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1992-10-17
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32KB
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1,187 lines
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UNINSTALL |
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Program Removal Utility |
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Designed and programmed by Michael Swanson |
(C) Copyright 1992 by Anyware |
All rights reserved |
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October 17, 1992 |
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UNINSTALL
The following files are included with UNINSTALL Version 1.0:
UNINSTAL.EXE Comparison and removal program
UNINSTAL.DOC This documentation file
ORDER .DOC Registration information and order form
UNINSTALL FEATURES
The following features are available with UNINSTALL Version 1.0:
1. Automatic program removal. UNINSTALL will
automatically remove program files, data files, and
directories that were added during an installation
procedure.
2. "Tell what happened" comparison. UNINSTALL will tell
you which files or directories were added, deleted, or
changed during an installation procedure.
3. Compare to instruction file. This creates an
instruction file that lists the steps required to
manually remove an installed program.
4. Snapshot file viewing. UNINSTALL will produce a report
of directories and files included in a snapshot file.
5. CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files
are automatically included in UNINSTALL snapshot files.
These configuration files can later be compared to
determine what changes were made to them during an
installation procedure.
6. Snapshot file comments. Each snapshot file created by
UNINSTALL can optionally have a description saved with
it (up to 65 characters in length).
7. Unique drive scanning. UNINSTALL will scan all
available drives and create a snapshot file including
only those that are unique. This is very helpful if
many letters are assigned or mapped to the same
physical drive or partition.
8. Script file support. UNINSTALL will optionally create
a script file including files that were modified during
an installation procedure. This can be used with
backup software to assist in a file restore process.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 2 - UNINSTALL
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
B. General Rules and Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . 5
C. Limitations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. SNAPSHOT FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
A. Description of a Snapshot File . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
B. How Snapshot Files are Used . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3. CREATING A SNAPSHOT FILE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
A. QUICK START - Creating a Snapshot File . . . . . . . 10
B. Description of Command Line Options . . . . . . . . 10
4. COMPARING SNAPSHOT FILES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
A. QUICK START - Removing a Program . . . . . . . . . . 11
B. Comparing to "Tell What Happened" . . . . . . . . . 11
C. Comparing to an Instruction File . . . . . . . . . . 11
D. Comparing to Remove a Program . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5. OTHER INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
A. How a Snapshot File is Made . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
B. Batch File Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
C. Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
6. REGISTRATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
A. Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
B. Registration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
C. Software License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
(C) 1992 Anyware - 3 - UNINSTALL
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INTRODUCTION |
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Overview |
General Rules and Default Settings |
Limitations |
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(C) 1992 Anyware - 4 - UNINSTALL
OVERVIEW
UNINSTALL is a utility designed to assist with the removal
of installed programs and data. This is accomplished by
comparing two "snapshot" files -- one taken before a program is
installed, and one taken after. This comparison can quickly and
accurately determine what happened between the two snapshots.
This information can then be used to describe what happened,
create a set of instructions for manual removal, or automatically
remove a program.
UNINSTALL watches for file and directory additions,
deletions, and modifications. If you are using Microsoft
Windows, UNINSTALL also watches .INI file contents. This makes
it easy to determine which lines in an .INI file belong to a
particular program.
Some possible uses for UNINSTALL:
1. Programs that do not work properly with your hardware can be
quickly and easily removed.
2. Evaluation software can be removed when its trial period is
over.
3. UNINSTALL can be used to remove an old version of software
before installing a newer, upgraded version.
4. Software developers can easily remove their program after
testing an installation procedure.
5. Detailed information can be obtained indicating which lines
of a Windows .INI file belong to an installed program.
GENERAL RULES AND DEFAULT SETTINGS
The following guidelines should be observed when using the
UNINSTALL program:
1. The UNINSTALL program must be located in at least one of the
following locations:
A. The current drive and directory
B. Any drive or directory included in the DOS PATH setting
Using the DOS PATH setting allows you to use UNINSTALL
even if you are in a different drive or directory. For
more information, consult your MS-DOS documentation.
