Missing installed Programs

[Carrieone]

I backed up my laptop. Rebuilt Windows XP Professional. Did a restore. AAl
the files are present in the Programs directory, but they are not listed
through the Start/programs menu, neither do they appear in the list of
installed software via the Control panel/Add or Remove Programs.
Is here a way to avoid having to reinstall all the programs? Help please!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I backed up my laptop. Rebuilt Windows XP Professional. Did a restore. AAl
the files are present in the Programs directory, but they are not listed
through the Start/programs menu, neither do they appear in the list of
installed software via the Control panel/Add or Remove Programs.
Is here a way to avoid having to reinstall all the programs?

No.

All programs, except a very occasional usually small one, have many
entries within the Windows registry and elsewhere within the \windows
folder. If you reinstall Windows, all of that is lost, and the
programs will no longer run. They have to be reinstalled.

 

[Ray Parrish]

Hello,

Well, the bad news is that many of your programs will need to be
re-installed. When a program installs it writes registry entries for
itself and these are now gone on your system. Also many programs copy
..dll files to the windows\system or system32 folder which it needs to
run, and these files are now gone on your system.

However, many or at least some of your programs will still run. To find
out which ones you will need to start My Computer and go to the Program
Files folder. Within this folder you will need to go into each programs
folder in turn, sort the files by type, and look for the .exe files.

One of these files is the main executable file for the program in that
folder. Clicking or double-clicking it should start the program, and if
it doesn't work anymore it will toss up an error.

If the program starts OK that way, right click it and select "Create
Shortcut" from the pop up menu. This will create a new shortcut to the
program in that folder. Right click the new shortcut and select "Rename"
from the pop up menu. Now give the shortcut your programs name. Next
right click the shortcut and select "Cut" or "copy" from the pop up menu.

Now open your start menu and right click any folder in it and select
Open from the pop up menu. This will open your start menu folders in My
computer.

Navigate to the top of the menu folders and create a new folder for your
programs shortcut. Change into the new folder, and select Edit, Paste
from the My Computer menu. Now you have a menu entry for that program again.

If when you click a programs .exe file an error occurs you will have to
re-install that program.

Later, Ray Parrish