Mike writes:

"How can I best eliminate this "stuff" from my =
computer? Do I just "select" these items in the various folders and hit =
the delete key? "

Yes, you can.  It's less than perfect, but if you don't have a proper
uninstaller such as Nortons or Cleansweep, you don't have much option.  But
it may leave remnants in the registry, though they are not likely to do any
great harm, and don't take up any signicant space.  Too much rubbish in the
registry will eventually slow down computer performance, or cause it to
become unstable.

"Does that mean I have to diddle with the registry (PLEASE, NO!)"

Please, YES---if you want to keep performance up to scratch. You have 2
options:

1.  Either make regular backups of registry (which you should do as a
matter of course anyway) and restore occasionally to a known clean copy. OR
2.  Open Windows/Regedit, export (save) the whole lot, then you can play
around to your heart's content, just don't do anything absolutely stupid.
While in Regedit, click on "find" and type in the name of the program you
are trying to eliminate. Delete any entries or lines manually whcih refer
specifically to this program. Click F3 to go to the next appropriate
entry--you may have to repeat this several times.
Leave anything you're not quite sure about.

It's not 100% perfect, but may help keep your registry a little tidier.

Don't be frightened about exploring your registry.  As long as you have a
backup copy, you won't come to much harm, despite the dire warnings of the
techies. And don't delete anything unless it clearly doesn't belong any more.

If you rarely install-uninstall anything new, don't worry about it. A
little registry clutter is of little consequence. If you do a lot, get a
good uninstall utility.  Or be prepared to clean out/restore your registry
frequently.

Unfortunately, so-called "Registry cleaner" utilities don't do a lot in
this regard. But better than nothing.

Don Penlington
Visit my Web pages: http://members.xoom.com/donpen.1/
A horrible mixture of fractals, poetry, and free icons.

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