C. Any drive or directory specified on the command line
(C) 1992 Anyware - 5 - UNINSTALL
C:\> \ANYWARE\UNINSTAL -v Older.SNP
In the example above, the UNINSTALL program is located
in the \ANYWARE directory.
2. UNINSTALL program commands are typed at the DOS prompt.
3. UNINSTALL options and filenames can be typed in upper or
lower case.
4. It is not necessary to type the extension .SNP when
specifying a snapshot file -- it will be assumed. The
extension is used in this documentation for clarity.
5. A help screen describing program options is displayed when
you type UNINSTAL at the DOS prompt and press <Enter>.
6. Temporary files created by the UNINSTALL program will be
created in the current directory.
7. The UNINSTALL program will stop if an error is encountered.
For more information on errors, see the section titled
"Error Messages."
LIMITATIONS
The following limitations should be noted when using the
UNINSTALL program:
1. UNINSTALL is designed to run on any IBM personal computer or
compatible running PC- or MS-DOS version 3.0 or higher.
2. UNINSTALL requires a minimum of 128K memory to run.
3. The maximum number of files in any single directory of a
drive being processed by UNINSTALL is 1,200.
4. The maximum number of subdirectories in any single directory
of a drive being processed by UNINSTALL is 75.
5. The maximum number of different lines within a configuration
file (CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI) cannot
exceed 500 per differing section.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 6 - UNINSTALL
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SNAPSHOT FILES |
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Description of a Snapshot File |
How Snapshot Files are Used |
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(C) 1992 Anyware - 7 - UNINSTALL
DESCRIPTION OF A SNAPSHOT FILE
A snapshot file is a "picture" of the current state of your
drive and directory structures. If present, your CONFIG.SYS and
AUTOEXEC.BAT files are also included. If you are using Microsoft
Windows, the .INI files will be included as well. This "picture"
is stored in a snapshot file along with an optional comment
describing when, why, or where the snapshot was taken. Snapshot
files can easily be identified by their .SNP extension.
HOW SNAPSHOT FILES ARE USED
Snapshot files are used by UNINSTALL to determine what
happened during an installation procedure. UNINSTALL does this
by comparing the two snapshots to see what has changed. This
information can then be used to describe what happened during the
installation, create a set of instructions telling how to
manually remove a program, or to automatically remove a program.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 8 - UNINSTALL
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CREATING A SNAPSHOT FILE |
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QUICK START - Creating a Snapshot File |
Description of Command Line Options |
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(C) 1992 Anyware - 9 - UNINSTALL
QUICK START - CREATING A SNAPSHOT FILE
To create a snapshot file, at the DOS prompt, type:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL Snapshot.SNP
where "snapshot" is filled in with a filename of your choice. By
default, all unique drives found on your system will be scanned
and included in the snapshot file.
A snapshot should be taken JUST BEFORE a new program is
installed and IMMEDIATELY AFTER it is has been installed. For
the sake of convenience, you might decide to call the first
snapshot file "before" and the second file, "after."
DESCRIPTION OF COMMAND LINE OPTIONS
The following table will serve as a handy reference guide to
the UNINSTALL command line:
UNINSTAL [options] snapfile [snapfile2] [outfile]
Options summary:
-c[i|r|t] = compare snapfile with snapfile2 to create
Instruction outfile/Remove files/Tell what
happened (default)
-d[drives]= include drives in snapshot (default = all
unique drives)
-v = view snapfile contents
-w = exclude Microsoft Windows .INI files (default
= SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI will be included if
found)
-y = automatically answer "yes" to all prompts
-z = add snapfile comment
File summary:
snapfile = snapshot file name. Default extension .SNP
snapfile2 = snapshot file name to compare. Default
extension .SNP
outfile = name of output instruction or script file.
