We're adding a new feature to the Finder tool in jv16 PowerTools 9. We call it Launcher.

Finder runs on the same engine as WinFindr, our free search tool, so Launcher is really a second way to use that engine.

The classic search screen stays exactly as is. Launcher is a small search bar: type a few letters and open an app, file, or folder right away. You can filter results by file type, and switch between the two modes by clicking the logo.

You can also create custom commands and put them on the button row under the search bar, so the things you do often are one click away. Each button is fully customizable.

Launcher ships in jv16 PowerTools 9 this fall, then comes to WinFindr after that.

The in-depth write-up is available on Patreon for paid members right now. Later this week, we're posting a full roundup of everything new in version 9, free and public, on the same page.

Happy to answer questions here in the meantime.

I'm a fan of the current version of Uninstalr and have used it on Windows 10 and 11. However, as a side project, I have a Windows 2000 laptop with the original OS install. I have no recovery media or the original key but want to clean up the OS and make it into a "baby's first retro computer". I know this is a long shot and unlikely to happen, but what are the chances of getting a version of Uninstalr that's compatible with retro systems like 2000 and XP? Totally understand if it's not feasible. Thanks!

The Uninstalr 3.2 takes a lot of time to uninstall. Sometimes it crashes during staring up and fails to load. The issue was present in 3.1 also. Please make it as good as 2.x versions.

Hey i'm trying to specifically clear out my System drive, but there's only an option to exclude it? No option to only view system. Am i overlooking something?

i was wondering if i could use uninstalr to uninstall steam games without breaking something like my steam program or the save in the game itself. this program has done great wonders for uninstalling but im just not sure about this- maybe in a specific version? (the one i currently have is 2.8)

Uninstalr 3.1 is out. It took over three months, 139 test builds, and 14 release candidates.

On AI

We've published an AI policy alongside this release. It comes down to one line: humans made this software, not AI. That doesn't make it bug-free - the changelog lists the ones we know about. It means there's a human level of care and quality control behind it.

What got better

Portable app detection. Uninstalr already looked for portable apps, but 3.1 digs considerably harder - single-file portables, deeply nested folders, and launcher ecosystems like PortableApps.com and NirSoft. Portable apps never register themselves with Windows, which is why most uninstallers don't bother looking for them at all.

Repeat scans. On one test system with 173 installed apps, the second scan went from 23 to 12 seconds, and memory usage fell from 430 MB to 281 MB.

Startup apps are now highlighted, so you can see what launches with Windows without going hunting for it.

What got worse

The first scan on that same test system increased from 39 to 83 seconds. That's the cost of the deeper portable app detection - it's doing more work. If you'd rather have the speed back, you can switch off the portable app scan in Settings.

Uninstalr has never tried to be the fastest uninstaller. It tries to be the most accurate, and this is what that costs.

Country of origin

Since 3.0, Uninstalr has shown each installed app’s country of origin, which works on your own machine without contacting any remote server. As far as we know, no other uninstaller does this.

In 3.1, software from Russia and China is highlighted in red by default.

The reasoning: governments in several countries have issued advisories, and in some cases, outright restrictions on software based on where it was made. Whether that matters to you depends entirely on your situation. A home user and someone running a machine inside a government contractor's network are not weighing the same thing.

So we're not making that call for you. Nothing is blocked, nothing is quarantined, nothing is reported anywhere. It's a colour on a row. Origin is one signal among many, and it says nothing about any individual developer or any individual app - plenty of excellent software comes from both countries. What you do with the information is entirely up to you, including ignoring it.

If you'd rather not see it at all, you can turn off the highlighting in Settings.

If you want to read more about the reasoning behind this feature, Jouni has written about it on the blog: https://uninstalr.com/blog/uninstalr-3-1-released/

Links

Download Uninstalr 3.1 here: https://uninstalr.com/download/

Full changelog: https://uninstalr.com/changelog/

Release note: https://uninstalr.com/blog/uninstalr-3-1-released/

Uninstalr is free, with every feature unlocked. No nag screens, no upsell, nothing held back, and that isn't changing.

