I accidentally downloaded an installer for HWiNFO instead of the portable version and ran it. I later used the program's uninstall executable because I wanted to remove the installed copy and avoid extra files or registry entries. Instead, it deleted nearly every folder inside the directory where I kept several PC maintenance tools and modding patches. HWiNFO and ISLC were still running, so those files survived. Nothing critical was lost, but I'm wondering whether this was an unusually buggy uninstaller or whether I misunderstood how uninstallers work. Is there any realistic way to recover the deleted folders or at least reconstruct their names? What would be a safer workflow for handling portable tools and installers in the future?
3 Answers
The download source matters here. Make sure the installer came from the developer’s legitimate website rather than a mirror or an unrelated download page, since similarly named utilities and repackaged installers can behave very differently. For future use, keep portable tools and installers in separate, dedicated directories, and consider extracting each program into its own folder. Before running an unfamiliar uninstaller, back up the directory or make a restore point if possible.
There isn’t one universal Windows uninstall mechanism that every program has to use. An uninstaller is usually just an executable or an installer script written by that software’s developer, and it can technically do whatever it was programmed to do. MSI packages are more standardized, but they still depend on instructions supplied by the publisher. A well-made uninstaller should remove only its own files, but a badly written one can absolutely cause broader damage.
Stop writing to that drive for now and try file-recovery software as soon as possible. The sooner you scan it, the better the odds of recovering the deleted files. Check whether File History, backups, or Volume Shadow Copies were enabled too; tools that browse shadow copies can sometimes restore older versions of folders. System Protection being disabled means that particular recovery route probably won’t help.
Related Questions
Can't Load PhpMyadmin On After Server Update
Redirect www to non-www in Apache Conf
How To Check If Your SSL Cert Is SHA 1
Windows TrackPad Gestures