In a windows installation could have a time limit option e.g. Install this program for 3 months. Once the time limit is up windows asks if you want to uninstall it or carry on using it. Of course this option can be disabled, but I think it'll be handy I am always installing programs then forgetting that I've put it on.
-- AbyssUK, Jul 20 2005

Wonderful. If I had access to this I might install a handful of 'trial use' programs just for shits & giggles that I otherwise wouldn't due to the whole acquisition form entry, credit commitment, and time constraint that I have to commit to memory. My record suggests that I adopt one or more of these paid utilities yearly, so retailers would benefit to get on board with this type of notification.
-- reensure, Jul 20 2005


would be nice if some girlfriends came with this option too.
-- etherman, Jul 20 2005


They do, you just don't find out until uninstall time.
-- wagster, Jul 20 2005


Yes, that'd be great. There are loads of things hanging out on this computer which i'm sure i've forgotten. It sounds perfectly feasible. In fact, it sounds like the kind of thing that could be easily thrown together by someone who knows a little about programming. It could scan all the EXE or binary files on the hard drives once a week for date of creation, be set to run at start up, then look for the appropriate uninstall before prompting the user. I can imagine a batch file or a shell script doing this, but i don't know much about Windows or the Mac. It should be easy, say i who know nothing.
-- nineteenthly, Jul 20 2005


maybe they could have a countdown clock.... hmmm wheres my toolbox?
-- etherman, Jul 20 2005


Good!
-- nomadic_wonderer, Jul 20 2005


If you go Control Panel | Add/Remove programs, they tell you when the last time was that you used each program. (In Windows XP)

Wouldn't this help you decide what to keep/uninstall?
-- phundug, Jul 20 2005


Yes, but only if you bothered to check. If, like me, you download programs on whims and then are distracted by the icon saying that you still have 73% of your hard drive remaining, that you don't bother keeping track, this could be great.
-- dbmag9, Jul 20 2005


I'm imagining this being a prayer to God, asking him to remove a program from His Holy System Tray...

"You are about to Uninstall Time. After the Uninstall is completed, your Universe may require a reboot for all changes to take effect. Click Next to Continue, or Cancel to Quit."
-- zen_tom, Jul 20 2005


"Time has been uninstalled. Would you like to keep the new settings? The system will revert to your original settings in ???xxx?x!!secs"
-- wagster, Jul 20 2005


".... and when you reboot, you might notice a small disturbance. This will be the next Big Bang."
-- phlogiston, Jul 20 2005


[phundug] The only information I will swear to that can be obtained from Windows {add/remove programs} utility is twofold: 1. The indicated program is vital or essential to Windows functions, because it is not labeled as to its frequency of use. 2. The program is designed to work in conjunction with a Windows operations (e.g. file manager, iexplorer) because that is the only interaction possible that earns it greater than "rarely" as to its frequency of use.

I guess that each software that isn't "Win certified" has a proprietary method of reporting to Windows its use statistics, thereby including or excluding itself from close supervision by {add/remove programs} use analysis. I repeat -- I like the Idea of good programming citizenship.
-- reensure, Jul 20 2005


Uh huh. Stops working and has tied up any hope of restoring your system by way of the freeware's backup and recall facility. I blame a lot of that for the incessant headaches that I acquired from being a licensed user of Windows 98. If I knew to uninstall or cancel with enough warning I might have avoided some days spent reinstalling utilities.
-- reensure, Jul 21 2005


//Windows98// - Thankyou for reminding me just how excellent XP actually is.
-- wagster, Jul 21 2005



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