Removing a Program when the Install.log is unavailable

I have a program I want to remove from my computer but when I go to the ControlPanel/AddRemovePrograms and try to remove it I get an error message that it can't find the Install.log file. I searched for it and I found a few but not the one that belongs to that program. Is there anything I can do do remove it or should I just leave it in the registry and just delete all the folders that pertain to it. The size is about 18Mb and I was just wondering if there was anyway to clean it off the system.

I have WIndows XP home SP2

Thanks

 

H_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall. Scroll down the list and try to remove it from there.

 

Removing Program

OK the program is Stamps.com and I found it at: H_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall \ Stamps.com. But while getting there I also noticed that it is listed under this key also: H_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Stamps.com. Now I really hate to mess with the registry but what do I do to remove it. I am pretty knowledgeable above the line but down in the trenchs, like the registry, I am a novice. Also I am new to the XP having spent quite a bit of time with Win98se.

 

Removing a program

Thank very much. That RegSeeker worked fine. Took the entry out of the AddRemove programs and everything. I appreciate the help. When I had Win98se I used a program called Registry Cleaner and it worked the same way but didn't go into the registry. Thanks again. I got another tool for my toolbox.

 

Sfantasia--If you are still reading, I am impressed. How did you find Stamps.com by following lj50's suggestion that you look in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall ?
lj50's advice is accurate, but finding which program is involved with which of the hundreds of code numbers (CLSID's, actually) is daunting.

 

Removing a program

Well I agree with you there wqere quite a few but when you run regedit there is a feature called find (F3) which will find them all. There were so many that I hesitated to do anything. BUT Pete's suggestion about RegSeeker solved the problem.

 

if I may suggest another possibility:just download "MoveOnboot" prog. & install it. (from here http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.html) .This one will probably do the job after you reboot your machine.
jurisam

 

Still one of the most effective tools ever made is jv16 Powertools, which includes RegCleaner. If this tool cannot uninstall your program, nothing can (short of the very time consuming and risky manual removal).

Best advice, especially to unseasoned users... stay out of the Windows registry. The little bit of space being taken up by the program will be nothing compared to the amount of irreversible damage you can do to your Windows installation.

Wait till your next major wipe.

If you absolutely MUST remove the program, and have only a manual method at your disposal, keep at least Spybot S&D around. The Advanced mode has a registry "problem finder" that can help to remove orphaned entries. Nothing as effective as jv16, though. (No offense, Rose City!)

But I still say, stay out of the registry.

 

What tenfingers writes

I argree with that. And goes for any OS. If you do not know DON'T.

But what I have seen very little written about is things that one should learn BEFORE messing with the reg.

In 98 you should check the C:\Windows\Sysbckup folder to make sure that the RB00X.cab files are being made. There is normally 5 of them. If they are not then check two things.
1-Is ScanRegistry being loaded at boot up ?
2-Is Windows being started up at least once per day ?
3-Then when all cleanup work is done delete the old RB00X.cab files and restart Windows so it can make a new clean one.

Then as a further reliable backup plan in 98. Scanreg.exe can be copied to the 3.5 startup disk. And it does work if needed. Just boot to the Floppy and type scanreg /restore.

In XP one should learn how to check on and use System Restore BEFORE messing with anything.

If SR in XP can be run from DOS I do not know. I would like to learn if it can or not. Just in case I get wild fingered with the DELETE key.

Coffee cup refill and morning paper time. Be back later.

BillyBob

 

Hello Sfantasia,

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/totaluninstall.html Programs are installed thru it - if uninstalling, first use the Add/Remove then TU. In this situation you would use it as the primary uninstaller.

Regards - Charles

 

I manually add and even remove registry keys all the time and I've never had problem working within the registry.

 

Hello lj50,

Out of curiousity, what reg keys do you add manually all the time?

Regards - Charles

 

Try this book Windows XP Registry Guide. That's how I learned. There is also alot of neat tweaks and binary info. I read it cover to cover three times and I'm still learning from it. I might not be on for a while due to medical problems so if I can't back to you right away that's the reason. Talk to all of you later and thanks for all the help over the years.

 

UninstallAbility

Just slightly off topic,but as a method to prevent this problem from happening again you could try this freeware called UninstallAbility 1.0 .

MORE INFO
UninstallAbility ensures that you will always be able to properly uninstall programs from your computer - even if your Add/Remove list of installed program has become corrupted or even lost. UninstallAbility maintains backup copies of this list and of all uninstall information and allows you to easily restore it if necessary. It can also help you when an entry you want to uninstall has disappeared from the uninstall list - UninstallAbility can restore the entry from a backup copy so that you can properly uninstall it from your computer. The program can perform automatic backups, daily, weekly etc. and also keep multiple versions of the backup set. UninstallAbility offers an easy to use step-by-step wizard to perform a backup or restore operation. Suitable for beginners and advanced users alike.

It can be found here:
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2234.html

(Size: 552 Kb-License: Freeware-Requires: Win All)

Rich S

 

Pete,

"Download RegSeeker and 'Find in Registry' stamps.com and tick Match whole word." Is 'match whole word' the same as regedit saying match whole string?
(I know Regedit has keys,data,values, and match whole string options).