Huge blank space in WinXP "Add or Remove Programs"

[lisa harkema]

I don't know how to describe this but in my Windows XP "Add or Remove
Programs" application, there is this huge blank space midway between
applications that has no buttons to remove it.

What is this huge blank space and how do I fix this?

A "normal" program seems to take up less than an inch of vertical
space in the WinXP "Add or Remove Programs" applet, and it has a
button or two to control the removal or repair of the programs.

This huge blank space takes up about two feet of vertical space (many
scrolls worth) and has no buttons to remove it. It _can_ be selected
so that may be the secret to removal.

Does anyone know what this huge blank selectable space is in the
add/remove programs applet and how to remove it?

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Do you "happen" to have AutoCAD installed? Kelly's Korner has a fix for this
problem (usually when AutoCAD is installed.)

 

[lisa harkema]

I don't know how to describe this but in my Windows XP "Add or Remove
Programs" application, there is this huge blank space midway between
applications that has no buttons to remove it.

I tried using the suggested WinXP command:
c:\> REGSVR32 APPWIZ.CPL

Which executed successfully but did not cure the huge (two feet long)
blank space in the Windows XP Add/Remove programs application.

Any other idea?

 

[Guest]

Lisa,

Might be adware/malware or even virus. Suggest you download, install and
then run "Spyware Doctor" from http://www.pctools.com/

I had something similar to what you describe here and Spyware Doctor was the
only thing that fixed it.

Alternatively, you can try doing a repair using your windows CD.

If both suggestions above fail, you may have to reinstall windows from
scratch.

-Alias

 

[lisa harkema]

Do you "happen" to have AutoCAD installed? Kelly's Korner has a fix for this
problem (usually when AutoCAD is installed.)

No. I do not have AutoCad but I appreciate the help.

The huge blank space in Add/Remove Programs appears between:

CCleaner
<huge blank space>
Forte Agent

In the related section of the Windows XP registry:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

I find the following correlation:
CCleaner
DXM_Runtime
FileChecker_is1
Fontcore
Forte Agent

Where both the "DXM_Runtime" and "Fontcore" (whatever they are)
listings have only one line in the registry:
Name=Default Type=REG_SZ Data=(value not set)

Any idea what this blank space in add/remove programs is and how to
remove it?

Lisa

 

[Eric]

Search for and download this exe.
RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.EXE

I don't remember where I downloaded it from, but it fixes that.

 

[lisa harkema]

Use http://www.pctools.com/

I downloaded, installed, and ran the suggested Registry Mechanic
http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/download/

In the "Add/Remove Programs" section, it found 9 'problems' all of
which it listed as Low Priority/Value is Invalid" and which were
listed by their really long numerical designation.

When I tried to delete them with the Registry Mechanic, it wouldn't
delete them (it asked for a key of some sort).

Is there some trick to getting the Registry Mechanic to delete these
entries (how do I know they are what is causing the blank space)?

Lisa

 

[John John]

Add/Remove Programs tool displays installed programs incorrectly
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=266668

John

 

[lisa harkema]

Search for and download this exe.
RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.EXE
I don't remember where I downloaded it from, but it fixes that.

I downloaded and ran the RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.exe
http://www.christensen-software.com/freeware/RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.exe

Apparently this freeware from Christiansen Software renames blank
registry entries' display icons from:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstalll\<appname>\DisplayIcon
to
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstalll\<appname>\BackupDisplayIcon

Where "DisplayIcon" is changed to "BackupDisplayIcon".

This freeware from Christiansen Software reported:
Icon not found in file:
"C:\Program Files\windows media player\wmplayer.exe"
"C:\Program Files\windows media player\wmplayer.exe"
"C:\Program Files\NetWaiting\MOH.exe"

(Yes, the wmplayer was listed twice.)

But the blank space remained.
Any suggestions?
Lisa

 

[LittleMoo]

I had a problem like this not too long ago - it's caused by an installed
program that creates bad/poorly formatted uninstall information in the
registry.

