how do you completley remove a program and clean up previously removed programs

[slingslingbinks]

i pick up a lot of used computers, full of worthless programs and just junk (the junk, i think is previously removed programs and files) #1. removing files or a program, only removes part of the total space used on the disk, there is some reminance of it on the hard drive, and unasable space, how do you completley remove these, and reclame the hard drive space. #2 how do you reclame the hard drive space from previously rermoved program's. or would it just be easer to fdisk and format the computer. #3 if i fdisk and format and there is a program i want to keep, how do you keep them and erase all the other junk out. any help will be thankfull tks slingslingbinks

[RoyKelly]

I usually fdisk and format most computers I get.

When there is a program or file I want to keep, I remove all the junk by going to a command prompt at boot (tap F8 and choose command prompt), then deleting all the files in a folder and removing the folder.

Hope this helps.

[slingslingbinks]

tks roy, i'll give it a try. i have sucessfully fdisk and formated a computer, witch, the hard drive was full and reinstalled win. 98. and reclamed 3/4 of the hard drive. after i tried to uninstall the program's. did a disk cleanup, scan disk, and a defrag, with no luck on reclaming any disk space. next i'll try to keep the program as you say. tks scott

[Prew]

Easycleaner is a nice, free program that will clean out the left over registry entries of deleted programs. Wouldn't deleting the registry entries free up the space? -Because that's all that deleting files and programs does.

[beerman]

Can't you do the same thing with Norton Utilities?

beerman

[beerman]

Can't you do the same thing with Norton Utilities?

beerman

[slingslingbinks]

tks beerman, i have norton system works 2002, i use the one button checkup and there mite be more to it than that on the program. i haven't gotten into verry deep. c-ya slinger