Deleting applications that aren't installed on your device
Deleting applications that aren't installed on your device
I installed "duplicate cleaner" from an external drive and now it appears in my start menu, making removal difficult. I tried deleting its folder, but it wasn’t working as expected. Eventually, I removed the files inside it. I’m unsure if this is safe—Windows sometimes alters file timestamps when copying or renaming, which can affect registry entries for external programs. It seems odd to add a start menu entry for something that might not even be the same file. The issue isn’t just about duplicates; it’s also about how system files are handled.
Documentation records are maintained independently (in the explorer right-click area, add a column for creation time). When copying files, a new creation date appears unless archiving is done properly to retain that info. Renaming a file updates the last modified timestamp. Both approaches make logical sense. If you launch an installer, it usually applies. Otherwise, it won’t appear in the Apps list for removal. This is why avoiding portable media installations is advised (at least from my perspective). Drive letters may shift, disrupting paths and leaving rogue registry entries after unplugging. It’s challenging to interpret exactly what you need based on your message, but previously I’ve relied on tools like Revo Uninstaller to clean up beyond simple removal, handling even faulty installs.
Er, no? Imagine you have a file made back in 1996... you copy or move it around and suddenly it says it came from 2021. That doesn’t make sense since it’s just a modified version of the original file from 1996. It’s confusing because you can’t easily locate that file later. Not sure what the archive option does, but it seems too late now. I have thousands of files with identical names and possibly the same size, though not all contain the exact same data. Sorting them by actual creation date should help, but it’s not perfect. Basically, just check if this could cause problems—simply remove folders and files Windows thinks are installed but aren’t, so it can’t uninstall programs. I know that might sound tricky, but I think Windows shouldn’t create registry entries or start up when it’s an external installation. Of course, the other issue is that Windows doesn’t recognize it as an external drive even though it’s connected via USB, which should give it a clue it’s not internal. But honestly, I’m pretty sure this method actually worked—just the drive was missing from the program list.
From a Windows standpoint, things seem straightforward but often confusing. It feels outdated, like a 1979 system, yet for users it’s hard to grasp—especially when trying to organize files or spot duplicates. The creation date stays fixed unless the file itself changes; just renaming or copying doesn’t alter it. Modifying it later still works as long as you can verify the original timestamp. It’s not very intuitive, and it doesn’t always work reliably.
On Linux and Android, similar issues arise, though the experience is just as frustrating. The real fix would be offering users clearer options and updating the OS to a more modern, user-friendly version. Even Windows could benefit from such improvements, but right now it feels like an outdated mess that needs a complete overhaul.
someone mentioned a similar folder to help resolve my problem. This would really address the issue because a duplicate finder could then display all files with identical names, sorted by creation date or size—ideally showing creation date, size, and location. That way, it would be straightforward to identify which files are duplicates and safely remove the oldest ones. In theory, I’d have 300 files like *f_mod1* in a single folder, and so on... I can’t just delete the oldest without risking data loss. I need to know when each file first appeared on the system and see exactly which folders are involved. This would make it easy to compare everything manually or through software. It’s frustrating because Windows doesn’t always recognize creation dates properly, especially in 2021. I remember hearing about this back in 1979 or 1985, but I’m not sure how long ago that was. I respect the effort behind Windows development, and I actually appreciate Gates when he was working on Windows XP and Vista—they were impressive! Spoiler: it all makes sense now hahaha. Spoiler: Nomen est omen!
I’m familiar with the situation for that certification exam. On Linux, rsync and similar utilities often include options to keep creation timestamps. In Windows it doesn’t appear to work directly, but there are solutions available. A backup is generated at some point, not the original file, but it’s still a duplicate—so I prefer that the copied file’s creation date reflects when it was made. This example doesn’t clarify much for me. If timestamps are essential, embedding them in the filename might be better. I’m still puzzled because you say a copy is just an identical file with the same content. How can dates matter if the files are exactly the same? Or perhaps each folder uses incremental checks to detect duplicates, comparing checksums rather than names. A true duplicate should have matching timestamps and checksums. If your system already handles this, it might be worth adjusting your sorting or naming conventions so duplicates aren’t treated as identical. I hope someone with expertise can help me understand this better.
right, I mean that isn't easy to explain, the point is I need to figure out which files *and* folders are duplicates amongst thousands, and they often have the same or similar name... and renaming them, *especially* the files just isn't feasible, because they also *must* have the exact name or they won't function... so I'd be renaming files constantly and possibly messing them up in the process too... so, no, really the point is why can't windows do that for me and what's the benefit of changing a creation date constantly (this should actually be illegal...) it is technically the same file but how am I supposed to find the *oldest* (the one I don't need anymore) when windows constantly changes the creation date ie the age... it simply should *never* do this, even if you somehow change the file it should keep the *original creation date* I don't see why it wouldn't, that's what "modified" is for. And alright, I see its not easy to understand... in my example f_mod1 is not necessarily the same file as f_mod1 .... they may have entirely different functions... and they may have the same size or not, it doesn't matter because if one is 3kb and the other 2kb that doesn't really tell me anything you see? The *only* reliable way of differentiating them is the "time" it appeared on the system. But for "reasons" that's not possible because as soon you move that file just once this time gets falsified by windows for no reason whatsoever, there is no benefit in doing so (not for the user) you're right theoretically I could rename every file so it includes the date, but is this really feasible with thousands of files and folders... and then I'd need to rename them again when I want to use them...? Nah I don't think that's feasible or practical. BTW It's the same with videos for example. so video 1... I "edit" it... Windows will make a new "creation" date but this is incorrect the creation date did not change, what changed was the edit date, or modification date. So same problem I want to sort my videos after creation date... impossible... it'll show everything out of order because it actually changed the real dates... for *no reason*. a video that was created in January is still created in January, even when I edited it in July... does that make sense to you? I don't really care *why* windows and other OS's do that but it's highly inconvenient and the way things are presented to the user are simply old-fashioned and literally *outdated* because it can't even remember the dates lol Edited February 2, 2021 by Mark Kaine edited for clarity