Revo Uninstaller releases new pro version

The latest version of the popular Revo Uninstaller utility now removes 64-bit apps and throws in a host of other new features.

The VS Revo Group this week unveiled the new $40 professional edition of its Revo Uninstaller, a utility that can cleanly rid your system of unwanted software. Available in the past solely as freeware, Revo Uninstaller will now come in two flavors--the free edition and the pro. The free version hasn't been updated since the spring and so lacks many of the new features found in its professional cousin.

Shenel Emin, a product manager at VS Revo Group, told me the company plans to develop both versions, but for now, the pro edition is the priority. Emin explained that users continually requested a variety of useful and much-needed new features, all of which required additional resources to develop, so a paid version was the way VS Revo chose to go.

Okay, so why even use a third-party uninstaller when virtually every Windows app has its own uninstall routine? Well, most built-in uninstallers don't do a good job cleaning up after themselves. They'll often leave behind files, registry keys, and leftover junk that just clog your system and ultimately makes it slower and less reliable. A good uninstaller can keep Windows in better shape by removing all the forgotten bits and pieces of an application.

One of the top features of Revo's new pro version is its ability to remove 64-bit software. As more people jump to 64-bit operating systems, especially with the release of Windows 7, this type of support was essential for Revo to keep pace.

But the pro edition has a few other tricks up its sleeve. The utility can now scan for and remove leftover pieces of programs that you've already uninstalled or that weren't fully removed. The new Junk Files Cleaner gets rid of temp files and other unnecessary items. For greater accuracy, Revo Uninstaller will now monitor the installation of any program, so it knows exactly which files and registry entries need to be deleted if you decide to remove the program down the line.

As a safeguard, the pro version creates backups of registry keys, files, and folders before it gets rid of them. It also runs a full back-up of your entire registry each time you remove an application. Revo now makes it easier for you to restore applications that you decide you want back. Just select the deleted software and you can choose to recover any of its files or registry entries.

Revo Pro includes cleaners for specific types of software. A Windows Cleaner will purge your Recent Documents history, Search history, Recycle Bin, and Temporary Files. The Browser Cleaner empties out the cache, cookies, and temporary files of any installed browser. And the Microsoft Office Cleaner clears the recent documents history for Word, Excel, and other MS Office apps.

Two other new features--Evidence Remover and Unrecoverable Delete--can protect you by permanently removing specific applications and files that you don't want recovered. Finally, the Autorun Manager lets you peek at some of the items in your start-up routine, so you can prevent certain ones from loading to free up memory.

Revo Uninstaller Pro is compatible with Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. A 30-day trial is available at the Revo Web site.