No icons listed within add/remove programs

Doh! That's what I was thinking when I saw that, but didn't want to make any conclusions. Should I now try the steps here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314481?

 

How do I restore those entries? Can I do the same as before and just re-enter what should be there?

 

I'll look for an XP cd, but the chances are slim, as this was my parents "new" computer in probably 2002.

What should I enter instead of "default "= "value not set "?

 

Hello Flopsweat,

If clicking on the afore mentioned hkeys and seeing this value, as the top most listed, that value is correct and is what you should be seeing. Don't change it.

You ask:

The answer: By staying calm. Not taking shortcuts or failing to do as instructed. By allowing Evan to continue to walk you through the steps as provided by this microsoft article: (link previosly given to by Arie)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266668

This article thoroughly covers some steps already taken and others that need to be taken. If you are careful and back up your registry as instructed by the article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/ or 3rd party app Erunt:
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

You will be okay, should you change or modify any thing in the registry that needs to be reversed. Backups will allow this, quite easily.

------------------------
Speaking of which, did the Trial application (registry cleaner) "advanced system optimizer" have an option to restore any registry changes it had previously made? If so perhaps you should reverse any changes this program had previously done.

I also think you mentioned changing something in the registry before that quote "did not match ", involving the hkeys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Management\ARPCache

What exactly did you do or change?

You must understand that the directories listed (hkeys) under these hkeys correspond to the list of applications you would ordinarily see in you add\remove control panel. If you have no subdirectories you will have no add\remove list.
Pictures:
registry blank add/remove list

It was suggested that you check these hkeys to make sure you still had subdirectories listed and shown. Reason, if there were or are no subdirectories that would be the reason for a blank add/remove control list. Flipside, if you have subdirectories, then these hkeys are not the problem. Root cause and solution will have to sought elsewhere. Those steps would include the registering of dll's, the update of IE, the upgrade of service pack, looking for and double checking for the existence and correct info on the addtional registry keys the microsoft article link provided, or a repair of xp.

 

When you open...

the "Control Panel ", do you see the last little button in the menu that looks like a folder with a blue across the top and 6 little dif-colored squares in it? If so, click on it and choose "List "

 

I didn't change anything under the uninstall and app management, however, under those keys looks exactly like the picture you posted above- not with any programs listed like Arie posted.

Royal, I tried the "list" view awhile ago when this first began, but still nada.

 

IE 8.0 installed, SP3 installed. I went through all the steps again, and found [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{352EC2B7-8B9A-11D1-B8AE-006008059382}]
@= "%DESC_ShellAppMgr%"
on mine, as the last part said "default" = "shell application manager ".

What caught my attention was [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ControlPanel\InProcCPLs]
"appwiz.cpl "=" "
There is no InProcCPLs listed under ControlPanel. Here's a screen shot http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc95/lambodave/add-removepic.jpg

ps- Dumb ASO trial version has no restoration available.

 

It's getting to be quite the headache, and restoring it to a much earlier time had crossed my mind. However, to give a quick history of that computer, my parents had bought it new around 2003. They had (still do) dial-up, and I can't confirm nor deny there was suitable virus protection. In 2007, I took the computer, but had no web connection for almost 2 years. During that time I remember the add/remove window blank, so this problem may have arose much earlier to my ASO attempt no less 10 months ago. Same with the shutdown/restart problem.

I'm about to bribe a programming friend to spend an afternoon in front of my POS and shake his head at the deal in front of him.

 

Dunno what this means at this point, but the commands pointed out here failed this time after doing the updates above. The "Program Files" commands failed the first time around as well, but the other 3 are new.

When I did enter those commands, the message was that it "was loaded, but DllRegistryServer entry point was not found" (maybe not verbatim- goin off memory here).
Like I said, just throwing out any info I can.

 

Hi Flopsweat,

While your looking for an xp cd, have you tried booting into comp as >administrator (the official one)
>or safemode
>or into another users account that has administrator privileges, either an existing one or one you can create?

This is just to check if the the add/remove is still empty regardless of account.

In reference to the difference between Aries and my posted jpg, of the uninstall hkey, the subdirectories will differ. My list and apparently yours show many of the updates (possibly msoffice, etc), MSi (microsoft installer) installed. The list of apps will be below the numbered MSI directories.

As for the other reg hkeys you have posted, they are correct and as should be for XP.

For regsvr32 fuss, not all of the files will be able to be manually registered by you. It is to be expected that some will fuss. Again, this is not unusual.

As Evan says you are running out of options. That xp cd will be needed.

 

Do you have cccleaner?

http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner

What's the Tools list under uninstall show?

 

Just an update, I am trying to get 2 things accomplished to fix this.
1) Windows XP install CD. I have 3 friends who claim they have it and are looking for it.
2) External hard drive to save all my files before re-installing XP.

I did install CCleaner, and all my programs are listed under uninstall.

Also, I can't seem to get into safe mode. When I press F8 (I think, it's been a week since I tried) during bootup, the list I get does not have "safe mode" to select. Very strange, and alarming because I've never not been able to boot into safe mode on any computer I've had.

 

You might try installing Revo Uninstaller ... it lists all of the programs installed on your computer. Check out the FREE edition at: http://download.cnet.com/Revo-Uninstaller/3000-2096_4-10687648.html