X-Setup Pro helped me to fix it:
http://www.download.com/X-Setup-Pro/3000-2094_4-10535614.html?tag=lst-0-1
It's not free, but it's 30 day trial period should give you enough time to
work the problem out.

Download it, install it, run it, go to Wizards.
Click on Select Wizard, go to System, then to Software Installation Wizard.
Click on it.
Click next to get to the list of installed programs.
Some of the programs might look like they're installed twice, but they're
not so don't worry about them.

Now fire up Windows Add/Remove Programs. Make sure it's sorting by name.
With them side by side start going down the lists in both looking for
matches of installed programs in both X-Setup and Add/Remove programs.
After you find and match occurances of the program that's right above the
big space then the next entry in X-Setup should be your problem entry.
Verify this by going to the bottom of the big space and verifying that the
entry in X-Setup isn't either on the top or bottom of the big space or
anywhere else in Add/Remove Programs.

This will be your problem program, that put bad/poorly formatted uninstaller
information into the registry.
With this program selected in X-Setup click Delete.
Note: this won't delete the program, only the uninstall information of the
program in the registry.
Make sure that there aren't any more bad (mismatched) entries, then restart
your computer.

Your big space should be gone.

-Dan

 

[lisa harkema]

Search for and download this exe.
RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.EXE
I don't remember where I downloaded it from, but it fixes that.

I downloaded and ran the RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.exe
http://www.christensen-software.com/freeware/RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.exe

Apparently this freeware from Christiansen Software renames blank
registry entries' display icons from:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstalll\<appname>\DisplayIcon
to
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstalll\<appname>\BackupDisplayIcon

Where "DisplayIcon" is changed to "BackupDisplayIcon".

This freeware from Christiansen Software reported:
Icon not found in file:
"C:\Program Files\windows media player\wmplayer.exe"
"C:\Program Files\windows media player\wmplayer.exe"
"C:\Program Files\NetWaiting\MOH.exe"

(Yes, the wmplayer was listed twice.)

But the blank space remained.
Any suggestions?
Lisa

 

[Rock]

I downloaded, installed, and ran the suggested Registry Mechanic
http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/download/

In the "Add/Remove Programs" section, it found 9 'problems' all of
which it listed as Low Priority/Value is Invalid" and which were
listed by their really long numerical designation.

When I tried to delete them with the Registry Mechanic, it wouldn't
delete them (it asked for a key of some sort).

Is there some trick to getting the Registry Mechanic to delete these
entries (how do I know they are what is causing the blank space)?

There are other ways to resolve this issue. You don't need a registry
cleaner. They can cause more problems than they solve.

 

[lisa harkema]

Add/Remove Programs tool displays installed programs incorrectly
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=266668

I tried using that Microsoft-suggested WinXP command:
c:\> REGSVR32 APPWIZ.CPL

Which executed successfully but did not cure the huge (two feet long)
blank space in the Windows XP Add/Remove programs application.

Any other idea?

 

[lisa harkema]

I had a problem like this not too long ago - it's caused by an installed
program that creates bad/poorly formatted uninstall information in the
registry.

X-Setup Pro helped me to fix it:
http://www.download.com/X-Setup-Pro/3000-2094_4-10535614.html?tag=lst-0-1

Unfortunately I tried multiple times to download this
"Setup-8.1.100.zip" p rogram from
http://www.download.com/3001-2094_4-10535614.html but the results are
that "The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid or corrupted".

I'll try another location.
Lisa

 

[John John]

You did one thing out of a multitude of things to be done to repair the
problem. The article describes a series of step to do until the problem
is resolved. It says:

1. Click Start, click Run, and then type CMD.
2. At the prompt, type REGSVR32 APPWIZ.CPL.
3. If this fails, ...

You stopped there, you have to go to the other steps until you get it
fixed, ultimately if you may need to reinstall Internet Explorer to fix
the problem, with Windows XP SP2 you have to reinstall SP2 to reinstall
IE. Maybe you should try to find
RemoveWhitespaceFromAddRemovePrograms.EXE that Eric suggested, it might
be the best way for you to fix this.

