How Do I Remove a Program From My Vista Registry?

[kuyarog]

I want to reinstall two HP programs and drivers with updates on my Vista
Ultimate computer. My problem is, when I install the new programs they seem
use to the old registry entries. (1) How do I save my current registry with a
“restore†icon on my desktop? (2) How do I search my registry for the old
programs I want to remove? (3) How do I safely remove the old programs? Can
someone assist me or send me in the right direction? My goal is to remove all
traces of the old HP programs from my computer prior to installing the
updated programs.

 

[Mick Murphy]

Go to control Panel> Programs> uninstall a program.
That will be sufficient for your needs

The programs themselves are not stored in the registry.

You obviosly know nothing about the registry.

My advice to you is: "Leave the registry alone"
before you screw your computer up.

 

[CB]

I want to reinstall two HP programs and drivers with updates on my Vista
Ultimate computer. My problem is, when I install the new programs they seem
use to the old registry entries. (1) How do I save my current registry with a
“restore†icon on my desktop? (2) How do I search my registry for the old
programs I want to remove? (3) How do I safely remove the old programs? Can
someone assist me or send me in the right direction? My goal is to remove all
traces of the old HP programs from my computer prior to installing the
updated programs.

kuyarog,

Open the Run dialog box and type "regedit" without the quotation marks.
Once you have opened the Registry click on File and select Export. Export the
registry to your Desktop. In the filename box you can type Restore and this
will be the name under the backup icon on your desktop. If you wish, you can
export the backup to your Documents folder or another location and then right
click on it to send a copy of it to your desktop as a shortcut. Keep the
Registry open after you click Save.

To find and delete the old registry entries go back to the registry and
click on Edit and then click on Find; a smaller window will open and you will
have the opportunity to type the file or program you are looking for. Hit
Enter on your keyboard after typing the file or program you wish to find and
the registry will search for the item you typed. If it finds the item it will
be highlighted in blue. This is the entry you want to delete. However, you
must be sure to read the highlighted entry as it may or may not be the entry
you are looking for. For example, if you are searching for HP software and
you only enter HP or hp you may have a highlighted entry for masHPoint, or
crashprotection, which contains the letters HP or hp. You would not want to
delete these entries as they have nothing to do with HP computers or
software. You must type EXACTLY the entry you are looking for, such as HP
Advisor or HP Connect. Look at each entry carefully so that you are certain
about what you are deleting. If the found key or subkey is correct, simply
right click on it and select Delete. Be advised that you may not be able to
delete all the entries. If you cannot read the entire key or subkey hold your
mouse over the entry and you will see the full text.

Once you delete the pertinent entry click on Edit again and select Find
Next. Do this until you receive a message that the registry is done searching
for that particular entry. Do this again and again, for each different entry,
until you have deleted them all.

Reboot your computer. Go to program files and see if the old programs
are listed anywhere in the HP folder. If so, delete them and reboot again.
Restart your computer and install the new programs.

I hope this helps you. Have a nice day.

C.B.

 

[AlexB]

Read the excellent and informative post CB wrote to help the OP. Your post
amply disclose your nature: you are a rude, cruel and insensitive jerk who
simply has no business of being here. Vista is for gentle people, not knaves
like you.

 

[john]

Go to control Panel> Programs> uninstall a program.
That will be sufficient for your needs

The programs themselves are not stored in the registry.

You obviosly know nothing about the registry.

Obviously, you don't either...
While the programs themselves aren't stored there, the megabytes of useless
baggage they leave behind are.

a perfect example.... from Microsoft themselves.
Microsoft insists that software developers pass muster before being granted
a "Certified for..." tag for their applications. Part of this process
involves (at least in writing) a working uninstaller routine.

Enter MS Office.
- Start with a clean OS. ..then backup your registry. Note its size
- Install Office - any flavor will do. Now uninstall Office.
- Recheck the size of your registry.

Uh-oh... the registry that started out at about 5-6 Mb (in XP) has now
ballooned to over 12.
The rest is now useless bloat, that can't be removed and only serves to slow
down your machine, forever.
Unless you like to reformat your HD every time you uninstall a program to
make sure you got it all.

Part of the Microsoft "Do as we say, not as we do" campaign.
ain't winders wonderful?

 

[AlexB]

Extra registry entries do not slow the machine necessarily.

The trick is that the entries the system needs are found by offset.

I can also imagine some very rational reason why MS left extra entries
hanging around. I do not want to go into the subject but you guys are quick
to smart MS thinking that the only explanation for a phenomenon is an
oversight or laziness. There might be other reasons.

MS has shown time and again that it is dedicated to improving their software
in speed and efficiency.

I am not related to MS but I am in awe of it.

 

[Mick Murphy]

The only "tricks" that you know is selling your ars*hole

 

[Mick Murphy]

Go back to your sensitive friends, you big sensitive crossdresser.

Let's hear a big cheer fo you, the OFFICE boy!

You should have been a cabin boy, lol..
Or maybe, you still are!

 

[Phillips]

There are 3rd party utilities that assist in installing (and thus log on all
the changes, reg included) and also assist in unistalling - using the logs.
Some are shareware - Total Uninstall 4.60 - others are free; I still have a
(very) comprehensive one, free, somewhere on hdd but I gave up cleaning the
drives to a perfect theoretical state... too time consuming.
Michael

 

[kuyarog]

C.B.
Thank you for your answer to my registry question. It is exactly what I was
looking for. For the rest of your guys thank you also for your responses. As
far as Rick Murphy’s comment goes, I really don’t need your arrogance. If I
knew as much about the registry as you obviously do, I would not have asked
my question. Thanks again to the rest of you guys.
Roger
Las Vegas

 

[CB]

C.B.
Thank you for your answer to my registry question. It is exactly what I was
looking for. For the rest of your guys thank you also for your responses. As
far as Rick Murphy’s comment goes, I really don’t need your arrogance. If I
knew as much about the registry as you obviously do, I would not have asked
my question. Thanks again to the rest of you guys.
Roger
Las Vegas

kuyarog,

You are welcome. You won't know the answer until you ask the question.
There are quite a few things I know based upon experience, but most of what I
know comes from gleaning the pertinent knowledge from other posters to these
discussion groups.

But then again, there is even more that I don't know. For these things,
I depend upon my own research and the knowledge of others. I will spend a
substantial amount of time looking for an answer before I will seek the
knowledge from others. It is neither fair nor considerate of me to ask
another person for an answer if I have not firstly invested my own time
seeking what I wish to know.

I have said this before and I will say it again: I appreciate and
respect the people who volunteer their free time for the purpose of helping
the less knowledgeable. These people have spent hours, weeks, months and
years developing their knowledge and they are willing to freely share it with
others. It is altruism at its best. They do all the hard work and I benefit
immensely from their efforts. I won't mention names. These people know whom I
am referring to. You have my gratitude, appreciation and respect.

Have a nice day.

C.B.