# gratisware.com die die die! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2000, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505 "2000-10-11T04:55:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![falcon2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dbc845/32.png) [@falcon2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/falcon2)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/1 "2000-10-11T04:55:38Z")
My kid has installed a number of shareware games on my computer, and one of these was partnered with gratisware, and its giving me an intolerable number of popup ads all the time. Does anyone know how to find the offending game and get rid of it? ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/2 "2000-10-11T05:48:10Z")
In control panel (I’ll assume you’re using Windows), there’s an icon that says ‘add/remove programs’ which you should double click on. More than likely, the culprit will be in there. Just click on each game, and click the ‘add/remove’ button down below. If you don’t find it there, or that doesn’t solve the problem, try going into the game folder on your programs menu. Sometimes, the game developers include their own uninstaller. If you see that it has its own uninstaller, use it. If that doesn’t work, just try deleting the folder itself through DOS. ---
**Author:** ![ChromiumGrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChromiumGrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChromiumGrin)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/3 "2000-10-11T06:19:55Z")
Use your find file program with the above instructions. Sometimes windows leaves a folder behind after removing it from the menu. Locate the file and delete it from the find file window. My add/remove mainly removes the shortcuts but not the programs, so I have to do that to make sure. ---
**Author:** ![falcon2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dbc845/32.png) [@falcon2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/falcon2)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/4 "2000-10-11T18:42:19Z")
OK. Obviously I phrased the original question poorly. I am quite capable of unistalling programs and deleting registry entries. But as ligitmate as they may pretend that they are gratisware, has made its little virus hard to find. I cant seem to find any support on how to locate it. So here is my revised question. **Does anyone know how to find which game installed the gratisware crap?** ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/5 "2000-10-11T19:17:28Z")
falcon2, your question was fine. At the risk of getting taken to the Pit, I’ll say that I’ve noticed a few people automatically assume you’re an idiot if you ask any kind of computer question. They don’t bother to read the post thoroughly, it seems. ---
**Author:** ![cleosia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@cleosia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleosia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/6 "2000-10-11T20:17:05Z")
I say uninstall all of their games, then install them one at a time, pausing between games to see which one causes the popup ads. This way you’ll know which one NOT to put on again. It’s possible that the popups program is an attachment on any shareware game they put out. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gratisware-com-die-die-die/36505/7 "2000-10-11T20:46:30Z")
According to their site- as of Sept 25th they have 93 programs available for download. A list of all the titles is [here.](http://www.gratisware.com/Gratisware.nsf/htmlmedia/more_free_stuff.html). I’d take the added step of deleting the directory after uninstalling.