CLI Commands - Bulk Crap Uninstaller

Command Syntax

BCU-console uses the following general syntax:

BCU-console <command> [arguments] [switches]

All switches are case-insensitive and can be specified in any order.

help - Display Help

Show the help screen with all available commands and switches.

Syntax

BCU-console help
BCU-console /?

Example Output

BCU-console [help | /?] - Show help (this screen)

BCU-console uninstall [drive:][path]filename [/Q] [/U] [/V] [/J=<Level>] - Uninstall applications.
BCU-console export [drive:][path]filename [/Q] [/U] [/V] - Export installed application data to xml file.
BCU-console list [/Q] [/U] [/V] - Display a list of installed applications.

Switches:
 /Q             - Use quiet uninstallers wherever possible
 /U             - Unattended mode (do not ask user for confirmation)
 /J=<Level>     - Attempt to clean up leftover "junk" after uninstall
 /V             - Verbose logging mode

Return codes:
 0      - The operation completed successfully.
 1      - Invalid arguments.
 1223   - The operation was canceled by the user.

uninstall

Uninstall one or more applications using a .bcul uninstall list file.

Syntax

BCU-console uninstall [drive:][path]filename [/Q] [/U] [/V] [/J=<Level>]

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
`[drive:][path]filename`	Yes	Path to the .bcul uninstall list file that specifies which applications to uninstall

Switches

Switch	Description	Default
`/Q`	Use quiet (silent) uninstallers wherever possible	Off (use loud uninstallers)
`/U`	Unattended mode - do not ask user for confirmation	Off (prompt for confirmation)
`/V`	Verbose logging mode - show detailed information	Off (normal output)
`/J` or `/J=<Level>`	Clean up leftover junk after uninstall. If no level specified, defaults to VeryGood	Off (no junk cleanup)

Junk Cleanup Levels

The /J switch accepts the following confidence levels:

VeryGood (Recommended)

Safest option - Only removes registry entries and files with very high confidence that they are leftover junk. This is the default if you use /J without specifying a level.

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /J=VeryGood
# or simply
BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /J

Good

Moderate risk - Removes items with good confidence. May include some files that could potentially be shared with other applications.

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /J=Good

Questionable

High risk - Removes items that might still be in use by other applications. Use with extreme caution.

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /J=Questionable

Bad

Very high risk - May remove important data. Only use if you fully understand the consequences.

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /J=Bad

Unknown

Extreme risk - Not recommended. May cause system instability or data loss.

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /J=Unknown

Examples

# User will be prompted to confirm before uninstalling
BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\bloatware.bcul

Example Output

BCU-console, Version=5.x.x.x, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null

Starting bulk uninstall...
Looking for applications...
Found 247 applications.
3 application(s) were matched by the list: Adobe Flash Player; Java 8 Update 291; WinRAR 6.02
These applications will now be uninstalled PERMANENTLY.
Do you want to continue? [Y]es/[N]o

Setting-up for the uninstall task...
Running: 1, Waiting: 2, Finished: 0, Failed: 0
Running: 1, Waiting: 1, Finished: 1, Failed: 0
Running: 1, Waiting: 0, Finished: 2, Failed: 0
Running: 0, Waiting: 0, Finished: 3, Failed: 0
Uninstall task Finished.

Return Codes

Code	Meaning	When It Occurs
`0`	Success	All applications uninstalled successfully, or no matches found
`1`	Invalid arguments	Invalid command syntax
`13`	Unexpected error	System exception during uninstall process
`87`	Invalid syntax	Missing filename or file does not exist
`1223`	Cancelled	User pressed N when prompted for confirmation

Unattended Mode WarningThe /U switch bypasses all user confirmation prompts. When enabled, you will see:

WARNING: Running in unattended mode. To abort press Ctrl+C or close the window.

ONLY USE AFTER THOROUGH TESTING. Uninstall lists should be as specific as possible to avoid false positives. There are no warranties, use with caution.

export

Export installed application information to an XML file for inventory management, compliance auditing, or backup purposes.

Syntax

BCU-console export [drive:][path]filename [/Q] [/U] [/V]

Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
`[drive:][path]filename`	Yes	Path where the XML export file should be saved

Switches

Switch	Description	Default
`/Q`	Quiet mode - suppress progress messages during app scanning	Off
`/U`	Unattended mode - suppress progress messages	Off
`/V`	Verbose logging - show detailed scanning information	Off

The /Q and /U switches affect the application scanning process, not the export itself. They suppress progress messages during the “Looking for applications” phase.

