add/remove programs not populating ...

  • Thread starter J. P. Gilliver (John)
  • Start date
J

J. P. Gilliver (John)

My friend's (XP) computer has just started this symptom: add/remove
comes up, but then just sits there. It does _not_ say "please wait while
list is populated". If we try the "windows components" part, that _does_
appear.

We did a restart in safe mode, and then it _did_ populate. But coming
back to normal mode - it still doesn't.

He _thinks_ it dates from when he tried to install a very old mapping
software: when run, that said "you need Windows 95 or later" or
something like that. So he thought he'd better remove it - and that's
when A/R was found not to be working. (The old software didn't show up
in the list as it appeared under safe mode; by then he'd I think removed
it manually, but he wouldn't have touched the registry.)

I've googled - there seem to be plenty of people who have it hang at
"please wait ... populated", though some of them say it does appear
after 10 or 12 minutes. On Len's, that message doesn't appear.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

"`You can run,' shouted Scotland Yard's Inspector Boothroyd in triumph as he
clutched the last remaining bottle of noxious potion and watched Dr. Jekyll leap
to freedom through the shattered window, `but you can't Hyde.'" - R.L. Bryant,
1992 Bulwer-Lytton
 
L

LVTravel

J. P. Gilliver (John) said:
My friend's (XP) computer has just started this symptom: add/remove comes
up, but then just sits there. It does _not_ say "please wait while list is
populated". If we try the "windows components" part, that _does_ appear.

We did a restart in safe mode, and then it _did_ populate. But coming back
to normal mode - it still doesn't.

He _thinks_ it dates from when he tried to install a very old mapping
software: when run, that said "you need Windows 95 or later" or something
like that. So he thought he'd better remove it - and that's when A/R was
found not to be working. (The old software didn't show up in the list as
it appeared under safe mode; by then he'd I think removed it manually, but
he wouldn't have touched the registry.)

I've googled - there seem to be plenty of people who have it hang at
"please wait ... populated", though some of them say it does appear after
10 or 12 minutes. On Len's, that message doesn't appear.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

"`You can run,' shouted Scotland Yard's Inspector Boothroyd in triumph as
he
clutched the last remaining bottle of noxious potion and watched Dr.
Jekyll leap
to freedom through the shattered window, `but you can't Hyde.'" - R.L.
Bryant,
1992 Bulwer-Lytton



When you start the Add/Remove programs list wait a few minutes then attempt
to scroll down using scroll bar on the right side of the blank list. You
may find the programs way down in the scroll. If you then find the programs
you have found an issue with XP systems for years (since it came out.)
Apparently one program installed does something to a registry key that
causes this to happen. It's not serious just a PIA to remember to scroll
down.

Let me know if this is the issue you have with this system.
 
J

J. P. Gilliver (John)

Andrew said:
Try run,type: appwiz.cpl

Doesn't that just do the same as selecting add/remove from the Control
Panel? (It does on here.) I've passed it on, anyway!
You may also want to run SFC /Scannow in cmd..

As I have with that.

From what I remember under '9x, sfc checks files against some record it
keeps, and when it finds one that's different, offers to restore the
original, ignore it (in which case it'll report it again next time you
run sfc), or update its record (so that it doesn't report that
particular file next time sfc is run).

Assuming it does something similar under XP, any particular files you're
expecting it to find? (The above one seems one obvious one, I suppose!)[]
(Just to clarify: the add/remove window _does_ appear - it just doesn't
seem to be _doing_ anything [the "please wait" _isn't_ appearing]. The
Windows Components part works, and the list _does_ appear in safe mode.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

If you are afraid of being lonely, don't try to be right. - Jules Renard,
writer (1864-1910)
 
P

Peter Foldes

Scroll down to the Add and Remove section

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_a.htm
--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

J. P. Gilliver (John) said:
Andrew E. said:
Try run,type: appwiz.cpl

Doesn't that just do the same as selecting add/remove from the Control Panel? (It
does on here.) I've passed it on, anyway!
You may also want to run SFC /Scannow in cmd..

As I have with that.

From what I remember under '9x, sfc checks files against some record it keeps, and
when it finds one that's different, offers to restore the original, ignore it (in
which case it'll report it again next time you run sfc), or update its record (so
that it doesn't report that particular file next time sfc is run).

Assuming it does something similar under XP, any particular files you're expecting
it to find? (The above one seems one obvious one, I suppose!)[]
(Just to clarify: the add/remove window _does_ appear - it just doesn't seem to be
_doing_ anything [the "please wait" _isn't_ appearing]. The Windows Components
part works, and the list _does_ appear in safe mode.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

If you are afraid of being lonely, don't try to be right. - Jules Renard,
writer (1864-1910)
 

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