Windows PCs are powerful and flexible, but over time they can also become harder to manage. Programs leave behind data, startup items accumulate, and background processes slow things down. Even routine tasks like uninstalling software or installing updates can lead to unexpected behavior.

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know these themes aren’t new. In earlier posts like:

• Take Control of Your PC
• The Secrets of a Clean Uninstall
• 3 Easy Tips for a More Stable and Faster PC

…we explored why understanding what software does behind the scenes is essential to keeping your system running smoothly.

This new series builds on that foundation — but takes it to another level.

Over the years, Install Monitor has grown far beyond its original focus on clean uninstalls. Today it includes powerful tools for visibility, performance, resource monitoring, and desktop control. This series will walk through those capabilities in depth and show how they work together to help you stay in control of your PC.

Whether you manage your own PC, you’re the go‑to IT person for friends or family, or you support systems for a small business, this series will help you deal with the real issues that cause slowdowns, system clutter, unwanted changes, and wasted troubleshooting time — and show you how to stay firmly in control of your PC.

1. Deep Program Insight & Complete Cleanup

See everything. Remove everything. Understand everything.

Most uninstallers only remove part of a program. Over time, leftover data accumulates, slows down your system, and causes conflicts. Install Monitor takes a smarter approach by tracking everything a program does from the moment it’s installed. You can see every file, folder, and registry entry a program creates, understand how software gets bundled or installed together, and follow changes over time through the Timeline and File History views. When you uninstall a program, Install Monitor guides you through removing what’s left behind so your system stays clean and predictable.

2. Speed & Performance Optimization

Make your PC faster and more efficient without guesswork.

Startup programs and background processes are some of the biggest contributors to slow performance. Install Monitor helps you understand what’s happening during startup and gives you simple controls to improve it. You can see which programs run at boot, how much they contribute to startup time, and disable unnecessary items with a single click. Install Monitor also helps you identify background programs that quietly consume resources, making it easier to keep your system responsive throughout the day.

3. Resource Monitoring & Problem Diagnosis

Find what’s slowing you down — and fix it instantly.

When your PC becomes sluggish or unresponsive, the cause isn’t always obvious. Install Monitor includes tools that help you quickly identify the culprit. The Performance tab shows which programs are using the most CPU, memory, and disk activity, while the Performance Analyzer helps pinpoint the root cause of hangs or slowdowns. And when your desktop becomes unresponsive, Desktop Control gives you a fast way to recover without rebooting.

4. Desktop Control & Frustration Reduction

Stay in control of your PC — no interruptions, no surprises.

Windows and third‑party apps don’t always behave the way you expect — sudden restarts, frozen windows, and background processes that hijack your desktop. Install Monitor gives you tools to push back. Desktop Control helps you recover responsiveness when an app misbehaves, and the Windows Update Automatic Restart Blocker stops forced restarts from disrupting your work. This area will continue to expand as we tackle more of the everyday frustrations that get in the way of a smooth, predictable PC experience. If there’s something that consistently drives you crazy, let us know below.

5. Backup and Restore

Protect your setup. Recover quickly. Make PC management easier.

Install Monitor lets you save the state of a program — including its files and registry entries — and restore it later if something goes wrong. This is helpful when an update causes issues, when you’re maintaining older software that doesn’t reinstall cleanly, or when you want to keep consistent setups across multiple PCs.

Because this capability captures a complete program state, it also opens the door to interesting possibilities in the future — such as simplifying new PC setup, sharing configurations, portability, or even virtualization‑friendly workflows. These are natural extensions of what Install Monitor already does today, and we’ll explore these ideas more as the series continues.

What’s Next in This Series

This post is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, we’ll dive deeper into each feature category, including:

• How Install Monitor tracks program changes
• How to perform a truly clean uninstall
• How to diagnose performance issues
• How Install Monitor helps you stay in control of your PC
• How to use Install Monitor to manage multiple PCs more effectively
• The future of program portability and backup

Each post focuses on practical ways to boost productivity, reduce frustration, and unlock more capability from your PC with Install Monitor.

