Admin Tips
- Windows Server 2008/2003/2000/XP/NT Administrator Knowledge Base
  - Windows XP
    - Admin Tips
      - TroubleShooting
        Cleaning Out Applications

Section(s): TroubleShooting
Published on Oct 04, 2006.
Last Modified on Oct 04, 2006.
Last Modified by Mitch Tulloch.
Rated 3.2 out of 5 based on 5 votes.

Tips for cleaning out registry junk left over after uninstalling apps.

Sometimes when you uninstall applications they leave behind bits and pieces of themselves in the registry (and sometimes in the file system as well). A good tool for cleaning the registry of holdovers from Windows Installer-based apps is Msizap.exe, which can be found in the Windows Support Tools or downloaded from the Microsoft Download Center. This tool, the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility, can be used to remove almost every trace of an application from your registry and is a great addition to your administrator's toolkit.

About Mitch Tulloch

Mitch Tulloch was lead author for the Windows Vista Resource Kit from Microsoft Press, which is the book for IT pros who want to deploy, maintain and support Windows Vista in mid- and large-sized network environments. Mitch was also the author of Introducing Windows Server 2008 and technical project lead for the Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 Resource Kit, both books also from Microsoft Press. For more information on these and other books by Mitch, see www.mtit.com .