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Windows System Teardown: Part 1
I've been really enjoying Victor's series on his Virgin Install of Windows XP (if you missed them, here's Part 1 & Part 2), particularly because I will be going through that scenario in a few months. I've been using this machine for two years straight without a reinstall, and it is definitely getting crufty. As an avid software downloader, you can imagine how many different utilities, widgets and doo-dads I've got installed, and the prospect of doing a clean install, while cathartic, also scares the heck out of me. Will I remember everything I need to install, and will I remember where to get it? So I've decided that I need to go through and remove as much junk as possible. And the method I've decided to follow, at least initially, is to go through my Add/Remove Programs list, and either justify a need for a program to remain on my system, or turf it. So here goes.
First up: 1-Click AnswersThis is an application downloaded from Answers.com. It runs in your system tray, and the idea is that any time you come across a word that you would like a definition for, you can simply hold down the ALT key and right-click on the word, and instantly be taken to that word's page on Answers.com's site. Some readers may recognize this application by its previous name, Gurunet. The 1-Click Answers utility is offered for free for both Windows and OS X. They also offer plug-ins for Firefox, including a Search Box plug-in, as well as a complete sidebar plug-in.
While I love the idea of it, for some reason the 1-Click Answers application refuses to start at system startup regardless of how I configure it. And, I have to admit, when I need information about a given word, it's really not that much trouble to punch it into the search field in Firefox. So, 1-Click Answers is a goner.
Comments
5
Subscribe to commentsEagle117Aug 23rd 2005 10:24AM
What does this have to do with the Windows System teardown at all? It's just another app to slow down your system.
RichardAug 23rd 2005 10:36AM
Sorry folks, but someone going through their installed applications, describing them and then deciding on whether or not to delete them is a dull read.
If they have some good apps, sure, recommend them as you would normally - but please don't subject us to this sort of thing.
I will not be looking forward to part 2.
juniorbonnerAug 23rd 2005 11:28AM
I had to do a clean install a few months a go and you are right to be afraid, its a hellish experience. Remembering which apps to re-install is the easy bit (but take a note of any passwords/unlock codes etc).
The hardest thing was to remember all the little personal configs you have tweaked your system with that have to be re-done or backed up. For instance when i did mine I forgot to back up the PS actions and brushes I had created, and all the winamp visualisations i had spent hours fine-tuning!!
Its wonderful once its all done though. Your system will be so smoooth. Although its frightening how quickly it gets clogged up again with detritus.
Have fun
Victor Agreda, Jr.Aug 23rd 2005 11:40AM
What always confuses me are dependencies. When uninstalling you can get anywhere from one to a hundred warnings about DLL's or other stuff that reads something like "Blizblaz.dll may be required for other programs to run. Do you still want to remove it?" This seems to be a bigger problem with older Windows editions, and especially all the old multimedia stuff I used to run (Pinnacle Systems may you have a difficult afterlife!)... But I was always too afraid to remove any of it, lest the entire OS meltdown...
Jason ClarkeAug 23rd 2005 12:30PM
Victor - I know what you mean. For a long time I assumed that the dependency warning was just some developers being over-cautious, and I always chose to remove the "possibly dependent" files. Then that bit me, hard, and broke a bunch of apps on my system. After that experience, I think you're right to be afraid.
Richard, I'm sorry you feel that way. I should have clarified that I don't intend to highlight every piece of software on my system, but rather the ones that we haven't covered before here at Download Squad that might be of interest to some of our readers. At least you can rely on the fact that I'll name the articles consistently, so you will immediately know which posts to skim past.