Odd 'Add/Remove Programs' screen

[Guest]

My Add or Remove Programs window under the Control Panel is acting strangely.
Once the list 'populates,' it is broken into two parts. Most of the entries
are at the top of the window, but to get to the bottom of the list I must
scroll down through enormous blank-white and jet-black areas, easily five to
ten times the length of the combined entries. Everything seems to work
properly, but I'm worried that something may have insinuated itself in the
Registry, or wherever this information is really stored. Any ideas?

 

[Alan Edwards]

Add or Remove - White Space caused by Autocad
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_a.htm#ws

....Alan

 

[Guest]

Hi, Alan,

Thanks for the link. I don't have any AutoDesk products on this
computer, but did note the bit about a negative number in the Display Icon
string. I'm nervous about changing any of this, although I do see negative
zeros in three places. Yahoo Messenger has a Display Icon 'Data' string that
ends: ....\ypager.exe,-0. 'Minus Zeros' also holds true for Zone Alarm Pro
and for AdAware SE. Don't know if this is what the fix is talking about or
not. Unless you have a specific recommendataion, I think I'll just live with
the white space.

 

[Alan Edwards]

Hi Jim

I am not sure if a negative zero is really what the fix is talking
about either but if you export the Uninstall key to a Registration
file, you can see if removing the ",-0" has any effect.
I have a few with -0 and have no problem.

If you want to send me an export of the Uninstall key, I will see what
I can do.

....Alan

 

[Guest]

Hi, Alan,

Boy, you snowed me on that one. I've no idea how to export the
Uninstall Key to a Registration file; would this be required for each of the
many entries?
I did Google the white space problem and found quite a bit of
information. One was a freeware program called Add-Remove Pro from
superwin.com. It was a small program, which I trusted and ran, but it did
not show any 'missing links' or corruped list entries.
This whole white space thing started after I uninstalled two programs
today. One was Spy Sweeper and the other was System Mechanic. These were
supplied to me at no charge by a local shop that also replaced my XP-Home
with XP-Pro. This latter "upgrade" caused me to get caught up in the Windows
Validation situation, which I 'solved' by purchasing a validating key for
XP-Pro from Microsoft. (The losers at the shop are gone, of course!)
Anyhow, I feel that the white space has something to do with uninstalling
these programs, because the Add/Remove panel looked just fine before I did
this.
Actually, the white space is not a particular bother because I seldom
use the add/remove utility. And because my entire livelihood is on this
machine, I am scared s---less to mess with the Registry, etc.

Jim

 

[Alan Edwards]

Hi Jim.

One export is all and once you have an export, then it is a backup of
the Uninstall key and can be restored.
If you keep your finger away from Delete, then you can do no harm.
(and even then you have to confirm the delete)


What I want you to do: (should you choose to)

Use Regedit.
(Start-Run-Regedit)
Navigate down to the key below.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

Ensure the highlight is on the key in the left-hand pane.
Use the menu option Registry-Export in Win9x/ME (File-Export in XP)
and export that key to a registration (*.reg) file.
In Win9x/ME, use Save as type: Registration Files (*.reg)
In XP, use Save as type: Win9x/NT Registration Files (*.reg)

Send me that file as an attachment, not embedded in the body of the
email.

....Alan

 

[Guest]

Hi, Alan,

The Reg Key is enroute by regular e-mail.

Jim

 

[Alan Edwards]

Hi Jim

The fix is on its way back to you.

....Alan