Removing Entry from Add/Remove Programs

[Don McC]

Hello: I have a somewhat vexing problem. I was installing a piece of
software (mathcad 14.0 for what its worth) and there were issues with the
software. I tried to use Add/Remove Programs to remove the software so I
could work on those issues, but the Remove process hung up. I let it run
overnight to verify it was really hanging. I manually have removed all
program files, all registry entries, all references in "user"/local
settings/application data, AND have followed the procedure to delete the
registery setting that supposedly controls how Add/remove programs populates
itself. What is frustrating is that after following that Knowledge Base
Article, the only thing that happened is that the icon changed to a generic
Icon. Then entry is still there. I have gone through the registry 3 times
looking for other references and I can't find them. The real problem is that
if I try and reinstall the software it thinks it is still installed. SO (a)
what else do I have to delete to convince Add/Remove Programs that the
software is not there, and (b) how in the world can the software think it is
still installed when there is apparently nothing there (items a and b must be
related).

Thanks for any help in tracking this down.

 

[Malke]

Hello: I have a somewhat vexing problem. I was installing a piece of
software (mathcad 14.0 for what its worth) and there were issues with the
software. I tried to use Add/Remove Programs to remove the software so I
could work on those issues, but the Remove process hung up. I let it run
overnight to verify it was really hanging. I manually have removed all
program files, all registry entries, all references in "user"/local
settings/application data, AND have followed the procedure to delete the
registery setting that supposedly controls how Add/remove programs
populates
itself. What is frustrating is that after following that Knowledge Base
Article, the only thing that happened is that the icon changed to a
generic
Icon. Then entry is still there. I have gone through the registry 3
times
looking for other references and I can't find them. The real problem is
that
if I try and reinstall the software it thinks it is still installed. SO
(a) what else do I have to delete to convince Add/Remove Programs that the
software is not there, and (b) how in the world can the software think it
is still installed when there is apparently nothing there (items a and b
must be related).

Add/Remove Programs only calls the program's own uninstaller. It is common
for programs' uninstallers to be written poorly and do a bad job. You
haven't found all the registry entries - and this is *very* hard to do
manually.

Try the free Revo Uninstaller.

http://www.revouninstaller.com/

Read the instructions *very* carefully and work with it *very* carefully.
You can easily delete something that shouldn't be, like a parent registry
key.

If you're uncomfortable doing this, contact Mathcad's tech support for help.

Malke

 

[Don McC]

I try the uninstaller. Mathcad has been less than helpful. BTW I found more
registry keys that had something to do with Mathcad but weren't easily found.