Having uninstall trouble

Hi, I'm trying to clean up my computer a bit but it seems some of my programs I uninstalled wrong and now cannot get rid of some of the files. If I go to the Change/Remove Programs and click on the program, it says it cannot continue because certain files are missing. How do I get rid of these unwanted programs? Also when I do install them, they don't always go to the control panel Uninstall. I've tried the program uninstall also but that doesn't work either. Somewhere down the line I deleted files unknowingly.

If anyone could assist me, I would be grateful. I hope I explained that well enough! Doing a defrag I noticed a few fragments there too which I believe are related....

Thanks in advance,

Crysti

 

Any chance you can re-install them....then go through your control panel......add/remove programs....and uninstall properly?

Daizy

*edit*
For the ones that did get added to the control panel......that is.

 

Hi Daizy! I'm sure I could... but there are quite a few. Even some documents. My Norton Virus just expired and I tried to install a trial version to hold me over and it won't let me intall that because of a previous version of Norton, so I try to uninstall that and it won't let me!!! Grrrrr. It just seems there must be an easier way. I download so much **** to try out, god only knows where to find them again! LOL!!! Is there any other way??? Thanks Daizy!

OH yeah, and why is it when I install a program to try out or whatever it doesn't always go to the add/remove programs file???...

 

Hmmmm.
You're having troubles deleting some documents as well? That doesn't sound good?

What about using one of your restore points to a time before you began this "uninstalling "?

Daizy

Ohhhhh shoot......you're using 2000......doesn't it have restore on it somwhere?

 

I may have a restore on my program for the cable connection, but honestly can't remember if I ever did an original save on it..... Now, if I did that that means I would lose everything on my computer since the last save, right? Does that mean emails, documents, music and everything??? :-(

 

KC: what sort of documents are you referring to and what happens when you try to delete 'em?

 

Well, maybe I should take that back about them being "documents ", I just did a defrag before posting and some of the bad areas were in a desktop folder that I use for my stuff and I didn't read the rest of the path.... (sorry!) I just assumed they were documents... I can do another defrag and see what exactly the problem is. This problem was with the defrag and what the problem areas were, not necessarily with deleting. I'm sorry, I kinkda threw two subjects in there under one topic. Let me run it again and see what pops up..

Oh yeah, and Brett-that was quite the wild goose chase on my other post on the startups!! Man, had to follow a million of your "go here's" to get to the Start Up Cop, if that's what you were referring to! LOL!!!

 

Hello Kittie Cat

Thanks for letting me know you read my message on the HD sector. Often I wonder but never hear anything back!

On your cleanup problem!

Daisy made an excellent suggestion of reinstalling. It is a safe but time consuming process and not always possible.

First let me suggest the best way to do it properly! Then we will try to clean up!

Cleaning them will not be too easy but probably worth the effort!

1.When you are ready to uninstall browse to the folder that contains the program and write down the names of applications and DLL files.

The name of the program will not nessasarlly be the name of the folder. So Monopoly might be in a folder called Parker Bro games> (C:\Program Files\Parker Bros\games\Monopoly.exe) etc.

I wish I could tell you which uninstall process to use, Windows or the one with the program. Some people say the programs own is better. I have had mixed results and I’ve uninstalled hundreds of programs. Most times the windows add/remove actually uses the programs own uninstall process! So I usually use the windows Add/remove if there is an entry, and the programs if it has one and there is no add/remove entry.

So remove the program!

2.After the normally required reboot again browse to the folder, and if any of it is remaining manually delete it, then go to find/search and use the names you noted to search your drive for any of the names you noted above!

Be careful here only delete them if they seem related to the program. If in doubt don’t delete!

These 2 steps will help in the future and are necessary because of some poorly written unininstall programs!

Now for your improperly deleted programs.

1.Since you don’t have all of the names it becomes harder. BUT browse to c:\Program Files and look for any remaining Folders or files and delete what you do remember.

2.Then do a search/find for what you know for sure about the program and delete these also! If you are sure they are part of the program. DO NOT if in doubt!

3.READ THIS ENTRY CAREFULLY!

Back up your registry!

Then go to start run and run regedit. After Regedit loads click once on MY COMPUTER at the top. Do a Control F (to find) and type in the names you are sure about. Read what it finds carefully if it clearly has something to do with this program then delete it and hit F3 to continue the search! IF IN DOUBT DO NOT DO IT!

4.AND/OR go to http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/index.shtml and download and install RegCleaner. It will give you all programs that are in the registry. Look for the ones that you know you don’t have and remove them! This program is great I have used it for years, it will do an advanced registry clean "go to tools registry, do them allâ€.

Now as an example these are the steps I would and have used many times to remove NORTON. It is one of the worst at not uninstalling even if you use the uninstall properly!

First make sure that Norton is the only SYMAMTEC product that you use. If so! Use uninstall or if improperly deleted the do these!

Do these even if you properly uninstalled!

Run Regcleaner and remove all NORTON and SYMANTEC then do the Tools - registry cleanup - do them all!

Then:
Search/find for Norton and delete all, the same for Symantec!
Then do the registry search as above using 1st NORTON then Symantec and delete all that it finds. There will be many! Delete them all!

If editing the registry makes you nervous then you will be OK! Smile! Just be careful, but you can do it! I have faith!!!!

Let me know!
Mike

 

GOOD LORD!!! What a project!!! I just downloaded that program and I have 303 registries that most of I haven't a clue what they are! LOL!!! Too much spare time on my hands experimenting! LOL!! I guess for now I'll go through these and see what happens!! Oh ya, got that HD tonight and plan on installing it tomorrow, could you possibly email me instructions on how to clean it up etc. remember it has that bad sector.... Thanks... I'll keep y'all posted with what happens here tonight!

 

Kittie Cat?
Why would you want emailed instructions, when you've got this board to post to, where we all can learn and help?

Daizy

 

Morning! I just thought someone would have it ready to go or something and it would be easier, thats all. No offense!

 

None taken.
It just sort of defeats the purpose of having a tech board, if problems are solved through email. Then when someone uses the search feature....the steps taken to resolve the problem aren't here to read through.

Daizy

 

Gotcha!

 

KC - for the Norton stuff, Symantec recognized there were problems and wrote a utility you can download that is specfically designed for removing their stuff.

From the http://www.symantec.com/search/ page, search for symclean.exe download. Open the first article you find and it will have information plus an icon you can click on to download the app.

 

Thanks Newt


Now there is some news I can use! I have aleady downloaded and tested! Thanks again!

Mike

 

It is good stuff Mike. I first ran across it when trying to move from their 2001 version to 2002 so I could work with XP. For that one (as you probably already know) you gotta completely remove the 2001 version and get a fresh install. Not possible to upgrade.

The uninstall didn't completely do the job so I was left with no 2001 and 2002 that refused to load.

symclean.exe saved my bacon that day and I have used it or recommended it to other folks with similar uninstall problems. Best case, it cures the problem. Worst case, it doesn't but also doesn't make things any worse.

Yo KC - are you still out there some where??

 

Fabulous link Newt!
That one's gone straight to my bookmarks! Thanks again.

Daizy