Finding left over files Vista

Hi,
I have just had a new PC and unfortunately I didn't have the option of XP but had to have Vista (why do they do this ?)
Anyway it came loaded with an absolute plethora of programmes I don't want. Now in XP I would first start out with Revo Uninstaller then I would run CCleaner and the I would use the File and Folder Search facility of XP. It is surprising how often I come up with left over files with all three methods.
As a trial I typed in the name of one of my programmes in the search box of Vista and instead of coming up with a list of the associated files it opened the app.
I then tried pressing the Windows key + F and that did a Google type search that came up with all sorts of info.
Can any one please tell me how to do a search that gives the same results that the Search All Files and Folders does in XP?.
Does anyone out there actually like Vista ?
After using it on my mother in law's PC I swore I would never have it but have been seduced by the offer of a free upgrade to Windows 7 and if I don't like that I swear I will manage to get back to XP somehow !

 

You need to take time to understand Vista. I can boot either XP SP3 or Vista SP2, but frankly once you've completed the Vista learning curve XP feels like a ten year old motor and I never use it nowadays.

But to come to your problem, neither XP nor Vista is very good at searching, despite the indexing service, so turn indexing off and use Everything instead. I guarantee you will never want to use Windows search facilities again, not for files on your own system anyway.

http://www.voidtools.com/

Unfortunately the server is actually down atm, so you can wait or, if in a hurry, PM me for a link, as I find it useful to keep the installer on my own webspace for situations like this.

 

Thanks for the info. I take it Everything is an external programme. I will give it a try. How do I switch indexing off ?
Regards Alex

 

Following an uninstall of your program or application through Programs and Features, do an Advanced Search for any remnants not deleted by the system. For me, the Advanced Search feature in Vista is fabulous -- but it is very detailed and takes a while to learn all of the nuances of its abilities and configurations.

After you've uninstalled through Programs and Features, go into your C drive to manually search for the program, and if you find any program files, manually delete them. (If the system doesn't let you delete the whole folder at one time, it may very well allow you to delete each file at a time. Or, you can sometimes fool the system by renaming the files and then deleting them.)

Then, when you've done all you can do manually, do an Advanced Search for any remaining program files, and delete them that way. (For some reason, the system seems to be more forgiving about deleting files this way, then uninstalling them.)

To get to Advanced Search, press the Windows key on your keyboard + F (or go into the Start Menu, and from inside the Search Pane, press F3).
That brings up the Search page - click the Advanced Search button to the far top-right, to open the Advanced Search Set Up page.
On the Set-Up page, check the 'Include non-indexed, hidden, and system files' option.
Under Location, select Computer, or Everywhere, and in the Name box, fill in the name of the program or file you’re looking for, or some text from within the file. Click on the Search button, and if any associated files come up, just delete them.

After this first search is completed, to make sure there aren't still any remaining files lurking, do additional searches for any other key words you think might be associated with that program or file – like, for example, the name of the publisher. The searches could take 20 seconds or 20 minutes, depending on how many files/folders there are to go through, but eventually, every file related to that program should be off your system.

PS: A word of caution: Occasionally, some of the files that will come up in the search may NOT be associated with the application you're trying to delete. If you're not sure, don't delete those files, because you might be deleting something integral to another file or application. You have to be very careful! However, if you do delete something by accident, fortunately, you can always recover it from the Recycle Bin when you catch your mistake.

 

Hi Imperfect 1,
That was the perfect answer. Thank you for going to the trouble of supplying such a full and easy to understand answer. As long as I am careful I feel confident that I can clear most if not all the shrapnel associated with uninstalling now,
Cheers Alex

 

You might decide now just to go with Vista's search features, but the indexing service they depend upon is a real resource hog, and despite that, if you need to search in a non-indexed location it can be very slow. I strongly recommend you to try Everything and compare the two. If you then decide to go with Everything you can turn the indexing service off with a tick box on each drive's properties.

 

Hi
Thanks Earthling. I definitely will try Everything a go as it sounds like it will simplify the process.
Many thanks for the link and your time, It is very much appreciated.
Alex.

 

OK. I see the server is still down so as I said, PM me if you want it.