Cannot uninstall application

[Catin Dehat]

I attempted installing a printer driver (for a small USB printer that came
with a camera) and the accompanying software for a new Sony digital camera.
The first hint of trouble was that Setup would not exit after, it appeared,
there was nothing left to install. To clear the screen, I had to use Task
Manager to shut down the Setup program. The printer driver appears to have
been installed properly, but all related Sony applications return an error
message when one tries running them. Control Panel Uninstall, EVEN in Safe
Mode, has no effect other than causing the entire entry in the Installed
programs to "flash" as a disk icon appear momentarily when one clicks on
"Change/Remove."

 

[Heirloom]

Use System Restore to a point just before you attempted the install. Then
try again, making sure that any app that may interfere, i.e. Antivirus apps,
are not active during the install. The safest way to perform the install
would be from the Safe Mode.
Heirloom, old and not that safe

 

[Richard Urban]

You did not get a complete install. Therefore you can not uninstall the
program. Reinstall the program, to the exact same location. Then, if it
doesn't work, uninstall it.

One of the last things a program install routine does is write the uninstall
file. If this file is not completed successfully, you are left in limbo.

I have seen cases (Microsoft Office is one I remember) where you can neither
uninstall OR reinstall the product when this information gets damaged.

--
Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

Quote from George Ankner:
If you knew as much as you think you know,
You would realize that you don't know what you thought you knew!

 

[Catin Dehat]

Ok. I rebooted into Safe Mode thinking that if I had to install FIRST to
then uninstall, I'd do it. When I ran "Install the Printer Driver", a window
popped up claiming there was an earlier version of the driver and I'd have
to let Setup remove the driver but I'd have to reboot. Rebooting into Safe
Mode as well as Normal Mode resulted in the same message about the earlier
driver. I gave up on the printer driver. Then, I attempted installing the
related software in Safe Mode. All that was available was to Uninstall the
software. I went for it. Rebooting into normal Mode resulted in seeing that
the software was STILL in the Control Panel Installed Programs list. This
application is like the movie Jason with the hockey mask. Are there
commercial applications that will do a complete uninstall?

 

[Roberto]

Ok. I rebooted into Safe Mode thinking that if I had to install FIRST to
then uninstall, I'd do it. When I ran "Install the Printer Driver", a
window popped up claiming there was an earlier version of the driver and
I'd have to let Setup remove the driver but I'd have to reboot. Rebooting
into Safe Mode as well as Normal Mode resulted in the same message about
the earlier driver. I gave up on the printer driver. Then, I attempted
installing the related software in Safe Mode. All that was available was
to Uninstall the software. I went for it. Rebooting into normal Mode
resulted in seeing that the software was STILL in the Control Panel
Installed Programs list. This application is like the movie Jason with the
hockey mask. Are there commercial applications that will do a complete
uninstall?

What you see in CP |Add Remove Programs may just be a broken reference
, probably not doing any harm ? .
You can run regedit and search for it, delete each reference hit F3
each time something is found.
DO back up any thing you delete just incase.....

rgds
Roberto

 

[Heirloom]

Do you still have a Restore Point to just before the original botched
install??? Nice part is, you can always revert.
Heirloom, old and worth a shot

 

[Catin Dehat]

Heirloom, never having used the Restore point, I'm a bit apprehensive. Right
now, I'm still a little gun-shy from having botched (not that I did anything
wrong, but I certainly was the only one PRESENT) what should have been a
straight-forward, garden-variety installation which turned to doodoo. But, I
WILL read about Restore Points and see if I get it.

Thanks.

 

[Heirloom]

It is really quite simple....Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools,
System Restore. Find a Restore point that is just before your bad install,
choose it and Restore. If you don't like what you get (i.e. it doesn't
work), go back to System Restore and simply tell it to Undo the last Restore
and you will be right back where you are now.
Heirloom, old and let us know........