Your Turn

If there’s a feature you’d like us to cover first — or if you have questions about how Install Monitor works — let us know in the comments or reach out directly. We’re always improving the product based on your feedback.

The Windows Registry can be thought of as a virtual junkyard. Over time, as software is installed and uninstalled, it can become cluttered with orphaned and obsolete entries. This can lead to slower system performance and even system instability.
Many users turn to registry cleaners in an attempt to solve these problems. However, these tools can do more harm than good. They operate on a best-guess basis, attempting to identify and remove unnecessary registry entries. But this approach is far from perfect. Registry cleaners can sometimes remove entries that are still needed, causing programs to break.
This can result in performance or reliability issues and in the worst case require reinstalling Windows.
Microsoft doesn’t have a built in registry cleaner in Windows and actually recommends against their usage for the above reasons. Does that mean we just have to accept registry junk as fact of life?

No more Registry Junk!

Enter Mirekusoft Install Monitor, a smarter and safer alternative to registry cleaners. In contrast to the guessing done by registry cleaners, Install Monitor targets the problem directly with intelligent monitoring. Think of registry cleaners as a chainsaw – a blunt instrument that can cause collateral damage. On the other hand, Mirekusoft Install Monitor is more like a scalpel – precise and controlled. Install Monitor provides a more surgical approach by allowing you to remove registry entries for programs it has monitored.
This helps to ensure 100% cleanup of registry junk.

With Install Monitor’s protective layer you can keep a clean registry without having to trust the developer carefully crafted their uninstaller to remove all it’s registry entries. It’s another way Install Monitor puts you back in control.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new product edition – Mirekusoft Install Monitor Starter Edition. This edition is designed with simplicity in mind. The best part? It’s absolutely free for personal use!

What is Mirekusoft Install Monitor Starter Edition?

The Starter Edition is a simplified version of our powerful Install Monitor software. While it offers less functionality compared to the full version, it retains the core features that make Install Monitor a favorite among our users. It’s designed to be user-friendly, efficient, and effective, providing you with the essential tools you need.

Why Choose the Starter Edition?

The Starter Edition is perfect for those who want a taste of what Mirekusoft Install Monitor has to offer without the commitment of the full version. It’s also a great option for those who only require basic functionality. And if you find yourself needing more advanced features, don’t worry – the Starter Edition can be easily upgraded to the trial/paid version.

How to Get Started?

Getting started with Mirekusoft Install Monitor Starter Edition is easy.

Simply visit the following link to download the software: Download Mirekusoft Install Monitor Starter Edition

Once downloaded, follow the prompts to install the software on your device.

In Conclusion

The launch of Mirekusoft Install Monitor Starter Edition marks an exciting new chapter in our journey. We believe that this new edition will open up opportunities for more users to experience the benefits of our software. So why wait? Download the Starter Edition today!

For any questions or support, feel free to reach out to us. We’re always here to help.

This page will be used to track Install Monitor releases.

We use the following versioning format <major>.<minor>.<build>.<hotfix>. The major number will increase on major releases. The minor number will increase on feature updates. The build will always increase and the hotfix number will increase if it’s a bug fix update.

Install Monitor 5.2.1223.0

• What’s New

• New Performance Analyzer feature will provide a performance report. This makes it easy to identify the cause of slowness/hangs
  over a period of time
• On the Programs tab under More Options there is now a Program Updates option that shows available application updates
• Performance tab improvements
• Improved display of processes

• Tray icon status improvements

• Install Monitor Starter Edition
• Fixes        
• If an uninstall tool is used you can’t remove the program from the UI
• Fix Performance tab scrolling away from selection
• Improved sorting in Startup view and other windows
• Disabling backup programs option not always working
• Install started notifications won’t be received for programs excluded from monitoring

