{"video_id":"fp_gB1vQwtEeu","title":"TQ: Why Do Programs Leave JUNK Behind?","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2020-08-14T19:47:10.141Z","duration_s":260,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":4.32,"text":"If you're anything like me, at some point you've noticed that your hard drive has gotten","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.32,"end_s":10.08,"text":"uncomfortably full and you've decided to remedy the issue by uninstalling some unwanted programs.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":10.08,"end_s":14.32,"text":"I mean, when's the last time you played Yardwork Simulator 2004 anyway?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":14.32,"end_s":18.48,"text":"But after you run the uninstall utility, you notice that the program you removed has left","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":18.48,"end_s":25.6,"text":"behind tons of residual files and registry entries. What's up with that? I mean, how hard is it for a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":25.6,"end_s":31.52,"text":"program to just restore your computer to exactly the state it was in before? We're going to answer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":31.52,"end_s":36.96,"text":"that question today on TechWiki, and we'd like to give a big thank you to our friends at Microsoft","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":36.96,"end_s":42.32,"text":"for providing us with some of the insight we're about to share. Now the programs that uninstall,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":42.32,"end_s":47.2,"text":"whatever it is you want to remove, are usually written by the same developer that wrote the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":47.2,"end_s":52.88,"text":"actual program. And this means that there can be a lot of variance in how good of a job these","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":52.96,"end_s":58.4,"text":"uninstallers do, and what the developer thinks will be most beneficial to the user experience.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":58.4,"end_s":63.76,"text":"For example, a developer might intentionally decide to leave behind files that store custom","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":63.76,"end_s":68.72,"text":"user data and settings, since it's quite common for a user to uninstall a program","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":68.72,"end_s":73.76,"text":"only to reinstall it again later. This method makes it so they don't need to set up the software","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.76,"end_s":80.64,"text":"again. Okay, fair enough, I guess. But this is far from the only reason. Other times, a program","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":80.64,"end_s":86.16,"text":"will need certain files called redistributables to run properly. So if you've ever seen an installer","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":86.16,"end_s":91.28,"text":"asking to put an additional piece of software such as visual C++ runtime on your computer,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.84,"end_s":98.64,"text":"well, that's what that is. Now these can often get used by subsequent programs that you install.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":98.64,"end_s":104.56,"text":"So if the uninstaller were to remove those files, it could potentially break another program at the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":104.56,"end_s":108.88,"text":"same time. If you're a little bit older, you might remember that this was quite common back in the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":108.88,"end_s":114.32,"text":"day when games also installed DirectX at the same time. There's also the matter of how Windows","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":114.32,"end_s":119.68,"text":"handles software installations on multi-user systems. Windows often keeps track of settings","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":119.68,"end_s":126.64,"text":"and data on a per user basis. So if just one user wants to uninstall the program, it wouldn't be a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":126.64,"end_s":131.92,"text":"great idea to remove all traces of it because the other users would lose their settings and","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":131.92,"end_s":137.6,"text":"possibly saved information. This might not be a big deal if nobody else uses your PC or if anyone","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":137.6,"end_s":144.0,"text":"else who uses it doesn't need the same programs, but it can be a giant pain if a local network at","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":144.0,"end_s":150.56,"text":"a larger organization uses what are called roaming profiles, where one user can access the same files","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":150.56,"end_s":156.8,"text":"and settings from any computer on the network. In this case, uninstalling a program on one local","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":156.8,"end_s":162.32,"text":"machine could completely mess up that user's experience network-wide if they want to keep","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":162.32,"end_s":168.32,"text":"using that same program. Then, of course, there's the ever-enigmatic Windows registry, which programs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":168.32,"end_s":173.04,"text":"are eager to write to when you're installing them, but always seem to leave traces behind","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":173.04,"end_s":178.72,"text":"after you've removed them. Well, as it turns out, some uninstallers leave this alone because they","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":178.72,"end_s":183.6,"text":"just don't want to go poking around in the registry any more than they absolutely have to,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":183.6,"end_s":188.08,"text":"because screwing up a setting in there can really mess up the rest of your computer. This approach","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":188.08,"end_s":193.6,"text":"is somewhat justified by the fact that leaving unneeded registry entries generally won't actually","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":193.6,"end_s":199.76,"text":"screw anything up. Finally, to put it bluntly, part of the problem stems from sheer laziness","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":199.76,"end_s":204.4,"text":"on