John

 

[lisa harkema]

Unfortunately I tried multiple times to download this

"Setup-8.1.100.zip" p rogram from
http://www.download.com/3001-2094_4-10535614.html but the results are
that "The compressed (zipped) folder is invalid or corrupted".

I found plenty of newer versions (version 8.1.110) of X-Setup-Pro at:
http://xqdc-x-setup-pro.en.softonic.com/ie/43126
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4083.html
http://www.x-setup.net/downloads/home.asp
etc.

I downloaded, unzipped, installed, and ran X-Setup-Pro.
Now I'm trying to figure out which option is supposed to fix the
add/remove programs blank white space.

Any suggestions?
Lisa

 

[lisa harkema]

I downloaded, unzipped, installed, and ran X-Setup-Pro.
Now I'm trying to figure out which option is supposed to fix the
add/remove programs blank white space.

Oooh. I see LittleMoo provided full and complete instructions already.
I'll try them and report back in a few minutes.

Lisa

 

[lisa harkema]

I had a problem like this not too long ago - it's caused by an installed
program that creates bad/poorly formatted uninstall information in the
registry.

Wow. Excellent instructions. You're probably the best on the Internet
as nobody writes instructions as well as you do. I followed them
perfectly for http://www.x-setup.net/downloads/home.asp

The first thing I noticed when I put the Windows Add/Remove Programs
list next to the X-Setup-Pro listing of installed programs was that
there were some programs that X-Setup-Pro noticed that Windows doesn't
seem to list, like:
- AOLIcon

Nonetheless, the program names listed between the last program before
the huge white space and the first program after the huge white space
in the add/remove programs panel are:
- ELIcon
- FileChecker v1.7

I didn't know what "AOLIcon" or "ELIcon" were, but, I knew what
"FileChecker" was so I went directly to the uninstaller in the hard
disk FileChecker installation directory and uninstalled the errant
JavaCools software by clicking on the supplied uninstaller.

The good news is that alone solved the problem!
I no longer have a huge space (two feet long) in the middle of my
windows xp add/remove programs control panel applet!

Apparently JavaCools "FileChecker" version 1.7 (Sept. 18, 2002) from:
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/filechecker.html
has a bug in it wherby it creates a bad display icon in the add/remove
programs applet that can only be removed by extraordinary means!

Someone should tell JavaCools.

Thank you for all your help!
Lisa

Download X-Setup-Pro, install it, run it, go to Wizards.
Click on Select Wizard, go to System, then to Software Installation
Wizard. Click on it. Click next to get to the list of installed
programs. Some of the programs might look like they're installed
twice, but they're not so don't worry about them. Now fire up Windows
Add/Remove Programs. Make sure it's sorting by name. With them side by
side start going down the lists in both looking for matches of
installed programs in both X-Setup and Add/Remove programs. After you
find and match occurances of the program that's right above the big
space then the next entry in X-Setup should be your problem entry.
Verify this by going to the bottom of the big space and verifying that
the entry in X-Setup isn't either on the top or bottom of the big
space or anywhere else in Add/Remove Programs. This will be your
problem program, that put bad/poorly formatted uninstaller information
into the registry. With this program selected in X-Setup click Delete.
Note: this won't delete the program, only the uninstall information of
the program in the registry. Make sure that there aren't any more bad
(mismatched) entries, then restart your computer. Your big add/remove
programs space should be gone.

 

[LittleMoo]

Glad to hear that this helped, and thanks for keeping us updated.

-Dan

 

[D. Spencer Hines]

This is what you get by indiscriminately installing flakey third-party
software.

I would never install something called "JavaCool FileChecker" on my system.

DSH