Install Monitor 5.1.1184.0

• What’s New
  • Welcome Guide – provides a guide to the different Install Monitor features
  • Windows Update Restart Blocking – prevent Windows Updates from automatically restarting and causing you to lose work
  • Program cleanup aggressiveness option
  • Performance view has been enhanced to show more details
  • Add ability to merge uninstalled programs for easier organization
  • Program Show Contents can show more items
  • Improve system cleanup selection
  • Support offline activation
  • Improve when background maintenance runs
  • Add ability to remove programs from tracking
  • Program cleanup backup is faster and only saves what is removed
• Fixes
  • UI speed improvements
  • Fix possible high system CPU usage
  • Fix for possible crashes
  • Fix some upgrades requiring restarts
  • Fix some issues that could cause the service to crash
  • Fix install notifications when running LibreOffice
  • Fix possible crash when uninstalling programs
  • Fix duplicate items in storage view
  • Fix issues that could lead to programs not being completely removed
  • Get Diagnostics fix for possible hang

Install Monitor 5.0.1162.1

• Fixes
  • Fix service crash
  • Fix incorrect install notifications for some programs like LibreOffice
  • Fix possible UI crash during uninstall
  • Fix Storage View duplicating items
  • Improve System Cleanup selection
  • General UI fixes

Install Monitor 5.0.1154.0

This is a new major release with several new features.

• General
  • New Splash screen
  • Faster loading
  • Improved compatibility and reliability fixes
  • New Tray icon that shows current installs
• Better Uninstaller
  • More thorough cleanup
  • Less restarts needed for uninstall/cleanup
  • More detailed progress
  • Improved cleanup category filters
  • Ability to Uninstall with Install Monitor from explorer
  • Easier access to Timeline feature which shows changes based on time
• System Cleanup
  • Provides a simple way to cleanup leftover file/registry changes
• Cleanup History
  • View history and restore files/registry from cleanup
• Storage View
  • Browse file and registry changes by location
• Backup/Restore Programs
  • Backup files/registry in a program to a file
  • Import backup file later to restore a program
• Improved Monitoring
  • Add ability to track changes for any programs including those that don’t show up in the Program/Features list
• Desktop Control
  • Quickly gain control of an unresponsive desktop by terminating all non-critical processes

Install Monitor 4.6.1055.1

• Fix crash with Box software
• Fix possible UI crash during background updates

Install Monitor 4.6.1053.0

• Fix possible crash monitoring certain installs like IObit Uninstaller
• Fix possible need to reboot during upgrades
• Improve service data processing

Install Monitor 4.5.1035.0

• Add option to reduce disk space usage
• Options UI fixes
• Improve service reliability
• Improve UI startup performance
• Fix possible crash on UI exit
• Fix possible driver crash

Install Monitor 4.4.1022.2

Fixes

• Fix application failed to start error
• Fix crash when using Search Items

Install Monitor 4.4.1016.0

New Features

• New Timeline feature allows removing changes based on time
• Improved Performance View provides more detail
• Export the list of programs
• Export program contents
• View Welcome Page guides from Help menu
• Easier to use System Restore during cleanup

Fixes

• Improved driver reliability and performance
• Fix resizing columns for Program Contents and Program Cleanup
• Fix Restart Monitor hang
• High DPI improvements

Install Monitor 4.3.1004.0

New Features

• Categorized view for program contents and program cleanup dialog
• Improved Help|Check For Updates to allow faster access to the latest updates
• Window positions are remembered
• New View button in Programs tab makes it easier to filter programs (e.g. see hidden programs)
• Menus now include icons

Fixes

• Fix the incorrect trial status on some new installs
• Fix program scanner display not updating

Install Monitor 4.2.991.2

Fixes

• Improvements and fixes for uninstaller and Restart Monitor

Install Monitor 4.2.986.1

Fixes

• Fix uninstaller issue on Windows 7 (64-bit)
• Fix update issue during upgrades

Install Monitor 4.2.984.0

New Features

• Automatic downloading of program updates
• Always on top mode
• Improve usability of cleanup confirm dialog
• Add uninstaller option for allowing additional cleanup
• Improve accuracy and speed of uninstaller checking for leftover items
• Improve monitoring performance
• Reliability improvements
• Delete from search results
• Persist search dialog settings
• Improve uninstaller removing of running processes
• Improved program compatiblity with other programs
• Add getting started dialog
• Improve inspect and lookup by window to handle uninstalled programs
• Improve compatiblity with Windows Vista / Windows 7
• Improve ability to prevent restarts for full cleanup

