioned tool could get done!

Keep up with your great work at MUO

By: noemis

noemis — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:33:56 +0000

I install on Vista and there isn’t shorcut, there isn’t nothing. I don’t know how to start program. This is not user friendly

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 06:12:31 +0000

Does this work on Vista?

By: Psyfon

Psyfon — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:38:43 +0000

I second that comment. Revouninstaller and CCleaner does the job and very well I might add.

By: Dave G.

Dave G. — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:32:11 +0000

Revo Uninstaller and CCLeaner work best for me though Revo has been CRUSHING my machine when uninstalling lately.