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Uninstall Multiple programs in one go

Many big uninstaller suites shy away from batch-uninstalling, and that could be a problem if you have a lot of software to uninstall and don’t want to go to the extreme of restoring your system. To remove multiple programs quickly and completely, use the Batch Uninstall tool in IObit Uninstaller (www.iobit.com/uninstaller). Like Wise Program Uninstaller it’s a portable program that doesn’t need  but downloading it involves an annoying extra step: when you click Free Download you’re taken to a third-party website where you have to click the green Download Now button (anything else is an advert). Once that’s done, IObit is very easy to use - just double-click the EXE file and click Run Now to open a list of your installed  programs, including items that aren’t listed in the Control Panel.

Tick Batch Uninstall at the top right to enable the multiple program uninstaller. Tick all the programs you want to remove, then click the round Uninstall button. Before anything is uninstalled, you’re given the option to create a restore point so that you can undo your changes later on (tick ‘Never show this notification’ to avoid being nagged about this again). Unfortunately you then can’t wander off and let IObit do all the work for you. As with all other batch uninstallers, it uninstalls programs one after the other rather than simultaneously; you still have to click Yes to confirm the removal of each program in turn, much as when you batch-remove apps from your tablet or phone. But it significantly speeds up the process of removing multiple programs - including crapware, plugins and built-in Windows tools and gets rid of uninstalled programs’ leftover files.

You’1l find another handy new tool in IObit without even opening the program. It replaces the Uninstall button in the ‘Uninstall a program’ window of the Control Panel with a Powerful Uninstall button, along with a green ‘U’ icon. Select a program to uninstall then click the new button to remove it and its leftover files far more thoroughly than the built-in Windows tool can. However, you can't batch uninstall programs this way. To batch-uninstall programs on an automatic schedule, or to uninstall programs using the Command Prompt, try the portable tool dUninsta1ler (www.foolishit.com/duninstaller/ - this links to a foolishly named but non-malicious download site). It was originally designed for developers so it’s more complicated than IObit Uninstaller, but you’ll love it if you’re a confident user of the command line and you miss the deep control of DOS. Whichever of these portable batch- uninstallers best suits you, keep a copy of it on a USB stick in case you ever need to remove multiple programs from an old computer that can't connect to the internet.