Removing .NET Reflector: A Frustrating Experience

As a loyal user of .NET Reflector, I was taken aback when Red Gate decided to stop supporting the software and lock out existing users who had not upgraded to the latest version. This move forced me to look for alternative solutions, but before that, I had to figure out how to completely eliminate all traces of Reflector from my PC.

The problem is that .NET Reflector does not provide a straightforward way to remove itself, especially now that it's no longer free. I could have attempted to delete the executable and manually edit the Registry to remove shell integration and associations, but this approach seemed too cumbersome and error-prone. Instead, I was left with an unhelpful and inaccurate message from the software.

As a user who had grown accustomed to using Reflector extensively, I was frustrated by the lack of a simple way to open up the software and ask it to remove itself from Explorer and Visual Studio before deleting the folder from my disk. This experience has motivated me to explore free and open-source alternatives, which I plan to use in the future.

In retrospect, I can understand why Red Gate decided to charge for new versions of its software, but locking out existing users who had not upgraded seemed unfair. As a result, I have lost interest in using any Red Gate products, including .NET Reflector.

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