Removing Games

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How do I remove games from Win 2k (SP-1 and 2)? I tried the normal Start->Settings->Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs->Add/Remove Windows Components as well as Change or Remove programs and Add New Programs but nothing was listed. I went to my TechNet disk and to the MS Knowledge base. New company “policy” at one of our sites due to one goof off (read dork) person.

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Start | Programs | Accessories | Games
Right_mouse over ‘Freecell’ and select properties -> it should show the prog as “%SystemRoot%System32freecell.exe”
Navigate to your system32 folder using Explorer and delete freecell.exe
Repeat for the other games.

Start | Programs | Accessories
Right_mouse over Games and select ‘Delete’

If your Dork doesn’t know how to find the exe files in the first place, you could probably just get away with the menu delete bit.

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What some companies are doing are “Deleting” the entries from the start menu. MOST users can not find the EXE files to run the games fron Explorer.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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I will go through and delete via the sytem32 folder. I was just hoping that there was something I missed. As for our “Problem” user. He is an MCSE from 3 or so years ago and only has book knowledge and a tendancy to poke and prod and generally not do what he should so the more thorough I am the better.

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You could always just change the (original) shortcut to something approaching a knuckle-rap – whatever may be appropriate within your company.
Like a live video-cast of him looking at his screen or something – show him who’s boss (or big brother).

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There is a file called SYSOC.INF living in %systemroot%INF (usually WINNTINF). This controls what appears in the add/remove components dialog.

Open the file in notepad or another text editor. You’ll see a few lines like this:

; old base components
Games=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,games.inf,HIDE,7

Remove all instances of the word HIDE to expose everything, or selectively remove HIDE from the sections you would like to be able to remove from Add/Remove Programs.

I prefer this to deleting the EXE because you can easily reverse the changes later, and there’s no doubt that you cleaned it up. I say that as one who has deleted the wrong EXE in the wrong directory previously…..

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I tested two factory installed systems (not Win 2k upgrades) neither has a INF folder or the sysoc.inf or and sysoc file. I did go through and delete the .EXE files and Games folder by hand.
Oops! Never mind. When you remember to show hidden files it is amazing what you can find!!!

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The KB article you need is Q223182. You’ll be happy with the results. I’ll bet his 3 yr old MCSE didn’t teach him this one.

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