Fixes

• Fix issue where database was saved more often than necessary
• Improvements to uninstaller cleanup for Office 2019 and Photoshop CC
• Fix issue where view contents or search results could freeze the UI
• Reduce CPU usage during program scan
• Fix rare case of 100% CPU usage on first run

Install Monitor 4.1.948.2

• This is a bug fix release

Install Monitor 4.1.938.1

• This is a bug fix release

Install Monitor 4.1.926.0

• This is a feature update

Install Monitor 4.0.795.1

• This is the major release of 4.0

​

​​This blog will provide a deeper dive into what’s new in Install Monitor 5 (IM5). This release builds on earlier ones to give you even more control over your PC’s performance and reliability.

Unlike other software programs that treat the symptoms of a slow PC, IM 5 treats the root of the problem by intelligently tracking the changes installed programs make to your PC. The software then allows you to manage and fully uninstall those programs.

In IM5, we’ve added new features that give you even more control and visibility, such us the ability to backup and restore programs.

Let’s look at the latest improvements.

General Improvements

Better Look and Feel

The first thing you will notice when you launch the program is the new splash screen. This is a small change to improve the look and feel of the application. The splash screen allows you to know the program is loading. It doesn’t have any fancy animations or effects, so it doesn’t really affect the load time.

The new splash screen

Faster Loading and Improved Compatibility and Reliability

Usually, a splash screen is used when an application takes some time to load. However, under the hood, we’ve also made some improvements to the loading time. The application should now start sooner, especially when you have several programs.

We’re also constantly making improvements to make sure the software is compatible with the latest Windows 10/11 updates and other applications. However, if you run into issues, please let us know through our support page. A workaround if you do run into application compatibility issues is to add the application under Options|Monitoring. There is an option to add excluded processes.

There has also been much work into making sure Install Monitor works as expected and reliably without crashes or hangs.

New Tray Icon Showing Current Installs

One of the key features of Install Monitor is the ability to automatically monitor when software changes are made to your PC. In version 5, there is a new tray icon that will provide you information on what’s currently being installed.

Install Monitor has detected that a program is currently being installed.

Improved Monitoring

Install Monitor 5 has improved monitoring features, allowing you to monitor programs that don’t show up in the ‘Programs’ list by default.

1. Manually Add Programs In The ‘Programs’ List

We occasionally received complaints that a specific program wasn’t appearing in the ‘Programs’ tab. In IM5, you can manually add a program to the list.

• Go to Programs > Add > Existing Program.

Manually add programs that aren’t showing up in the ‘Programs’ list.

2. Windows Explorer Integration

Install Monitor 5 has greater integration with Windows Explorer. You can right-click a file on your desktop or File Explorer to monitor, inspect, or uninstall the program.
Monitor: Install Monitor will automatically start monitoring programs and display them once they are installed. However, you can use this for more advanced monitoring. For instance, to track a program that doesn’t fully install itself. You can also use this to directly monitor changes by any executable file including batch files!
Inspect: This opens the program in Install Monitor’s ‘Programs’ list and displays the software details, including registry and file size, date of installation, version, etc.

Uninstall: This option uninstalls the program with Install Monitor.

The right-click extension allows you to monitor/uninstall/identify a program.

New Desktop Control Feature

Install Monitor now includes a new ‘Desktop Control’ feature to tackle unresponsive programs during PC freezes swiftly. To use it, navigate to the same ‘Performance’ tab and click ‘Desktop Control’ at the bottom right. To get to it faster, you can also right-click the tray icon or press Ctrl+Shift+Del. It will quickly shutdown all non-essential background programs. This is like a fail-safe switch to regain control over an unresponsive system.

The Performance tab can be used for resource monitoring and now includes the ‘Desktop Control’ feature.

New Storage Tab

The Storage tab is another new feature. It allows you to see storage locations where Install Monitor has monitored for changes. You can view filesystem and registry changes by expanding drive letters/folders and registry hives/keys. An advantage of this view is that you can more easily see which programs have made changes in a particular location.

