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.