Default extension .TXT
(C) 1992 Anyware - 10 - UNINSTALL
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COMPARING SNAPSHOT FILES |
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QUICK START - Removing a Program |
Comparing to "Tell What Happened" |
Comparing to an Instruction File |
Comparing to Remove a Program |
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(C) 1992 Anyware - 11 - UNINSTALL
QUICK START - REMOVING A PROGRAM
To remove a program, at the DOS prompt, type:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL -cr Before.SNP After.SNP
This will compare the two snapshot files for program
removal. You will be prompted before anything is changed by the
UNINSTALL program.
COMPARING TO "TELL WHAT HAPPENED"
This is the default option when performing a comparison.
UNINSTALL will display any changes made to the directory or file
structure and any modifications made to the CONFIG.SYS,
AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files.
To perform a "tell what happened" compare, type:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL -ct Before.SNP After.SNP
or:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL Before.SNP After.SNP
COMPARING TO AN INSTRUCTION FILE
This type of comparison creates an instruction file
describing how to manually remove a program. It details any
files or directories that need to be modified and any lines that
must be changed in the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT, SYSTEM.INI, and
WIN.INI files.
To compare to an instruction file, type:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL -ci Before.SNP After.SNP Inst.TXT
where Inst.TXT is the name of the instruction file you wish to
create. This file is in ASCII format and may be modified or
printed with almost any word processor.
To print the instruction file from DOS to your default
printer, type:
C:\ANYWARE> COPY Inst.TXT PRN
(C) 1992 Anyware - 12 - UNINSTALL
COMPARING TO REMOVE A PROGRAM
This is the most powerful comparison that UNINSTALL can
perform. It will automatically undo any file or directory
changes made by an installation program and inform you of the
changes necessary to return the CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT,
SYSTEM.INI, and WIN.INI files to their original states. By
default, you will prompted before any changes are made.
To remove a program with prompting, type:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL -cr Before.SNP After.SNP
To remove a program without prompting (this will
automatically answer "yes" to anything asked during the removal
procedure -- proceed with caution):
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL -cr -y Before.SNP After.SNP
To have UNINSTALL create a script containing file names that
may need to be restored from a backup, type:
C:\ANYWARE> UNINSTAL -cr Before.SNP After.SNP Script.TXT
where Script.TXT is the name of the script file you wish to
create. This can be used in conjunction with your backup
software to perform an automated restore procedure.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 13 - UNINSTALL
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OTHER INFORMATION |
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How a Snapshot File is Made |
Batch File Processing |
Error Messages |
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(C) 1992 Anyware - 14 - UNINSTALL
HOW A SNAPSHOT FILE IS MADE
UNINSTALL reads the directory structure of each specified
drive and writes it to the snapshot file. Filename, size, time,
date, and attributes are stored.
When all directories on all specified drives have been
processed, UNINSTALL stores the CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files
at the end of the snapshot file. If Windows SYSTEM.INI or
WIN.INI files are encountered during the directory scan,
UNINSTALL stores them to the snapshot file as well (unless the -w
switch is used to exclude them).
BATCH FILE PROCESSING
When calling UNINSTALL from a batch file, you can test if
UNINSTALL experienced an error by using the DOS errorlevel
variable. If no errors have occurred, UNINSTALL returns an
errorlevel of zero.
Upon encountering an error, UNINSTALL will return one of the
following errorlevels:
0 No error
1 DOS version is not 3.0 or higher
2 Syntax error
3 Cannot create file
4 Subdirectory maximum exceeded
5 File maximum exceeded
6 Cannot open file
7 Unrecognized file ID
8 No common drives to compare
9 Not enough memory for comparison
10 Files are too different
11 Cannot read file
Remember when testing errorlevels in a batch file that DOS
tests the errorlevel not for equality, but for greater than or
equal to.
For example, if UNINSTALL exits with an errorlevel of 4,
errorlevel 4 will be true, and so will errorlevel 3, errorlevel
2, and so on. Therefore, errorlevel 0 will always test as true.
Because of this, errorlevels should always be tested in
descending order.
