Problem with Control Panel Add/Remove option

  • Thread starter Thread starter navygin21
  • Start date Start date
N

navygin21

Half way down the list of programs to remove it starts a black vertical
line that seems to last forever, then is changes to 2 lines, the 3. I
can scroll for a while, and then the rest of my programs show. When I
click on the black lines it highlights blue, but it does not give me an
option to do anything with it. What can it be and how can I fix it?
Thanks!
 
Half way down the list of programs to remove it starts a black vertical
line that seems to last forever, then is changes to 2 lines, the 3.
Click to expand...

There is an invalid entry in the Registry at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall,
where the data for this list is stored. The invalid entry usually is
the next one after the one that is displayed before the list is
interrupted.
 
Still no luck. I uninstalled the program above and below the lines and
then made sure the registry keys were deleted.
 
Why would you uninstall anything.

Export the registry key and post here.
Type regedit in Start Run

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
 
The symptoms are a little bit different. For -1 there is a white space that is selectable, as the white space is the space Add/Remove thinks the icon is (it thinks it's really big).
 
I have exported it. I opened it with Word and it is 45 pages long, do
you want me copy and past it here?
 
I figured that if I un-installed the program it would take it way from
the registry. After un-installing them I deleted the remaining folders
in the register, then I ran a registry cleaner. Another website
suggested a negative value for the icon, I check all
of them within the uninstall folder. All the ones that had it icons
listed did not have values at all, just a file name. There were two or
three that listed nothing under the icon section. I know a little
about editing the registry, but I would not do anything
without someone telling me to do so, and making a backup.
 
There is a problem where -1 is used for an icon index. Positive and zero numbers mean the nth icon in a file (0 being the first icon, 1 is the second, ..., n is the nth + 1), Negative numbers, except for -1, is the resource ID of the icon (the number the programmer gave it when s/he refers to it - if they want to display an icon with a resource ID of 1025 they specify -1025). -1 is the total number of icons in the file. So instead of getting a valid handle to an icon it gets a number which is an invalid icon (or a random icon if you fluke it).

The icon parameter in Add/Remove is optional as Windows will guess the icon if you omit it, but may guess wrong. The only entries one needs is Uninstall String and Display String - Windows guesses all other values.

However your symptoms are a bit different. If -1 is used it's just a big blank icon that forces the text that is normally to the right of the icon to wrap below the space reserved for it. But it is WHITE and selectable.

email the file to david at mvps.org
 
I also need this key as well

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

And also some idea of what is above/below the black space. But I'm going to sleep now.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message There is a problem where -1 is used for an icon index. Positive and zero numbers mean the nth icon in a file (0 being the first icon, 1 is the second, ..., n is the nth + 1), Negative numbers, except for -1, is the resource ID of the icon (the number the programmer gave it when s/he refers to it - if they want to display an icon with a resource ID of 1025 they specify -1025). -1 is the total number of icons in the file. So instead of getting a valid handle to an icon it gets a number which is an invalid icon (or a random icon if you fluke it).

The icon parameter in Add/Remove is optional as Windows will guess the icon if you omit it, but may guess wrong. The only entries one needs is Uninstall String and Display String - Windows guesses all other values.

However your symptoms are a bit different. If -1 is used it's just a big blank icon that forces the text that is normally to the right of the icon to wrap below the space reserved for it. But it is WHITE and selectable.

email the file to david at mvps.org
 
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer\Products
and this one.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message I also need this key as well

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

And also some idea of what is above/below the black space. But I'm going to sleep now.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message There is a problem where -1 is used for an icon index. Positive and zero numbers mean the nth icon in a file (0 being the first icon, 1 is the second, ..., n is the nth + 1), Negative numbers, except for -1, is the resource ID of the icon (the number the programmer gave it when s/he refers to it - if they want to display an icon with a resource ID of 1025 they specify -1025). -1 is the total number of icons in the file. So instead of getting a valid handle to an icon it gets a number which is an invalid icon (or a random icon if you fluke it).

The icon parameter in Add/Remove is optional as Windows will guess the icon if you omit it, but may guess wrong. The only entries one needs is Uninstall String and Display String - Windows guesses all other values.

However your symptoms are a bit different. If -1 is used it's just a big blank icon that forces the text that is normally to the right of the icon to wrap below the space reserved for it. But it is WHITE and selectable.

email the file to david at mvps.org
 
Ok. I made my registry exactly the same as yours. I don't see the problem. Everything is perfect.

This has fixed it for one person last week (from Ramesh).
Delete
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Management\ARPCache

(it will be rebuilt from the other keys we've discussed here and via mail next time you open Add/Remove).
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer\Products
and this one.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message I also need this key as well

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

And also some idea of what is above/below the black space. But I'm going to sleep now.

--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/_comment/001075.html
=================================================
"David Candy" <.> wrote in message There is a problem where -1 is used for an icon index. Positive and zero numbers mean the nth icon in a file (0 being the first icon, 1 is the second, ..., n is the nth + 1), Negative numbers, except for -1, is the resource ID of the icon (the number the programmer gave it when s/he refers to it - if they want to display an icon with a resource ID of 1025 they specify -1025). -1 is the total number of icons in the file. So instead of getting a valid handle to an icon it gets a number which is an invalid icon (or a random icon if you fluke it).

The icon parameter in Add/Remove is optional as Windows will guess the icon if you omit it, but may guess wrong. The only entries one needs is Uninstall String and Display String - Windows guesses all other values.

However your symptoms are a bit different. If -1 is used it's just a big blank icon that forces the text that is normally to the right of the icon to wrap below the space reserved for it. But it is WHITE and selectable.

email the file to david at mvps.org
 
Still no luck. Since everything looks fine I guess I should do a fresh
install of Windows. Thanks for looking into it for me.
 
If this is an icon problem, I remember something from earlier versions of
windows there was a file you could delete and it would be rebuilt. Seems
like it was called ShellIconCache or something like that. Is that type of
solution no longer workable in WinXP?

Clark

"David Candy" <.> wrote in message
Wouldn't it be easier to ignore it.
 
C:\Documents and Settings\David Candy\Local Settings\Application Data\IconCache.db
Is XP's equiv.
 
I beleive you mean the shell file that would appear on the desktop. That is not the same.
 
David: I could ignore, but not to sound too anal, it is something that
would always bother me. I like my computer to be squared away,
everything to be the way it is supposed to be. I do appreciate you
looking into it for me. I tried to call my tech support, but
apparently it does not cover software.

Clark: That didnt help either, but it never rebuilt itself.
 
Instead of reinstalling Windows, I started to go through and delete one
program at a time and I finally figured it out. It was a program
called ringtone ripper. It was not showing up the add/remove program
list but it was listed on the registry to be shown on the add/remove
program. So I just went through the registry and deleted everything
associated with ringtone ripper and it fixed the problem. Thanks for
all your help.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Similar Threads

add/remove programs 2
Windows 7 Problem with Facebook 9
Add or remove program question 3
Control Panel Problem 1
Add/remove programs window with lines 1
Black and White bars in add remove programs 1
add remove programs - control panel 3
Canoscan FS4000US IR/FARE Problem 1

Back
Top