the part of some developers. The good news, though, is that having a few stray files or","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":204.4,"end_s":210.32,"text":"registry entries typically won't hurt anything or slow down your system, and most leftover files","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":210.32,"end_s":216.24,"text":"only take up a minuscule amount of disk base, at least by modern standards. Of course, some programs","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":216.24,"end_s":220.88,"text":"can leave remnants that take up an inordinate amount of room on your drive, but you should also","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":220.88,"end_s":226.72,"text":"be wary of scare tactics from registry cleaning utilities that claim that this clutter can somehow","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":226.72,"end_s":232.0,"text":"slow down or even damage your PC. So if I were you, I'd only worry about remnants left over from an","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":232.0,"end_s":236.88,"text":"uninstall if they're taking up tons of space for some reason, or if you have something to hide.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":237.44,"end_s":242.96,"text":"I mean, come on, we've all been there, right? So thanks for watching, guys! Like, dislike,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":242.96,"end_s":247.92,"text":"check out our other videos, leave a comment if you have a suggestion for a future fast as possible,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":247.92,"end_s":252.48,"text":"and don't forget to subscribe, because if you forget to subscribe, you're gonna start forgetting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":252.48,"end_s":257.2,"text":"everything. It's just the tip of the iceberg. You're gonna forget to eat, and then you'll die!","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":259.2,"end_s":260.8,"text":"See? I told you it would happen!","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"If you're anything like me, at some point you've noticed that your hard drive has gotten uncomfortably full and you've decided to remedy the issue by uninstalling some unwanted programs. I mean, when's the last time you played Yardwork Simulator 2004 anyway? But after you run the uninstall utility, you notice that the program you removed has left behind tons of residual files and registry entries. What's up with that? I mean, how hard is it for a program to just restore your computer to exactly the state it was in before? We're going to answer that question today on TechWiki, and we'd like to give a big thank you to our friends at Microsoft for providing us with some of the insight we're about to share. Now the programs that uninstall, whatever it is you want to remove, are usually written by the same developer that wrote the actual program. And this means that there can be a lot of variance in how good of a job these uninstallers do, and what the developer thinks will be most beneficial to the user experience. For example, a developer might intentionally decide to leave behind files that store custom user data and settings, since it's quite common for a user to uninstall a program only to reinstall it again later. This method makes it so they don't need to set up the software again. Okay, fair enough, I guess. But this is far from the only reason. Other times, a program will need certain files called redistributables to run properly. So if you've ever seen an installer asking to put an additional piece of software such as visual C++ runtime on your computer, well, that's what that is. Now these can often get used by subsequent programs that you install. So if the uninstaller were to remove those files, it could potentially break another program at the same time. If you're a little bit older, you might remember that this was quite common back in the day when games also installed DirectX at the same time. There's also the matter of how Windows handles software installations on multi-user systems. Windows often keeps track of settings and data on a per user basis. So if just one user wants to uninstall the program, it wouldn't be a great idea to remove all traces of it because the other users would lose their settings and possibly saved information. This might not be a big deal if nobody else uses your PC or if anyone else who uses it doesn't need the same programs, but it can be a giant pain if a local network at a larger organization uses what are called roaming profiles, where one user can access the same files and settings from any computer on the network. In this case, uninstalling a program on one local machine could completely mess up that user's experience network-wide if they want to keep using that same program. Then, of course, there's the ever-enigmatic Windows registry, which programs are eager to write to when you're installing them, but always seem to leave traces behind after you've removed them. Well, as it turns out, some uninstallers leave this alone because they just don't want to go poking around in the registry any more than they absolutely have to, because screwing up a setting in there can really mess up the rest of your computer. This approach is somewhat justified by the fact that leaving unneeded registry entries generally won't actually screw anything up. Finally, to put it bluntly, part of the problem stems from sheer laziness on the part of some developers. The good news, though, is that having a few stray files or registry entries typically won't hurt anything or slow down your system, and most leftover files only take up a minuscule amount of disk base, at least by modern standards. Of course, some programs can leave remnants that take up an inordinate amount of room on your drive, but you should also be wary of scare tactics from registry cleaning utilities that claim that this clutter can somehow slow down or even damage your PC. So if I were you, I'd only worry about remnants left over from an uninstall if they're taking up tons of space for some reason, or if you have something to hide. I mean, come on, we've all been there, right? So thanks for watching, guys! Like, dislike, check out our other videos, leave a comment if you have a suggestion for a future fast as possible, and don't forget to subscribe, because if you forget to subscribe, you're gonna start forgetting everything. It's just the tip of the iceberg. You're gonna forget to eat, and then you'll die! See? I told you it would happen!"}