Looking at file and registry changes with the Storage tab.

Improved Uninstaller

As you’re likely aware, when most programs are uninstalled, they leave behind files and registry information. Even though the program icon is no longer there, residual files, such as configuration files, temporary files, registry entries, and shared files, are often left behind. This leads to unnecessary performance overhead and reduces system reliability and storage space over time. Install Monitor 5 builds on existing uninstall capabilities to make it easier to cleanup these traces.

System Cleanup

The System Cleanup feature provides a way to cleanup programs uninstalled outside of Install Monitor, for instance, by using the Control Panel or running the program’s own uninstaller directly. You can also cleanup programs that were uninstalled with Install Monitor but where the cleanup was skipped or only partial.

You can access the System Cleanup feature from both the Program and Tools tabs.

● Programs tab > More Options > System Cleanup

● Tools tab > System Cleanup

System Cleanup will display a list of programs that are uninstalled but not fully cleaned up. You can then select the programs you wish to fully remove and System Cleanup will guide you through the process.

Select the uninstalled programs you want to clean in ‘System Cleanup’.

System Cleanup confirm dialog

Improved Cleanup Category Filters

Uninstaller Cleanup now provides more categories of data to help you decide what to delete. It displays tree folders of the program’s data organized, such as below. You can then select which categories you wish to delete. These filters enable you to have a more targeted and controlled cleanup process.

Uninstaller Cleanup now gives you more control over which categories of data you remove.

Fewer Restarts Now Needed for Uninstalls

In the past, uninstalling some software might have required a restart, especially if the program had a shell extension, or background services, or drivers. Now, the uninstaller has been improved to be able to detect all dependencies and shutdown and restart applications as needed in the background without restarting your system.

More Detailed Progress

More comprehensive progress is available during the uninstall and cleanup process. The uninstaller offers detailed information and progress updates regarding the removal of files, registry entries, and other components associated with the selected program.

Install Monitor gives more detailed progress during uninstall/cleanup.

Directly Uninstall Programs With Install Monitor From The Explorer

You can now uninstall programs directly by right-clicking on the icon, hovering your mouse over ‘Mirekusoft Install Monitor.’ Here, you can directly deep-uninstall the program using IM5. This simplifies removing a program to a simple right-click.

Uninstall programs by right-clicking from your desktop or Windows Explorer

Easier Access To The ‘Timeline’ Feature

The Timeline feature is a useful feature which, shows the changes that were made to your PC during a specific time period. This is a useful tool to use if your PC suddenly slows down or starts crashing. You can check which programs have been updated recently to diagnose the culprit. You can then remove those specific changes/updates made by the program. In IM5, the timeline feature has been added to the Programs tab, as seen below.

The Timeline feature

Cleanup History

Cleanup history is another uninstaller improvement. Install Monitor now automatically logs a history of all the changes you make through the uninstaller. While you can still enable the System Restore checkpoint option, this provides a more direct way to see what changes were made and even restore them if needed. You can restore to a specified folder. This is useful if you only want to retrieve specific files. The history will automatically be kept to a reasonable size that can be changed under Options, but you can also manually remove older history.

Cleanup History

Restoring uninstalled programs using the History feature.

Backing Up And Restoring Programs

Install Monitor now includes backup and restoration of programs. This allows you to backup files and registry settings to restore programs to their previous versions.

When you right-click a program, a drop-down menu pops up, giving you the option to ‘Backup’ the program.

For instance, you may choose to backup a program before uninstalling it for future use. You can back up just the metadata or both the metadata and the files/registry. The metadata is a description of which files and registry are associated with a program. When you click backup, the software creates a single backup file that includes all that is needed to restore. This is useful if you later want to restore a program after removing it.

To restore your program, click the ‘Add’ button in the top-right corner of the same ‘Programs’ tab.  Click on ‘Restore Backup.’ This will open File Explorer. Locate the backup file and click ‘Open.’ Install Monitor will restore the program to its previous state.

The Programs tab with the option to Backup

The ‘Add’ button in the ‘Programs’ tab