Windows Installer starts randomly

I have been having problems with windows installer trying to start installing various programs when I use the delete key. i normally use Power Desk 5 as my file manager and when I hilite a file or files to delete, for instance, then clicking delete, the windows installer box pops up and says itg iis gathering information to install for instance Roxio 7 and clicking on cancel, it just keeps coming back and after 3 to 6 cancels, it finally goes away and then the delete box for Power desk will open and I can then finish what I was trying to do. This happens every time. I am running XP pro SP2. Does anybody have any suggestions as to waht is causing this? I cannot find any reference to it in MS knowledge base or FAQ here. thanks, John.

 

Hello John,

You can try using the MS Installer Cleanup tool.
Read this thread: http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=62910

Keep in mind about having a way to recover if something goes wrong.

Regards - Charles

 

Hi John (jbuob),,

What you see as an error is actually quite normal.
If the program or application was installed using the Windows Installer,
upon uninstall,(uninstall command),it automatically calls on Windows Installer again to do its job,
since at the time of the install a record was made of all the entries.
All it wants to do is reverse the install .
Just let it do its job

Just for clarification:
When uninstalling:
1.Always use the program's own uninstaller first.
Most of the time there is a shortcut under start > Programs (All Programs)
If not there,check the program's folder (Program Files\
If not there,next step is
2.Use Add/Remove or another uninstall utility.
3.If not present: Do a manual uninstall.(all entries below)
a.Delete the application's program folder.
b.Do a search for the applications entries on your harddrive and delete.
c.Use a registry cleaner like RegSeeker or EasyCleaner
or any other good registry cleaner to delete left over entries.

Hope this helps

Pete.