Program list in control panel/software

[Ruaridh]

Hi folks

I've just spent the evening trying to help a friend of mine whose software set-up is just awful (XP Home). Under control panel/software only the MS progs are listed, but he does have a whole pile of non-MS software installed (Nero, Acrobat Reader, various tools).

The non-MS progs do appear in the start menu under all programmes, but they don't work when you select them, or at least some of them don't. I can't uninstall them because they're not in the software list. I tried just deleting a couple of them from the c:\programme folder and then re-installing, but when I tried this with Nero, for example, it said that a previous version was already available and then quit the installation process. Even removing the reg entries for Ahead/Nero made no difference.

It's an awful mess. How can I connect the programmes into the system so that they appear in the software listing? How can I get this guy's system back onto an even keel?

Thanks for your help. My friend can't ask you himself because he wouldn't understand the answer :-)

Ruaridh

[Rainbow32]

Originally Posted by Ruaridh

Hi folks

I've just spent the evening trying to help a friend of mine whose software set-up is just awful (XP Home). Under control panel/software only the MS progs are listed, but he does have a whole pile of non-MS software installed (Nero, Acrobat Reader, various tools).

The non-MS progs do appear in the start menu under all programmes, but they don't work when you select them, or at least some of them don't. I can't uninstall them because they're not in the software list. I tried just deleting a couple of them from the c:\programme folder and then re-installing, but when I tried this with Nero, for example, it said that a previous version was already available and then quit the installation process. Even removing the reg entries for Ahead/Nero made no difference.

It's an awful mess. How can I connect the programmes into the system so that they appear in the software listing? How can I get this guy's system back onto an even keel?

Thanks for your help. My friend can't ask you himself because he wouldn't understand the answer :-)

Ruaridh

Have you done a scan for virus's?

[Ruaridh]

Originally Posted by Rainbow32

Have you done a scan for virus's?

Thanks for the suggestion, Rainbow. Yes, I have (Norton): zero results.

I don't think it's a virus problem. I'll tell you what happened:

1. My friend complained to me that his computer kept doing sudden reboots for no reason. I told him to get the support people onto the case as it could be a serious hardware problem (e.g. faulty RAM modules). Unfortunately, he didn't. Instead he got a friend of his to re-install WinXP.

2. The friend re-installed, but now none of the non-MS software appears in the software list. I'm trying to track this guy down to find out what he actually did, but this may take a while. Incidentally, the problem of unexpected reboots remains.

3. The non-MS software is in the start menu and there are entries for it in the registry, but selecting it from the start menu just produces an error message.

4. I deleted and recreated the shortcuts in the start menu. This worked like a charm, but doesn't solve the problem that the software just doesn't appear in the control panel / software list, meaning that uninstalling software at anytime is impossible (unless you can tell me how to do it properly without using the control panel).

I'm looking for advice on two questions: Q1 - is it possible to solve this problem without reformatting the HDD and re-installing XP from step 1?; Q2 - if the answer to Q1 is no, what steps should I take to ensure that I do the right thing and achieve a clean set-up?

Thanks very much for your help

Rory

[Ruaridh]

Hi all

Can somebody give me a little advice - please?

Thanks for your help

Rory

[TommyD]

Originally Posted by Ruaridh

Hi all

Can somebody give me a little advice - please?

Thanks for your help

Rory

It sounds like the registry is the problem. Try doing a restore as far back in time as possible

[Ruaridh]

Thanks for your help, TommyD. I'll give it a shot. One more question: if I restore the registry, e.g. to its post set-up state, will all the subsequently installed non-MS software miraculously disappear or should I remove it all by hand (i.e. just delete the files) before I restore the registry. Obviously, what I want to do is get a clean XP set-up and then re-install the external software properly.

Thanks

Rory

[TommyD]

I am hoping that you still have some old system restore points left. If that is the case you might be able to restore it prior to the XP overwrite.
Start/Programs/Accessories/Sytem Tools/Restore

[Ruaridh]

OK, thanks, will do so ASAP and report back if necessary.

Cheers

Rory