About a month ago, I did something that I now regret deeply. I needed a PDF converter for a simple task. I found a free converter, clicked download, and barely skimmed the install screens. You know the process. Next > Next > Next > Finish. I didn’t read one checkbox.

Boy, was I stupid.

My homepage changed to a search engine I had never seen before. Toolbars popped up that I don’t remember installing. Worst of all, pop-up ads began appearing even when I wasn’t browsing. It was like I had all of a sudden infected my computer with malware… But I didn’t.

It dawned on me that I had installed Bundleware.

If you’ve never heard of Bundleware, here is a quick definition. Bundleware is unwanted software that attaches itself to a program you actually want. It’s hiding in those checkboxes everyone clicks through during default installations. That free PDF converter I wanted installed three other programs I never knew about.

At first, I tried removing them through Windows, but several components and browser add-ons remained behind. That's when I started looking for a reliable uninstaller for Windows that could completely remove bundled software and all of its leftover files instead of leaving traces scattered across my system.

My Initial Solutions (and Failures) 

Panicked, I went into Windows Settings and searched for “Apps and Features”. I quickly found a couple of sketchy ones and clicked uninstall. Simple enough, right? Nope. Some uninstall just fine, but bundled programs are tricky. Entries remained in my registry. Additional files littered folders I didn’t know I had. Worst of all, it kept my browser settings.

I even tried to reset my browser manually. I dove into Chrome settings and restored every single setting to its default. That fixed part of the problem, but the toolbar magically reappeared when I restarted my PC. Turns out there was some extra process bundleware installed running in the background.

Trying random solutions online got me nowhere. I almost spent TWO hours trying to fix the problem myself. Someone even suggested I edit the registry myself! While I work with computers for a living, I have a healthy fear of editing the registry. One wrong deletion and you can mess up your PC. Let’s just say I will never try that method.

What To Do Instead: Find a Solution 

At this point, I was so fed up that I decided I’d rather just find a program made for the job. Enter IObit Uninstaller. I know people who have used this, but I had never given it a try myself. It promised to detect bundled programs and delete everything it could find related to them. It even claimed to find leftover files and delete those too!

After downloading it, I ran the scanner immediately. Thankfully, the interface was very intuitive, and everything was clearly labeled. Not that it mattered. My install screenshot above pretty much explains why I was already pissed. It found EVERYTHING installed on my computer. 

But what caught my attention was a handy feature that identified bundled software. It literally tells you which programs were installed together. For example, the PDF converter I know I installed highlighted right alongside the other extra programs.

I unchecked my new browser homepage and all three unknown programs. There was an option to do a deep scan that would then find leftover files and registry entries. I clicked that little button, hopeful, but still not sure anything would work this time.

Spoiler alert: IT DID! 

Every program is uninstalled with no issues. I was already impressed, but then the program did a cleanup scan that found additional files. As I mentioned before, there was a leftover program set to run every time my PC started. That was probably why my previous battle with the toolbar kept failing.

The Before and After 

The moment I hit restart, I knew everything worked. Not only did my PC run smoother, but my homepage also did NOT change when I opened my browser. Gone was the mysterious toolbar that popped up constantly, too! Curious, I booted back into settings to check my installed programs. It was like bundleware never happened. 

IObit Uninstaller even has another great feature. It can monitor future installations for bundleware! If I had had this yesterday, I never would’ve had to deal with any of this. I’ll be damned if I let Bundleware sneak onto my PC again. I turned that setting on before I even closed the program.

Things I’d Do Differently 

Don’t Rush Through Installation Screens 

I preach to people all the time to slow down when installing software. Guess who did the opposite? Yeah, that would be me. If you pay attention to the “Custom” or “Advanced” options during install, you can spot bundleware before it’s too late. Most of the time, it’ll show you what is being installed WITH your desired program. I neglected to take two seconds to look.

Read EVERY Checkbox 

One of the many reasons I recommend custom installations is to READ EVERYTHING! Believe me, it feels like a chore at first. Did I really spend an extra 30 seconds uninstalling that PDF converter? Yes. Yes, I did. Will I spend 30 seconds reading checkboxes from now on? Also, yes. 

Keep Uninstall Software on Hand 

Again, I know people who swear by this program. I just never needed it now. Whether you use IObit or not, having software that can detect bundleware is important. Even if you don’t mess up and click “next > next > next > finish” as I do sometimes, programs change. Someone could offer you a free download that sneakily installs bundleware without you knowing.

Wait… Did I Sound Like I Was Trying to Pitch You Something?

Long story short, Bundleware can be a pain to remove from your computer. Manual uninstallations won’t always work since Bundleware is designed to leave things behind. My advice? Don’t let this happen to you! Always be vigilant when installing software, and delete bundleware ASAP with an uninstaller if it does happen to install.