Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0 update released

Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0 is out; the new major version of the third-party software uninstaller for Windows comes with a set of new features such as related application detection during removal, or a new treemap view for installed applications.

Most programs that you install on a Windows machine can be removed through the Control Panel or Settings application. While that works most of the time, it is the case that many programs are not removed completely.

There may be leftovers, either files or Registry values, or references to applications, for instance in startup locations or Start Menu.

This is the core reason why third-party programs like Bulk Crap Uninstaller or Revo Uninstaller are the better choice when it comes to the removal of software.

Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0

Bulk Crap Uninstaller can be downloaded as a portable version or version that needs to be installed. The program displays a wizard on start that you use to configure some behavior of the program.

It loads the list of installed programs afterwards and uses color coding for highlighting. Unregistered applications are shown with a red background color for instance, and those with an unverified certificate with a blue background.

You can hide and show entries using the sidebar menu. There you find options to hide any program published by Microsoft, system components, or unregistered applications. Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0 supports Win32 legacy programs as well as Windows Store apps.

The list of applications is sorted alphabetically by default. You can click on any header, e.g. install date, size or publisher, to change the order.

A search is provided as well to find specific programs quickly.

The removal process runs the default uninstaller first, and will then run a scan for file and Registry leftovers. The program displays prompts to create a System Restore point or Registry backup before the removal of any leftovers.

Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0 introduces new features. You find a new tree view at the bottom of the page that lists programs relative to size. This makes it quite easy to check the largest programs on the system, and remove those that you don't need anymore.

Another new feature of version 4.0 is the detection of related apps. This is handy if you have multiple versions of a program installed, and want to get rid of all of them.

Bulk Crap Uninstaller highlights those, and you may select the identified related apps so that they are removed as well.

The removal process itself completes in several steps:

1. Confirm the removal of programs, and select whether you want a quiet uninstallation.
2. Check if applications are still open, and ask the user to close them.
3. Create a restore point and define uninstallation settings. You can run a simulation for instance first, or disable protection.
4. Verify the settings.

The program displays leftovers afterwards that you can verify to make sure they are associated with the removed program.

Other new features include a new pre-uninstallation dialog that combines various pop-ups and options on a single screen, and a new "view unregistered" option.

The new version corrects several issues as well. Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0 won't try to install the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 for instance if the .NET Framework 4.0 is installed on the device.

Closing Words

Bulk Crap Uninstaller 4.0 is a powerful program to remove installed software programs from Windows machines. It comes with a big list of customization options and supports all the features that you'd expect from a program like it.

Now You: How do you uninstall software on Windows?