Should I Remove It? is a

freeware Freeware is software, most 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 f ...

utility As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosopher ...

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 digita ...

data to recommend removal of programs from

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

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 ''CNET'' (short for "Computer Network") is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. ''CNET'' originally produced content for radio and televi ...

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, a subsidiary of IDG Inc, which also produces ''Macworld, PCWorld'' and ''TechHive.'' IDG Inc was acquired by Blackstone in 2 ...

said that crowdsourced data "isn't particularly useful or reliable", but the application provides a good starting point for research. Tuong Nguyen of

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 si ...

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 tech ...

'' 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

External links

* {{Official Uninstallers for Windows Windows-only freeware

Features

Reception

References

Further reading

External links