Examples

# Export to XML file
BCU-console export C:\Inventory\installed-apps.xml

Example Output

BCU-console, Version=5.x.x.x, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null

Starting export to C:\Inventory\installed-apps.xml
Looking for applications...
Found 247 applications.
Exporting data...
Success!

XML Output Format

The exported XML file contains comprehensive application data:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ApplicationList>
  <Application>
    <DisplayName>Google Chrome</DisplayName>
    <DisplayVersion>120.0.6099.109</DisplayVersion>
    <Publisher>Google LLC</Publisher>
    <InstallDate>2024-01-15</InstallDate>
    <InstallLocation>C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application</InstallLocation>
    <UninstallString>"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\120.0.6099.109\Installer\setup.exe" --uninstall</UninstallString>
    <QuietUninstallString>"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\120.0.6099.109\Installer\setup.exe" --uninstall --force-uninstall</QuietUninstallString>
    <AboutUrl>https://www.google.com/chrome/</AboutUrl>
    <EstimatedSize>262144</EstimatedSize>
    <Is64Bit>true</Is64Bit>
    <IsRegistered>true</IsRegistered>
    <RegistryKeyName>Google Chrome</RegistryKeyName>
  </Application>
  <!-- More applications... -->
</ApplicationList>

Return Codes

Code	Meaning	When It Occurs
`0`	Success	Export completed successfully
`1`	Invalid arguments	Invalid command syntax
`13`	Unexpected error	System exception during export
`87`	Invalid syntax	Missing filename or invalid path

list

Display a formatted list of all installed applications in the console.

Syntax

BCU-console list [/Q] [/U] [/V]

Switches

Switch	Description	Default
`/Q`	Quiet mode - suppress progress messages during scanning	Off
`/U`	Unattended mode - suppress progress messages	Off
`/V`	Verbose logging - show detailed scanning information	Off

Examples

# Display all installed applications
BCU-console list

Example Output

BCU-console, Version=5.x.x.x, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null

Looking for applications...
Found 247 applications.
Display Name                              Version               Source
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7-Zip 23.01 (x64)                         23.01                 https://www.7-zip.org/
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC                   23.008.20470          https://www.adobe.com/products/reader
Google Chrome                             120.0.6099.109        https://www.google.com/chrome/
Microsoft Edge                            120.0.2210.91         https://www.microsoft.com/edge
Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2021   16.0.17328.20068      https://www.office.com
Mozilla Firefox 121.0                     121.0                 https://www.mozilla.org/firefox/
Notepad++ (64-bit x64)                    8.6.2                 https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
Python 3.12.1 (64-bit)                    3.12.1                https://www.python.org/
VLC media player                          3.0.20                https://www.videolan.org/vlc/
WinRAR 6.24 (64-bit)                      6.24                  https://www.win-rar.com

Output Format

The list command displays applications in a three-column format:

Column	Width	Content	Truncated
Display Name	40 characters	Application name	Yes, if longer than 40 chars
Version	20 characters	Version number	Yes, if longer than 20 chars
Source	40 characters	Publisher website or About URL	Yes, if longer than 40 chars

Piping OutputThe list command output can be piped to other command-line tools for filtering, searching, or analysis:

# Count total applications
BCU-console list /Q | find /C "https://"

# Find specific publisher
BCU-console list /Q | findstr /I "Microsoft"

# Export to CSV (using PowerShell)
BCU-console list /Q | ConvertFrom-String | Export-Csv apps.csv

Return Codes

Code	Meaning	When It Occurs
`0`	Success	List displayed successfully
`1`	Invalid arguments	Invalid command syntax
`13`	Unexpected error	System exception during scanning

Global Switches Reference

These switches can be used with any command:

/Q - Quiet Mode

Description: Use quiet (silent) uninstallers wherever possible and suppress progress messages during application scanning.Behavior:

Suppresses “Looking for applications” progress messages
For uninstall command: Uses silent uninstallers instead of interactive installers
Does not affect confirmation prompts (use /U for that)

When to use:

Running in scripts where you want minimal output
When you don’t want installer windows to appear during uninstallation
Scheduled tasks and automation scenarios

