I get a lot of questions and complaints from computer users that go
something like this: 

"Help! My \WINDOWS directory is huge! It has 50MB of stuff in it, and I
know I don't use it all. A lot of those files are leftovers from programs
I installed and then deleted. My \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory is even bigger!
What can I do and how can I prevent this from happening again?"

It's a common problem. Install programs for Windows packages not only add
files to your system, but frequently add program groups and icons, and
make changes to your .ini files. When you decide you're ready to get rid
of the program, you may only be getting a portion of what was left by
deleting the .exe file. 

I install and test a lot of software, so I need to know what to get rid of
when I'm done testing. If something goes wrong when I'm trying things out,
I need to know how to get my system back where it was when I started. I
guess my system works pretty well, because I have a rather small hard
drive by today's standards, and it's not full yet!

This document assumes the reader knows how to download and unzip program
files, and how to check for viruses. You will also need INST_ALL.ZIP (from
my home page at http://www.nyx.net/~jlea/) as well. In this document,
"install program" refers to an install or setup program that comes with a
software package. "INST_ALL" refers to the recommended program that tracks
system changes during software installations.

Ready to do some installing?

1. Put the downloaded package (i.e. filename.zip) into a temporary
directory. Let's use c:\install. You may already have a c:\temp, but this
is where Windows will put a lot of its *.tmp files and you don't want to
mix your new stuff in with that. Unzip the file. 

2. Read the documentation. I'm not saying you have to memorize the thing,
or read it word for word, but you just might discover this package isn't
what you thought it was, and delete it on the spot. By the way, if a
software package I download has no documentation, I do just that: delete
it on the spot. It's just one of my rules. Another minimum requirement is
a nice way to exit. If there isn't a way to exit the program whenever I
want, I usually trash it. This usually only happens with DOS software,
and I haven't seen an exit-challenged package in a while.

3. Decide whether you are going to do a manual installation or use a
supplied install program. Obviously if the package didn't come with an
install program this is an easy decision. If it did come with an install
program, you don't necessarily have to use it. 

Here's some guidelines:

Benefits of install programs:

= They are quick and easy.  
= They handle expansion of compressed files.  
= They create icon(s), so you don't have to do it (can be a drawback -
  see below)

Drawbacks to install programs:

= They may add files and make changes without asking you.
= They will probably create their own program group and icons.
  I consider this a drawback, because I rarely create a new program group.
  When an install program does this, I usually have to delete the group
  and rearrange my desktop. Yuck. 

If the package contains compressed files (i.e. GAME.DL_), you will be
better off using the supplied setup or install program. If it does not
have compressed files, I recommend you skip the install program. 
 
3. Now that you know what type of installation you're going to do, run the
INST_ALL program. to make a copy of your system. By the way, INST_ALL
should go in it's own directory, and that's where you should keep all of
the install report (*.rpt) files it creates. INST_ALL will make a copy of
your \windows and \windows\system directories, as well as win.ini,
system.ini, config.sys, and autoexec.bat. After the install is done, you
will run INST_ALL again and it will report changes made. 

4. Try out the new program! If you're not going to use an install program,
just run it using File Manager right from the temporary directory. If
using an install program, see the sub-directory guidelines below first,
then run the install program, placing the new program in an appropriate
location, then try out the program.

5. Run INST_ALL again to report the changes made. Save the report (.rpt)
file. You'll come back to it later.

6. Now decide if you want to keep the program:

Things to consider:

- Value: Does it do the job? Is it useful? Is it worth the disk space it takes?
- Is the documentation adequate? Are the help files helpful?
- Is the program exit-friendly?
- If shareware, what is the cost to register it?
- Is it buggy? Does it result in error messages, general protection faults, etc?

If I run a new program and get unexplained general protection faults or
runtime errors anywhere in the first few runs, I generally don't keep it.

