What exactly are those installation apps doing as the progress bar whizzes by? If you want to keep a close eye on things, you’ll need the right tools.

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问题

超级用户读者Gregory Moussat想知道安装程序的外观背后发生了什么：

I want to know what some installers do: mainly what files, folders, and registry entries they add, remove, or modify.

Lots of “ professional” programs are so poorly documented that it’s difficult to find the proper way to configure them, update them, etc.

InstallRite is a program which is able to take a “snapshot” before and after the installation of a program and then compare the snapshots. This allows you to know what was done and even to create a custom uninstaller. Unfortunately InstallRite seems to no longer be maintained and has not been updated since 2008.

什么工具可以取代InstallRite？

答案

Contributor Synetech提供了另一种工具：

There are several and I have tested at least 10-12, but the one I prefer and recommend is ZSoft Uninstaller. It is free and is good at finding difference without overwhelming you with extraneous clutter like most of these programs, even commercial ones tend to do.

I also use PC Magazine’s InCtrl 5 which is very good (enough to get Microsoft’s approval), but several years ago they stopped distributing their programs for free, but because it used to be free, there are still plenty of copies available (unfortunately not so with the newer InCtrl X.)

如果你有兴趣得到InCtrl（inctrlx）的大修副本，它将运行8美元-阅读更多关于inctrlx这里。

另一个贡献者Prahlad Yeri提供了一些关于如何手动调查应用程序正在做什么的建议：

What an installer truly does in detail cannot be known, except perhaps by reverse-engineering its binary instructi***. Here are a few signs that you can check:

1. Check for application folders in your Program Files directory. There is usually an entry inC:\Program Files\AppXYZ.
2. Similarly check the system folders (C:\Windows\System32). Your app could have placed libraries (DLL/OCX/TLBs) here.
3. Run CCleaner to see if it has created any registry entries. CCleaner also shows some other changes the app could have made such as registration of a MIME type, etc.
4. Remember to check the .NET GAC (Global Assembly Cache). It contains all the .NET assemblies your app might have registered on your machine. It’s usually in the folder C:\windows\assembly
5. The obvious (but sometimes the obvious is overlooked!):
   • Start Menu and desktop shortcuts
   • Files in C:\users\USER-NAME\Application Data (CCleaner will show these)
   • Entries in Startup menu and boot.ini (run msconfig to check these)

在使用应用程序检查快照和手动签出文件之间，您将拥有所有的基础。您可以在这里查看超级用户的完整讨论。有什么工具或技术可以添加到列表中吗？在评论中发出声音。