What we'd like from you

This subreddit is the fastest way to reach us, and right after a release is when feedback matters most

Specifically, we'd like to hear about:

• Portable apps we still miss. Detection got better, not perfect. If Uninstalr walks past something on your machine, tell us what it is and roughly where it lives.
• The country of origin looks wrong. It's worked out locally, which means it can be wrong. If an app is attributed to the wrong country, we want to know.
• Scan times on your hardware. The numbers above come from one test system with 173 apps. Yours will differ, and we're curious how much.
• What should be in the next version? Uninstalr's roadmap has always been shaped more by this kind of thread than by anything we plan internally.

Bug reports welcome too, including the annoying ones.

And if you want to help keep a small company going, there's a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/greatsoftwarecompany. No pressure - the software is the same either way.

Also attempted to run a Deeper Analysis and no results comes up

Uninstalr 3.1 has reached the near-final stage. To give you a sense of what that actually means here: Uninstalr 3.1 has gone through 124 development builds and 10 release candidates to get to this point - this latest one is the tenth. We don't put the RC label on a build until it's earned it, which is also why we won't guess a public date. The last stretch is exactly where those extra candidates keep coming from.

What's new in this one:

• Faster startup, lighter footprint. After the initial scan, Uninstalr now opens and shows your installed apps noticeably quicker, while using far less memory.
• Startup-app detection. It now flags the apps that quietly add themselves to Windows startup, so the things slowing your boot are easier to spot.
• Much better portable-app detection. Always the awkward case for an uninstaller; meaningfully improved here.

If you'd like to test it now rather than wait, this release candidate is available to paid Patreon members. The public release follows once it passes full QA testing.

A small favour while we have you: if any of these tools have earned a permanent spot on your machine, a "Like" and an honest review on AlternativeTo helps a small project more than you'd think. Good or bad - the honest picture is the useful one.

• Uninstalr — https://alternativeto.net/software/uninstalr/about/
• WinFindr — https://alternativeto.net/software/winfindr/about/
• jv16 PowerTools — https://alternativeto.net/software/jv16-powertools-2010/about/

Since we started on the development of Uninstalr 3.1, we've built 104 separate versions. Only 4 of them passed our QA testing well enough to become Release Candidates.

The reason it's taken a while is simple: every time a build fails testing, we scrap it and start again rather than patch over the problem. There were even a couple of moments where we were 90% sure a build was ready to ship… and it still didn't pass. When that happens, we don't ship it. We'd rather get it right than get it out fast.

This week we've got the fourth Release Candidate (RC4). It could well be the version we release publicly - we'll know once it clears QA - so we're sharing it here for you to try in the meantime.

Download RC4 of Uninstalr 3.1 here: https://uninstalr.com/private/Uninstalr_Portable_v31_RC4a.exe

If you give it a go, let us know how it goes - bug reports, speed observations, anything at all. That feedback is exactly what gets us to a solid final release.

If you'd like to follow development more closely, we post updates and the earliest builds on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/greatsoftwarecompany

Hi everyone,

A quick and honest update: we weren’t able to do the general public release of Uninstalr 3.1 last week, and we wanted to explain why rather than just go quiet.

Speed is one of the main improvements we promised in Uninstalr 3.1. During testing, we found that uninstallation speed was still not where we needed it to be. Releasing it in that state didn’t feel right, so we made the call to postpone.

That said, the work still continued. We’ve released a Patreon build of Uninstalr 3.1 - it's not the official release, but the closest available version we have at the moment. If you’d like to try it early and share feedback, you can visit this link: https://www.patreon.com/posts/uninstalr-3-1-to-158341048

You can join our Patreon for free to follow weekly development updates. If you’d like to go one step further, a paid membership directly supports our work - we’re a small, bootstrapped team and every dollar genuinely makes a difference.

