Add/Remove Programs leaving entry behind

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(Edited by HansV to make URL clickable – see Help 19)

I have written a number of VB6 applications, which I have carefully packaged using the Package & Deployment Wizard. They install just fine. However, when I come to update them on any PC by uninstalling (via Add/Remove Programs) and reinstalling, the uninstall works fine EXCEPT that the entry in the Add/Remove Programs list is not removed. Consequently, I see a number of references to the same applications.

I found the KB document http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=247501%5B/url%5D advising to look in the Registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall, locate the superfluous keys and delete them. Unfortunately, when I try this, I just get ‘Cannot delete {keyname}: Error while deleting key.’ – that’s it, no more information.

Does anyone have any ideas what causes this error, and more importantly, what I can do to avoid it and get rid of these superfuous keys (about 30 in my Registry, for example)? Thanks for any help.

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Try attempting to uninstall the item again. You should get an error saying that the program may have been removed and asking if you would like to remove the entry from the Add/Remove Programs list. Say yes.

I don’t know if this will remove the registry key or not. HTH

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Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, it didn’t (help, that is!). When I try to remove it again, I get ‘Unable to open log file ST6UNST.DLL’ and it stops there and then. So, the question is still how to remove the superfluous keys from the registry, when even the Microsoft solution doesn’t work. And this is not confined to just my pc; it affects all the machines here at work.

Thanks again anyway.

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OK….. you might try reinstalling the application and then boot into Safe Mode and try removing it in Add/Remove Programs then.

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Since your app probably created it’s own directory in the registry to house the key, try deleting that directory. Another thing to check for is the GUID that is created on install. Try searching for the GUID in your regedit process. Also try HKLM/Software/Installer/Assemblies.

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You probably can’t delete the registry key because of security restrictions. Are you logged in as an Administrator? If not, that’s likely to be why you get the error.

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No, I’m not logged in as an adminstrator – I take your point. But on the other hand, I’ve been able to merrily create registry keys, so why not be able to delete them? When the Infrastructure guy is around again (pc on but locked at the moment), I’ll get him to try as an administrator. Thanks for info.

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