For example:
uninstal -dc Test.SNP
if errorlevel 4 goto error4
if errorlevel 3 goto error3
(C) 1992 Anyware - 15 - UNINSTALL
if errorlevel 2 goto error2
if errorlevel 1 goto error1
echo No error
goto exit
:error4
echo Subdirectory maximum exceeded
goto exit
:error3
echo Cannot create file
goto exit
.
.
.
ERROR MESSAGES
Following is a list of error messages that may appear when
using UNINSTALL. Beneath each message is a brief explanation.
ERROR: This program requires PC/MS-DOS version 3.0 or higher to
run
UNINSTALL will not run on a version of DOS older then 3.0.
Upgrade your DOS version to 3.0 or later.
ERROR: Syntax error
Something was not entered properly on the command line.
Check your syntax and try again.
ERROR: Cannot create file
UNINSTALL cannot create one of its files. This may be
because the disk is full or because a read-only version of
a file already exists. This could be a snapshot file,
instruction file, script file, or temporary file.
ERROR: Subdirectory maximum exceeded
A single directory on a processed drive contains more than
75 subdirectories -- the UNINSTALL limit.
ERROR: File maximum exceeded
A single directory on a processed drive contains more than
1,200 files -- the UNINSTALL limit.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 16 - UNINSTALL
ERROR: Cannot open file
UNINSTALL cannot open one of its files. This could be a
snapshot file, instruction file, script file, or temporary
file.
ERROR: Unrecognized file ID
One of the snapshot files involved in a comparison was not
created with a recognized version of UNINSTALL.
ERROR: No common drives to compare
Between two snapshots, no common drives were found to
compare. For example, if snapshot 1 contains drive C: and
snapshot 2 contains drive D:, nothing can be compared
because there isn't at least one common drive.
ERROR: Not enough memory for comparison
UNINSTALL has run out of useable memory during a snapshot
build or comparison.
ERROR: Files are too different
UNINSTALL has found more than 500 different lines in one
section of a configuration file (CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT,
SYSTEM.INI, WIN.INI).
ERROR: Cannot read file
UNINSTALL cannot read one of its files. This could be a
snapshot file, instruction file, script file, or temporary
file.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 17 - UNINSTALL
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REGISTRATION |
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Technical Support |
Registration Information |
Software License |
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(C) 1992 Anyware - 18 - UNINSTALL
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
If you have any problems, questions, comments, or
suggestions regarding UNINSTALL, contact:
Mail: PC Services
5766 James Dr.
Stevensville, MI 49127-9404
Voice: (616) 429-9664
To speak with the developers of UNINSTALL, contact:
Mail: Anyware Software
802 Michigan Ave., Suite 524
St. Joseph, MI 49085-1517
Voice: (616) 983-5215
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
If you continue to use UNINSTALL beyond the initial 30-day
evaluation period, you must register. To register, send a check
or money order for $50 to PC Services, or call during business
hours (8AM - 5PM EST) with VISA/MC. You will receive the
UNINSTALL program, printed documentation, and be informed of any
future product updates.
Please state the version number of the software that you are
currently using and required diskette size. Send check or money
order to:
PC Services
5766 James Dr.
Stevensville, MI 49127-9404
SOFTWARE LICENSE
(C) Copyright 1992 by Anyware. All rights reserved.
You are free to use, copy, and distribute UNINSTALL for
NONCOMMERCIAL use if:
No fee is charged for use, copying, or distribution.
It is no modified in any way.
Clubs and user groups may charge a nominal fee not to exceed
($15) for expenses and handling while distributing UNINSTALL.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 19 - UNINSTALL
Site licenses and commercial licenses for UNINSTALL are
available. Contact PC Services for more information.
Anyware hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this
software, whether express or implied, including without
limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness
for a particular purpose. Anyware will not be liable for any
special, incidental, consequential, indirect or similar damages
due to loss of data or any other reason, even if Anyware or an
agent of Anyware has been advised of the possibility of such
damages. In no event shall Anyware's liability for any damages
ever exceed the price paid for the license to use the software,
regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the
software bears all risk as to the quality and performance of the
software.
(C) 1992 Anyware - 20 - UNINSTALL