Comments for How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

Comment from will on 2008-10-05

2008-10-05T20:00:09Z

hi i really need help.i installed microsoft 2007 on my computer. after this i deleted microsoft 2003 from my computer but didnt uninstall it from add or remove program in control pannel .the problem i have is when i use microsoft word and try to download a new type of sheet like a timetable, it brings me through a microsoft genuine thing saying that my microsoft 2003 is not a genuine key .i never use microsft 2003 and so i didnt have a key but now i deleted it and cant use my microsoft 2007 right.i dont really have the same problem in this article because i deleted the file in the first place ,also i not sure if i force uninstall 2003 will it uninstall 2007 .please i not great with computers i need this to be fixed.

First, it's Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007. There's no such thing as "Microsoft 2003" or "Microsoft 2007".

I'm fairly certain that deleting Office 2003 without using Add/Remove after having installed Office 2007 is the root of the problem. I would re-install Office 2007 (it may offer to repair, which you can try as well).

- Leo
06-Oct-2008

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

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Comment from Gray on 2008-08-24

2008-08-24T14:28:17Z

Hi there, I 'm having an issue while trying to boot up my both PCs. One PC is running windows Vista Home Premium and the Other one is running Windows XP Professional.

The issue is that I have tried to install and uninstall A second operating system in both of them, After successfully uninstall the OS. At any giving time I boot the computer, I still have them as a list to select as an OS, is there any idea about how I can remove them?

Your answer will be very appreciate.

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

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Comment from Melani on 2008-05-07

2008-05-08T05:03:48Z

I downloaded a couple of programs for fun and ran them, MB Zodiac Yoga and MB I Ching, I cannot remove them or uninstall them!!!
The site offers no help either

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

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Comment from No Geek on 2007-09-12

2007-09-13T03:32:55Z

I'm scared of the registry! I've been told to stay our of there! Shiver

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

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Comment from David on 2007-09-10

2007-09-11T06:06:01Z

One thing you all forgot, alot of times an uninstall will get corrupt for one reason or another and simply reinstalling the program will reinstall the uninstall....then you can unintall it normally....

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Comment from O.A.Orcan on 2007-09-09

2007-09-10T05:36:08Z

Hi Leo,
Chances are that the software will have an uninstaller if it is from a a reputable source. I also check internet if there are any complaints about uninstalling problems. Sometimes uninstallers have to be downloaded separately.
If I'm not sure, I use a utility to check and record the changes made to the registry by the installed software. It takes a couple of minutes only.
I also use registry cleaners, but always in the manual mode, so I can omit any changes that could require even a new windows installation. This is not a very big problem as I regularly back up my hard disks and keep the operating system only in C:, (somewhere other than c:\windows for added security), which also increases the performance, shortens defragmentation time, etc. If a software insists on installation to c: I set it up and migrate it to another drive later.

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Comment from edjenjudi on 2007-09-09

2007-09-09T12:01:15Z

Hi Leo.
Thank you.I followed your advise and backed up the machine,then changed the names of the two programs i wanted to remove.I then shut down and rebooted and used the machine for one day without any problems appearing.The next day I simply deleted the two programs and their two shortcuts.That was two days ago and all is working ok.
Once again THANKS.
edjenjudi.

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

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Comment from Marvin Modeen on 2007-09-08

2007-09-08T20:51:20Z

After clicking on "How do I UNinstall a program......., when one goes to the last link on the page named 'your own website' (it's in blue and double underlined) malware attempts to download immediately. McAfee Site Advisor flags this site in Red, and Spy Sweeper nails it so it can be quarantined. DON'T GO THERE!

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Comment from Simon on 2007-09-08

2007-09-08T13:17:28Z

A test for those who are so enamoured with "registry cleaners": try running them on a brand new installation of Wndows. One that you haven't installed *anything* on. They will still find and delete a load of keys. That's your first clue.

The fact is, there is no reliable way - at all - for a program to tell whether any particular key is junk or not. For example, naively you might think that a key that points to a path that doesn't resolve to anything is junk. A lot of registry "cleaners" think so. That's their detriment: it doesn't take a minute's thought to conceive of a number of situations where that is not the case.

And, of course, Windows is closed source. There is no way to tell whether a key is still being used by Windows. None of the registry cleaner makers have seen the Windows source code. They're just guessing.

Basically, if you run a registry "cleaner", you immediately lose all right to complain about Microsoft when your system behaves unexpectedly, crashes randomly, and doesn't work as it should. It's your own fault.

People who immediately assume that a big registry immediately implies bad performance are rather stuck in the 1970s, anyway: even Windows 1.0 only loaded into memory the parts of a file that need to be accessed rather than the whole thing; and the Windows NT line is excellent at it, as are the *nixes.

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Comment from Michael on 2007-09-07

2007-09-08T01:52:49Z

I have some of the same concerns about uninstalling programs. Specifically, removing "all" registry keys as well. I have a couple programs that, for the most part, remove the program and clean the registry. I have Total Uninstaller and Your Uninstaller. I wish, however, that there was a program/application that "will" get "all" references to a program being uninstalled! I also run Registry Mechanic when uninstalling.

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Comment from Dan Warrener on 2007-09-07

2007-09-08T01:27:56Z

Hey Leo,

Heres a tip: if you HAVE to force a program uninstall do what Leo said and run CCleaner afterwards. It's a free program that you can download from the internet. Just google "CCleaner" and you should find it.

It usually finds all of the registry entries and invalid bits-and-pieces on your computer that don't match and cleans them up. I haven't had a problem with it and have been using it since its realize.

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

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Comment from Chris on 2007-09-06

2007-09-06T22:16:09Z

heh.. Your right Leo, I do disagree.. The registry should be dealt with.. By not cleaning the registry, if you ever chose to reinstall the software (possibly because of a missinstall), you have not removed ALL the old entries from the previous install... As you can imagine, this definitely does cause problems as well...
Not to mention deleting the older folder only and installing a newer version afterwards... That's 2 places in the registry locking into the same files.. 2 different settings when it should be 1..

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A comment on: How do I UNinstall a program that's not in the add/remove list?

Tech Questions? Get Answers! - Ask Leo! ... by Leo Notenboom
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