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Removing unwanted Windows components

Discussion in 'Legacy Windows' started by acelightning, 2003/09/11.

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  1. 2003/09/11
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    I never wanted Outlook Express on my computer, and I didn't think I had installed it. But there it is, with its own folder in Windows Explorer. I have tried "uninstalling" it from the Control Panel, but that only seems to reinstall it. I was going to delete the folder, but when I tried, I got a warning telling me that some other programs (not specified) might not run without Outhouse Distress installed. When I clicked on "OK ", meaning "I'll risk it "... it wouldn't let me delete the folder anyway.

    I seem to remember someone posting a link to a way to get rid of things that Microsoft doesn't want to let you delete, but I couldn't come up with the right search parameters. So how do I get rid of OE?
     
    acelightning,
    #1
  2. 2003/09/11
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    What are you using for email? You have to have OE if you're using Outlook. Might search the net for Windows Lite.
     
    Steve R Jones,
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  4. 2003/09/11
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    I use Netscape 4.8 for email and news. I don't have Outlook at all, just OE. It seems to have installed itself along with Win2K Pro, without asking if I wanted it.
     
    acelightning,
    #3
  5. 2003/09/11
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    I'd just leave it and forget it. It's very imbedded into your system and isn't taking up hardly any space.
     
    Steve R Jones,
    #4
  6. 2003/09/11
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    It might have installed itself along with IE 6, rather than with Win2K Pro itself. But either way, it makes me nervous - OE seems to be a highly sophisticated tool for propagating viruses, cleverly disguised as an email client, and I'd really rather not have it on my machine.
     
    acelightning,
    #5
  7. 2003/09/11
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    Not even sure if there is a way to remove it. But if you are only worried about it "doing things ", try to rename msimn.exe to something else. That will ensure that OE can't run unless you play directly with the .exe file yourself.
     
    Newt,
    #6
  8. 2003/09/11
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    When I rename it, it creates a new file with the "right" name :-(
     
    acelightning,
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  9. 2003/09/12
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    I had the same problem. I hate OE andf use a different mail client. But I discovered that because I use the FAX service that comes with Win2k, that OE installs because the FAX service uses the same address book programming as OE. I believe I can get rid of OE completely OF I get a different FAX program, but because I use the FAX so infrequenty and the service is set to manual, I just 'live' with OE there in the Programs folder. It is safe to do so becaiuse no virus can use OE unless it's the default mail client.

    (I use Courier Email Client cause it's immune to these email worms that mass mail)
     
    TonyT,
    #8
  10. 2003/09/12
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    I don't use the Fax program. And I use Netscape 4.8 for email and newsgroups. I would really like to get rid of OE completely. I remember that, not too long ago, someone posted a link here to instructions for how to remove Windows programs that Windows doesn't want you to remove... but I couldn't find it when I used this BBS's search function. But that's what I'm looking for.
     
    acelightning,
    #9
  11. 2003/09/12
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    I think what you were looking for was sysoc.inf and removing the hide from components so they would show in add/remove. Won't help with OE though.

    Disable system file protection, rename the file, re-enable system file protection and you should be OK.
     
    Newt,
    #10
  12. 2003/09/12
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    What exactly do you mean by "disable/re-enable system file protection "?
     
    acelightning,
    #11
  13. 2003/09/13
    Steve R Jones

    Steve R Jones SuperGeek Staff

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    Steve R Jones,
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  14. 2003/09/14
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    Steve, those instructions were just what I needed! After making those changes to the registry, and renaming the specified files, and rebooting, I was able to delete the renamed files. All that remains is the folder C:/Program Files/Outlook Express. However, Win2K still won't let me delete the folder, even though it's now empty.

    On a related note, I discovered that I also have a folder for Microsoft Frontpage (also in Program Files). It contains a subfolder called "version 3.0 ", which contains a sub-sub-folder called "bin ". There are no files in any of these folders. Win2K won't let me delete them, though - the "bin" folder seems to be the critical one.

    I realize that, since there are no files in any of these folders, there's really no reason to worry about them. But it offends my sense of neatness (hah!) that I can't just delete them.
     
    acelightning,
    #13
  15. 2003/09/14
    Newt

    Newt Inactive

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    Newt,
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  16. 2003/09/14
    acelightning

    acelightning Inactive Thread Starter

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    Well, Newt, that describes what it does, but it doesn't tell me how to disable or re-enable it. The registry keys it mentions are already set to the "do not scan" (default) option. So how do I turn it off, and make the system allow me to delete the empty folders "Outlook Express" and "Microsoft Frontpage "?
     
    acelightning,
    #15
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