Should I Remove It? is a
freeware
Freeware is software, often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the free ...
utility
In economics, utility is a measure of a certain person's satisfaction from a certain state of the world. Over time, the term has been used with at least two meanings.
* In a normative context, utility refers to a goal or objective that we wish ...
from Reason Software that uses
crowdsourced
Crowdsourcing involves a large group of dispersed participants contributing or producing goods or services—including ideas, votes, micro-tasks, and finances—for payment or as volunteers. Contemporary crowdsourcing often involves digit ...
data to recommend removal of programs from
Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
systems.
Features
Should I Remove It? uses crowdsourced data based on the actions of its users to report the popularity of software found on their computers. For each installed program that it detects, it reports the percentage of people who have uninstalled that program from within Should I Remove It?. Users can choose to view additional details sourced from Reason Software's website, uninstall software, or take no action. Software that is frequently removed is highlighted red, and software that is frequently kept is highlighted green. On the official website, Reason Software keeps statistical details of which programs are most often kept, the most commonly installed programs, and most popular publishers.
Reception
Dan Russell of
CNET rated 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "While many programs lack sufficient feedback for reliable ratings, Should I Remove It is a great place to start looking." Mike Williams of
PC Advisor ''Tech Advisor'', previously known as ''PC Advisor'', is a consumer tech website and digital magazine published by Foundry,. Foundry was previously a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG, Inc.), which was acquired by Blackstone in 2021, but i ...
said that crowdsourced data "isn't particularly useful or reliable", but the application provides a good starting point for research. Tuong Nguyen of
CNET said that while the maintenance and uninstallation tasks were not as powerful as other programs and the crowdsourced data could be misleading, it is "a must-have tool for anyone looking to tidy up his machine."
Tom's Hardware
''Tom's Hardware'' is an online publication owned by Future plc and focused on technology. It was founded in 1996 by Thomas Pabst. It provides articles, news, price comparisons, videos and reviews on computer hardware and high technology. The s ...
rated it 4.5/5 stars and wrote, "This program manages to do a good job of making sure that your computer is free from bloatware and programs that you don't need." Ian Paul of ''
PC World
''PC World'' (stylized as PCWorld) is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG. Since 2013, it has been an online-only publication.
It offers advice on various aspects of PCs and related items, the Internet, and other personal tec ...
'' called it "easy and straight-forward", but called the program's reliance on accessing Reason Software's website annoying. Jon Russell of The Next Web wrote, "Most folks who treat their PC with care won’t need this program, but if you’re someone who is less sure about your software then Should I Remove It could be a good option for you."
References
Further reading
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External links
* {{Official
Uninstallers for Windows
Windows-only freeware