Windows 7 - "Last Used On" in Add/Remove - is it useless?

In "Add or Remove Programs" (from Control Panel), some (not all) entries
have a "Last Used On" date (only visible when they are selected).

However, some seem well out of date - for example, my AV (Avira Free)
shows as 2009-5-18, whereas obviously I have it running (and manually
scanned some files yesterday), and my genealogy (Brother's Keeper) shows
2011-10-22, and I was using that yesterday too.

I had thought maybe this only occurs with prog.s that have been updated
- maybe the add/remove list only shows when the version originally
installed was last used - but then I found "ClickOff version 1.89",
actually shown as that in the list, with a Last Used date of 2010-3-7,
whereas I have that (and that version) running all the time (it would not
work otherwise). And others which I have not updated but have used much
more recently than the date shown.

In short, what does the Last Used On date mean - if anything?

This is not just an irritation - it could actually cause harm, as some
people might uninstall something thinking they do not need it, if it
shows as not having been used for a year or two.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Veni, Vidi, Vomit (I came, I saw, I was ill) - mik@saslimited.demon.co.uk, 1998

it is the last date an installed software is run. But...

Those dates only apply to programs whose installer is Windows
Installer and are fully compliant with Windows Installer where they
(the istaller script) create program shortcuts using IDList instead
of file system path. You can check this by opening a program
shortcut properties dialog. IDList based shortcuts does not show the
EXE file name and/or fields like "Target" and "Start in" cannot be
edited.

The IDList points to a Windows Installer product's component/file
ID (or something along those lines) which triger Windows Installer
service to update those dates before giving the actual program file
path to Windows Explorer (i.e.: the shell).

I have not seen any non Windows Installer based softwares that
updates those dates every time they are run. Having IDList based
shortcuts also increase the time needed (although very small) to
issue an execute command for a program since Windows Explorer needs
to ask Windows Installer the actual program file path in order to
execute it. Moreover, Windows Installer may sometimes need to
access the MSI file for softwares that support "install on demand"
features. e.g.: optional components or additional help files.

So, yes. Those dates are useless because more than half of software
s out there do not use Windows Installers. At least, that is what I
think.

Not only are the dates useless (as JJ mentioned) but the disk space
reported used there by the programs is usually grossly inaccurate and
also useless.
--
Glen Ventura
MS MVP  Oct. 2002 - Sept. 2009
CompTIA A+

Mr. J. P. Gilliver

For Programs Add-on as Plug-in, Active-X,
and Update as in Security or Programs,
Will not have a "Last Used On" date,
For Programs it was add too is the Last Used,
not the add-on.......

You are a 100% right,
for it have cause harm,
to people who uninstall Programs,
believing it out needed..

In message <XnsA0A6BAF1F6018jaejunksgooglemailco@0.0.0.98>, JJ
[]

I have seen such shortcuts - but I do not think on anything I have installed.
[]

I tend to agree with you.

I suppose the next question is why only some entries in the list have
such a date at all.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Radio 4 is one of the reasons being British is good. it is not a subset of
Britain - it is almost as if Britain is a subset of Radio 4. - Stephen Fry, in
Radio Times, 7-13 June, 2003.

IDList based shortcuts also used to point to a shell folder. Like if you
create a shortcut to a Control Panel item or to a network conection. The item
is "virtual" and does not reside in the file system directly. This is where
such IDList based shortcuts are needed.


AFAIR, that is a new feature added since Windows XP. So it depends on the
software installers or whether Windows recognize the installer's file name as
an installer program. e.g.: "setup.exe" or "install.exe"; but probably not

In message <XnsA0A73D8BEC887jaejunksgooglemailco@0.0.0.98>, JJ

(I thought control panel items were real and ended .cpl or something
like that. But no matter.)


That sounds very plausible.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Radio 4 is one of the reasons being British is good. it is not a subset of
Britain - it is almost as if Britain is a subset of Radio 4. - Stephen Fry, in
Radio Times, 7-13 June, 2003.