Example:

BCU-console list /Q > output.txt

/U - Unattended Mode

Description: Runs the command without any user interaction. All confirmation prompts are bypassed.Behavior:

Skips all “Do you want to continue? [Y]es/[N]o” prompts
Automatically proceeds with operations
Displays warning: “Running in unattended mode. To abort press Ctrl+C or close the window.”
Suppresses application scanning progress messages

When to use:

Fully automated scripts and scheduled tasks
Remote execution scenarios
When you’re certain about the operation and don’t need confirmation

WARNING: Only use after thorough testing. Uninstall lists should be as specific as possible to avoid false positives.Example:

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /U /Q

/V - Verbose Mode

Description: Enables detailed logging and shows additional information during operation.Behavior:

Shows detailed progress messages during application scanning
Displays ”-> Inner message” lines with additional context
Helps troubleshoot issues by providing more information

When to use:

Debugging issues with uninstall lists
Understanding what the tool is doing during scanning
First-time testing before automating

Example:

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /V

Example verbose output:

Looking for applications...
Scanning registry uninstall keys
-> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
-> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
Scanning Windows Store apps
-> Found 15 Windows Store packages

/J - Junk Cleanup

Description: After uninstalling applications, automatically scan for and remove leftover registry entries, files, and folders.Behavior:

Runs junk cleanup after successful uninstallation
Defaults to “VeryGood” confidence level if no level specified
Shows list of junk items found before deleting (unless /U is used)
Prompts for confirmation before deleting (unless /U is used)

Syntax:

/J              # Use VeryGood confidence level (default)
/J=VeryGood     # Explicitly specify VeryGood
/J=Good         # Use Good confidence level
/J=Questionable # Use Questionable confidence level (risky)
/J=Bad          # Use Bad confidence level (very risky)
/J=Unknown      # Use Unknown confidence level (extremely risky)

WARNING: Use extreme caution when choosing any level below VeryGood. There are no warranties.Example:

BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /Q /J

Return Codes Summary

All BCU-console commands use these standard return codes:

0 - Success

The operation completed successfully. All applications were uninstalled, exported, or listed without errors.

1 - Invalid Arguments

Command syntax error or invalid parameters. Check your command syntax.

13 - Unexpected Error

An unhandled system exception occurred. Check the console output for details.

87 - Invalid Syntax

Missing required arguments or invalid file path. Verify your file paths exist.

1223 - Cancelled

The operation was cancelled by the user pressing ‘N’ at a confirmation prompt.

Error Handling in Scripts

Always check return codes in your scripts to handle errors appropriately:

@echo off
BCU-console uninstall C:\Lists\apps.bcul /U /Q

IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (
    echo Success: All applications uninstalled
    exit /b 0
)

IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1 (
    echo Error: Invalid arguments
    exit /b 1
)

IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 13 (
    echo Error: Unexpected system error
    exit /b 13
)

IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 87 (
    echo Error: Invalid syntax or missing file
    exit /b 87
)

IF %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 1223 (
    echo Operation cancelled by user
    exit /b 1223
)

echo Unknown error: %ERRORLEVEL%
exit /b %ERRORLEVEL%

Getting Started

Core Features

User Guide

CLI Tools

Support

​Command Syntax

​help - Display Help

​Syntax

​Example Output

​uninstall

​Syntax

​Parameters

​Switches

​Junk Cleanup Levels

​Examples

​Example Output

​Return Codes

​export

​Syntax

​Parameters

​Switches

​Examples

​Example Output

​XML Output Format

​Return Codes

​list

​Syntax

​Switches

​Examples

​Example Output

​Output Format

​Return Codes

​Global Switches Reference

​Return Codes Summary

0 - Success

1 - Invalid Arguments

13 - Unexpected Error

87 - Invalid Syntax

1223 - Cancelled

​Error Handling in Scripts

​Next Steps

CLI Overview

Scripting Guide

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Command Syntax

help - Display Help

Syntax

Example Output

uninstall

Syntax

Parameters

Switches

Junk Cleanup Levels

Examples

Example Output

Return Codes

export

Syntax

Parameters

Switches

Examples

Example Output

XML Output Format

Return Codes

list

Syntax

Switches

Examples

Example Output

Output Format

Return Codes

Global Switches Reference

Return Codes Summary

Error Handling in Scripts

Next Steps