7. If you decide to delete the program, open the .rpt file generated by
INST_ALL and look at what changes were made. INST_ALL will frequently
report a file deleted and the same file added. That means the file
changed. If it was there before the install, you don't want to delete it.
If the report shows a file added and not deleted, it was a new file added
by the new program and can be safely deleted. You can safely remove added
lines from *.ini and *.sys files (you should always have backups of
these).

A word about INST_ALL results: INST_ALL will note all changes
to your system made between the time it is initially run and the second
time you run it to report the changes. If you decide to do anything
besides install and run the new program (like check your mail for
instance), INST_ALL may report changes you didn't mean for it to report.
Since new program results can be unpredictable anyway, it's a good idea to
limit other activities during program installs. 

8. If you decide to keep the program, and you used an install program,
it's time to delete whatever's left in the temporary directory. This could
be *.zip, *.exe, install.exe, and a number of other files. If you didn't
use an install program, decide where to put the software package using the
guidelines below.  Either way, don't keep .zip files for packages that you
have finished installing. 

Here's some guidelines on creating sub-directories:

If a program requires only 1 file to run and will not create its own files
while running (scores, settings, etc), a sub-directory is not necessary. 
In cases like this (i.e.  opc.exe - this is a freeware one-page calendar
program that I really like), I put the program in my C:\UTIL directory
along with the document file. I rename the document file from readme.txt
to opc.txt which allows me to see in File Manager right away that they go
together.

If the program requires 2 or 3 files to run and they all have the same
basic name (and again doesn't create its own files) I may still decide not
to create a sub-directory. 

In most cases, though, I do create sub-directories for software packages. 
I have basic directories called C:\UTIL, C:\GAMES, C:\EDUCATE, C:\COMM
(for dialers, fax software, netscape, etc). Each of these has
sub-directories for various software packages. This keeps my system clean
and helps me keep track of what I've got.

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If your system's already clogged up with extra files, you have a tougher
job, but there is hope. There are several shareware and commercial
packages that will try to get these things uninstalled, but if you've
deleted some of the files for a particular program and not all, this can
be difficult. There are some other programs that will track what files
(.dll's, etc) a particular program is opening while running. I can't vouch
for these, because I haven't had to use them, but they sound like a good
idea.

Here's some other suggestions:

1. Don't actually delete anything until you're sure you don't need it. If
you find files you think aren't needed any longer, put them in a "hold" 
directory. Mine is called C:\HOLD, and it is a directory that is not in
the 'path' statement in autoxec.bat. I move all the files I think I don't
need over there. I leave them there for a few months. If a program screams
"I can't find ," I bounce over to c:\hold and get it. If a
program remains unwanted after 3 months, I trash it. 

2. Look for files with the same name as a program you deleted. Put them in
the 'hold' directory.

3. Another clue is modified dates. If you're looking for files that went
together, you can use File Manager to sort all your files by date. If the
file was created on the same date as the program file and near the same
time, and you don't recognize the file as going with something else, it
may go with the program you're trying to delete. 

4. Get used to file names that many programs use, like vbrun300.dll,
ctl3d.dll, ctl3dv2.dll, etc. Don't delete these. On the subject of files
that many programs use, try to avoid keeping multiple copies of these
type files on your system. Here's some related information on paths and
how Windows finds what it needs to run programs:

A Windows program will access any file it needs to run as long as it is in
one of the following places:

In a directory in the 'path' statement in autoexec.bat.
In the \Windows or \Windows\System directory.
In the directory from which the program was started.

The latter is the reason I like to keep software packages in
sub-directories, but I don't keep duplicate files. If a package needs
CTL3D.DLL, I know I've already got that in my \Windows\System directory.
If you keep one in a sub-directory and one in \Windows\System, you're
likely to get error messages (especially if they are different versions).

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Disclaimer: I make no guarantee that the tips here will work for you. I
compiled this information to be helpful, and I hope you find it to be so.
If you are unsatisfied with this information, I'll be glad to refund all
your money!