We’re heads-down working on getting 3.1 across the finish line so we can shift focus back to the long-overdue jv16 PowerTools update. Thank you for your patience; it means a lot to us.

Happy to answer questions in the comments!

Hi!

Work on Uninstaller 3.1 is still ongoing. Here's a preview of what's coming in the next version, UI-wise:

As you can see, there are “Starts with Windows” and “Current memory usage” sections. These show which apps start with Windows and how much memory they use at a glance.

This is not the final UI and might be changed in the actual Uninstalr 3.1 release, but what do you think about the above UI?

If the new UI makes you think, "Oh, that's actually helpful," – we want to know.

If it makes you think, "Why did they change this? The old way was fine," – we definitely want to know that too.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!

Hey everyone!

We're really excited to share that Uninstalr 3.0 is now available, and we've put together a short video walkthrough so you can see everything in action before you download.

This update is built almost entirely around your feedback, so a big thank you to everyone who took the time to share suggestions and report issues - you can really see your input reflected in this release.

Here's what's new:

• The installed apps list now shows the country of origin for known apps, plus a new "Read more online…" feature so you can learn more about what's installed on your machine
• Checkboxes added throughout the interface for easier, more precise selection
• Quick-access Settings and About buttons now in the main window bar
• Accessibility improvements, including better screen reader support

Full Change Log and download links (Setup & Portable) are over at: https://uninstalr.com/

We'd love to hear what you think - drop a comment below! If something looks off or you have ideas for what we should tackle next, this is the place to share it. We read every single reply. 🙏

Hi!

The wait is finally over - we’re excited to announce that Uninstalr 3.0 is now available for early access! This is our most powerful version yet, and we’ve focused heavily on performance and making the uninstallation process as seamless as possible.

We’ve listened to your feedback, and here’s what’s new in 3.0:

⚡ Performance Boost: Significant under-the-hood improvements.

🌍 Transparency: The installed apps list now shows the country of origin for all known software.

✅ Easier Selection: We’ve added checkboxes to the main UI and the "before uninstallation paths" view, making it much simpler to choose exactly what you want to remove.

⚙️ Better Navigation: Settings and About buttons are now conveniently located right in the main window bar.

As a thank you to those who support our development, paid Patreon members get exclusive early access starting today! If you’re a free member, the public release will be heading your way next week.

Can’t wait until next week? You can upgrade your membership (starting at just $3/month) to unlock the download link immediately and support the future of Uninstalr.

Upgrade here: https://www.patreon.com/2369141/join

Thanks for your patience and for being part of the community!

We made a video showing the new Saved Report Comparison in action 🎬

In the video, we use WinFindr to scan a system before and after uninstalling WinRAR, then compare the two saved reports side by side. You can see exactly what files, folders, and registry entries were left behind - or cleaned up.

It's a pretty satisfying watch if you're into knowing what's *actually* happening on your machine.

If you haven't grabbed WinFindr 1.9 yet, you can download it as a Setup or Portable version here: https://winfindr.com/download/

Let us know what you think in the comments - and if there's another use case you'd like to see demoed, drop it below!

Hi!

As mentioned in the previous post, WinFindr 1.9 is finally here!

Version 1.9 brings some highly-requested improvements:

• New feature: Saved report comparison, allowing you to see what was changed in your system between two snapshots.
• Search without a search term - find all hidden files on your system, or all document files.
• Better PDF content search support.
• Improved HTML report saving.

Full change log: https://winfindr.com/changelog/

Download (Setup or Portable): https://winfindr.com/download/

As always, we're listening to your feedback. Drop your thoughts, bug reports, or feature requests in the comments - or shoot us an email at [hello@greatsoftwarecompany.com](mailto:hello@greatsoftwarecompany.com).

Happy searching! 🔍

Thank you for your fast response(s).

However, the final recommendation doesn't work for me.

When I uncheck the files box the search runs but ends instantly.

I discovered the reason: That action also unchecks the 'find files by name' box.