Uninstall SMS on Windows 2000 Professional

[bgromack]

How can one uninstall SMS on Windows 2000 Professional? For Windows 95 or 98 we could boot-up in DOS mode, then delete all of the SMS directories; or boot-up in a different OS like QNX and remove the files from there. But QNX does not recognize W2K file system, and W2K does not seem to offer a way to boot-up in DOS mode. Even logged in as Administrator, can't slay the SMS processes in task Manager in order to delete the SMS directory tree.

 

[snyderj]

The most effective way to remove SMS 2.0 from any PC is to run 20clicln.bat (available on SMS CD) with the /scrub switch. This must be done in an administrator context.

If you want to keep it off of a particular device (while those around it are loaded with SMS) then that is another matter (to which there are a few solutions).

 

[bgromack]

I should clarify that I do not have any of the Setup Disks. Working for a large company, we receive standard issue Laptops (in my case a Dell Latitude), with SMS active. So this allows the IT guys to configure the laptop the way they see fit; but unfortunately it screws up things for us when we are developing and testing embedded systems. So we prefer to remove SMS. I'm looking for a way to get rid of it without them knowing.

 

[snyderj]

I believe that many of us in this Tek-Tips group are those "IT guys" (perhaps not yours specifically), so you bring up a touchy subject.

My first thought is that you should work with your support folks on a solution that allows you to control your device so that your tests aren't skewed by SMS. That also means your acceptance that not all problems are caused by SMS (it's a mysterious product to most and is easily blamed for all ills).

There are ways to remove SMS and keep it off. There are also ways to disable specific functions. SMS installs itself and WBEM/WMI (on older systems). It also may install remote control ability, hardware and/or software inventory, software metering, the ability to listen for advertisements (instructions to install software or whatever), and the ability to run those advertisements. Can you state in what way SMS "screws up things"?

snyderj
Q199078

 

[bgromack]

A few things that SMS disrupts: 1) screensaver: our IT folks force a screen saver with password; we end up disabling in order to run tests on the target embedded system -- long periods of inactivity where we are just collecting or monitoring data and then the screensaver comes and if you are not present to enter your password, nobody can see. So you either give out your password, which defeats the purpose, or turn off the screensaver. But then as soon as you reconnect to the network they turn it back on. 2) QNX Boot File; I have a Windows 2000 Professional partition and a QNX partition. I have a boot-up script that, upon power-up, allows you to choose the OS for boot-up. SMS activity (we suspect Norton Anti-virus scan) sometimes comes in and undoes that feature, and we can't get back to QNX. 3) We use these laptops for autocoding application software; then put the .c and .h files over to QNX side and compile; load onto target and then test. With SMS running, autocoding takes a lot longer than if not.

These machines are not used as Desktop Stations, rather as Portable Test Units. But our IT folks don't have an option in their scheme to omit SMS programming, so we've just done it ourselves. Windows 95 and 98 were easy. Could either boot-up in DOS or QNX and prune the SMS directory; put a dummy file in its place and no more SMS activity. But QNX 4.25 does not recognize a NTFS file system. DOS doesn't work either. Tough nut to crack. Even if I boot the machine as Administrator and am off the network it won't let me delete the SMS directory, or most files in it; nor slay the processes.

 

[snyderj]

It appears that you missed my little clue in my previous message (Q199078), so I'll spell it out

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q199078

thread22-65603

I highly suggest that you to discuss your issue with your IT folks.

 

[bgromack]

Thanks for the hint. But being a newbie it went over my head. I found a solution anyway:

With Windows 2000 Professional, QNX can't see it because it is an NTFS file system (not Fat32). Neither can you boot-up in DOS. Can't delete SMS files in Windows because I don't have permission when I boot the machine as "user". So I got the "Administrator" password (it just so happens that our IT guys gave the same Administrator password for W2K as they do for the DELL Setup password -- which they gave me so I could rsize the screen when in -- so let that be a lesson to you), and then was able to login as Administrator and remove the bulk of the SMS stuff; had to slay a few SMS processes that were running and then remove the files. Then put in our dummy SMS "file" (just an empty file with nothing in it, or just some text like "No Soup for You!&quot And no more SMS!!! We learned before that simply deleting SMS without the dummy file is no good as it will "re-generate" itself. It will also move to Temp directory if the WINNT/MS path has the dummy file. So we put the dummy file in WINNT/MS and in WINNT/TEMP/MS and then it is gone-gone. Thanks for your help. I will read the link you sent.