Program Removal

[secsee1]

How is it that when you delete or remove programs (using control panel/add or remove programs) on Windows XP it shows them as being deleted but if you go into system restore to an earlier date they can be found again, surly if they have been deleted they should have gone totally ?

[ChuckFickens]

They very likely won't work though...

System restore only backs up the registry, system files and certain files from the rest of the system and when you restore it brings all the above back, if the software you removed only needs the type of file that system restore backs up then the removed software will work again, if the software needs a type of file that system restore doesn't backup then it won't work.

Basically system restore is a half hearted backup at best. (I never have it switched on as I don't like or trust it)

[secsee1]

Thank you for your answer chuck, the reason I asked was that I was given an old laptop by somebody but it was running so slow and took an age to do anything so I thought that I could get rid of most of the programs on it, however having done all that it did nothing to speed it up but when just as a matter of interest I did a system restore back they all came again making me think it was still running slow as all the programs were still on it.

[LewPaper]

Hiya Secsee
If you're concerned about the speed, you could do a lot worse than defrag at least your Drive C then use chkdsk to regenerate your hard drive(s).
(Although chkdsk is easy to do, to get there may sound complicated if I do it. Google it and you'll have no trouble.)

[galeck1947]

You should download and use Revo Uinstaller which is free and it will remove the programs completely including the registry items.It is free