I am running XP w/ sp2 with some development tools installed. For some reason I can't determine, all entries in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall were erased after installing an update in the machine, causing the Change/Remove buttons not to display in the ARP console. My guess is it was a service pack update since checking at the date it was installed, everything I installed afterwards have the Change/Remove button and are existing in the Uninstall registry folder. The list now shows a mix of programs w/ and w/o the Change/Remove buttons. Is there some way or tool to rebuild the registry uninstall information, or any process besides reinstallation of the programs.
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Change/Remove buttons missing in Add Remove Programs Console 2
- Thread starter conraba
- Start date
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- #2
You can have a look through these in case there's anything.
Do any of the programs have their own uninstallers in their Program Files folder?
Have you thought about running a decent Registry Cleaner through the place?
Do any of the programs have their own uninstallers in their Program Files folder?
Have you thought about running a decent Registry Cleaner through the place?
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks Linney for your reply,
I already exhausted many hours looking thru google search and have tried things that made sense, but nothing worked since the registry keys are missing. Your comment about "Do any of the programs have their own uninstallers in their Program Files folder?", Yes they do exists, and I am assuming I can actually use them to unistall the programs, w/c solves one-half of the problem.
However with this info, I was wishing there was a way to read these folders and recreate the missing uninstall keys in the registry.
Anyway, my machine is now restored again to bare-default. Our tech guy pointed out that the culprit was an IM installation that corrupted the registry, theye said there is a known glitch on the install. I may then have confused myself that the service pack was installed first.
I am now reminding myself to backup the registry before installing and messing-up anything else.
I already exhausted many hours looking thru google search and have tried things that made sense, but nothing worked since the registry keys are missing. Your comment about "Do any of the programs have their own uninstallers in their Program Files folder?", Yes they do exists, and I am assuming I can actually use them to unistall the programs, w/c solves one-half of the problem.
However with this info, I was wishing there was a way to read these folders and recreate the missing uninstall keys in the registry.
Anyway, my machine is now restored again to bare-default. Our tech guy pointed out that the culprit was an IM installation that corrupted the registry, theye said there is a known glitch on the install. I may then have confused myself that the service pack was installed first.
I am now reminding myself to backup the registry before installing and messing-up anything else.
I like this free, and well written, program when it comes to backing up and restoring the Registry.
Registry Backup and Restore for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP
Registry Backup and Restore for Windows NT/2000/2003/XP
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Conraba, I've seen this before and you're on the right track. It happened to me in a corporate environment where we were deploying applications via Microsoft's SMS server. One of the application installs would change the Windows registry, removing most if not all of the ARP buttons from previously installed applications. If you compared the registry to a PC that wasn't having this issue, you could see several entries that were missing. It's been quite awhile since this issue, so I can't provide you with the exact location of these registry entries. A word of caution: I would guess that if this one application was removing the ARP button entries in the registry for other applications...it was probably also removing other, less visible entries for these applications that might cause systematic problems down the road. In other words, if you were able to fix your registry so that the ARP buttons were restored, you might continue to have other issues due to other areas of the registry being deleted by this rogue application.
Anyway, it sounds like you're past this problem with your recent rebuild. We fixed our problem by recreating the SMS installation of this problematic application, reinstalled WinXP (and this application) on the handful of PCs that had this problem, and unfortunately didn't bother trying to solve the problem by editing the registry.
Hope this helps...even if it was after the fact.
Chris
Anyway, it sounds like you're past this problem with your recent rebuild. We fixed our problem by recreating the SMS installation of this problematic application, reinstalled WinXP (and this application) on the handful of PCs that had this problem, and unfortunately didn't bother trying to solve the problem by editing the registry.
Hope this helps...even if it was after the fact.
Chris
- Thread starter
- #6
You are right Chris, that's what our Network Guys concluded the reason why we opted just to install a fresh image into the machine and start over. It will be more waste of time to know what other things were erased inside the registry and more time trying to fix it.
Also thanks to Linney for the link, I'll try this tool to back-up my Registry. For some reason, our network guys do not prefer us using the System Restore in XP. They say, there are worms capable of hiding things inside the System Restore point when this task is enabled. I'm not sure if there is thruth to this, but I'll just have to read more about it when I get the chance.
Also thanks to Linney for the link, I'll try this tool to back-up my Registry. For some reason, our network guys do not prefer us using the System Restore in XP. They say, there are worms capable of hiding things inside the System Restore point when this task is enabled. I'm not sure if there is thruth to this, but I'll just have to read more about it when I get the chance.
For anything to get into a Restore Point, it must be on the XP machine in the first place. To get from the Restore Point back in to the XP system, it must be restored.
It is common practice to turn off System Restore, when removing malware, but then to turn it back on once the machine is clean.
A proper backup regime somewhat eliminates the need for System Restore, but what if the malware is on your backup?
It is common practice to turn off System Restore, when removing malware, but then to turn it back on once the machine is clean.
A proper backup regime somewhat eliminates the need for System Restore, but what if the malware is on your backup?
In all the corporate environments I've worked in, I nor my colleages have ever found the WinXP useful. I have tried it a few times over the years...but never has it resolved my issue...and 99% it fails and doesn't even restore to the point in which I told it.
Here's an analogy. If I were a carpenter and I had a pair of pliers that never seemed to work like they should...I'll eventually leave them out of my toolbox.
The bottom line...the WinXP restore feature is not in my toolbox.
Chris
Here's an analogy. If I were a carpenter and I had a pair of pliers that never seemed to work like they should...I'll eventually leave them out of my toolbox.
The bottom line...the WinXP restore feature is not in my toolbox.
Chris
regarding System Restore, i complained to M$ that it worked sooo poorly. They had me turn it off, delete all the old restore points via Windows Explorer, then turn it back on. And that worked, at least for the couple of times I tried it right afterwards ...
Mikl
A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.
Mikl
A bird in the hand makes typing difficult.
Sometimes when System Restore fails to work in Normal Mode if you try it in Safe Mode you may have much better luck.
Also Restore Points are useful and handy to have in this following procedure.
An easy to follow recovery console description when unable to start computer due to corrupt registry.
This is a layman's version of Q307545 in simple language.
Also Restore Points are useful and handy to have in this following procedure.
An easy to follow recovery console description when unable to start computer due to corrupt registry.
This is a layman's version of Q307545 in simple language.
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