Silverlight in Win7 Ultimate 32bit missing from I.E.11

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I can not play a Microsoft Video in Internet Explorer – keep being told to install Silverlight – and when I do, am told it’s already installed. NONE of the four SHOWS of Toolbars and Extensions in Manage Add-ons reveals Silverlight – neither under Microsoft Corporation, nor under Not Available. So the ‘enable’ option is not available to me. How can I fix this malfunction ?
I have reason to believe it is connected to Windows Live Essentials – when I installed that, I opted for MAIL only – could that be the problem ?
I’ve checked W.L.E. 2012 – it is NOT in that, but I originally installed W.L.E.2011 [for just MAIL] – maybe that is how Silverlight got into my PC – but not ‘installed’ … What do you think ? How to fix ?

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Yes, Silverlight is part of WLE and is required to access some MS websites.

Silverlight has to be uninstalled before it can be reinstalled and MS has produced this article to resolve that – if you can access it with a corrupt Silverlight.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/2608523

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I don’t need Silverlight – corrupt or otherwise – to access the URL you gave me. I downloaded the ‘Fix it for me’ and ran it [and remembered that I had already done that earlier, to no avail). It claimed to have fixed the problem, but nothing had improved.

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All that Fixit does is uninstall Silverlight – you need to click on the link lower down in the article to take you to the download site to install it.

This is where that takes you https://www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight/get-started/install/default.aspx

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The process had SAID that it was re-installing Silverlight. When I clicked on your latest URL, the following showed : “The version of Silverlight installed is: Silverlight 5 (5.1.40?28.0) You are ready to use Microsoft Silverlight.”, but there is still NO sign of Silverlight in I.E.’s Manage Add-ons

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I’ve just reinstalled WLE 2012 and while the Google link said that it included Silverlight, it wasn’t listed among the items of the custom install so it may get bundled whether you want it or not.

I used the recommended and watched the items install, but Silverlight wasn’t listed – I don’t know if that was because I already have it installed.

What I would suggest is that you reset IE to defaults which requires a reboot to effect and then download WLE 2012 again.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows-live/essentials

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Try the uninstaller from http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rpomeroy/archive/2008/06/10/how-to-manually-clean-up-a-bad-silverlight-installation.aspx and then reinstall it using the link in the article, but reset IE to defaults first and that should clear IE of any iffy add-ons.

I’ve just checked it out and it removed Silverlight from my IE11 and the install page gave me the download link, rather than telling me which version I already had installed.

During its install, there are a couple of boxes to uncheck if you don’t want Bing as your default search engine and if you don’t want MSN as your default home page.

Pressing F5 will return a page to confirm you have Silverlight installed.

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It would seem that the FIX IT in RPomeroy’s does NOT do the job, because first it told me to close Firefox, and after it declared success, I tried to access the site-requiring-Silverlight, and sure enough, the video offered to play again – in contrast to I.E. which has been telling me to install Silverlight. It seems that no other method has managed to uninstall Silverlight, either.
There are still scores of references to Silverlight in the registry after that uninstallation.

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Well, it worked okay for me in IE 11 so perhaps there’s something else amiss on your end.

Are you trying the uninstall/reinstall in IE and did you reset IE to defaults before running the Fixit and reinstall ?

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The fix it does not give any options. It appears to affect Firefox as well, because it demanded that I close Firefox. I did NOT reset I.E. to defaults – remiss of me; but I can try that now. I did not reinstall, because Firefox proved that it was still installed.

I misread/misunderstood your question. Are you implying that there is an option in I.E. for uninstalling Silverlight [even though it is NOT listed amongst the Add-Ons] ?

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I have run that FIX IT again after setting I.E. to its defaults, and Firefox still ‘uses’ Silverlight, so it has NOT been uninstalled.

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You can uninstall Silverlight from Programs and Features, but check to see if you have any of these other items for Win 7 as well.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/2091

The only option for Silverlight in IE add-ons is to disable.

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Silverlight no longer appears in Program and Features; nor can I find a WPF/E; but there are scores of references to Silverlight in Registry. Firefox can still play the Microsoft video in an unidentified window.
The disable option in I.E. is NOT available when Silverlight is not listed.

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I suppose you could create a restore point and delete those registry entries, but something seems to be screwed up if it is no longer listed in Progs & Features but you still have the plug-in in FF.

Uninstalling Silverlight should have removed the plug-in as well.

EDIT – I don’t know if you will be able to access this Fixit for uninstalling problems, but run it and then run the Silverlight uninstaller fixit again.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/mats/program_install_and_uninstall

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That URL of your could not find Silverlight to uninstall, so it proposed “If your program was not listed you can enter the Product Code here. For example: {9EEE2575-B66F-43F7-A455-7D419335C87E}” which leaves me in a spot, as I would not have a clue about a product code. When I entered ‘D7314F9862C648A4DB8BE2A5B47BE100’ which I found at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2608523, I got “Please enter a valid 38 character Product Code.” Google did not give me any product code for Silverlight.

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I have run a FIX IT 4 time in vain – but am willing to have another go. We can agree on something being screwed up.

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Did you have another go at the reinstall after that ?

If that’s still a no go then perhaps it’s time to consider my other suggestion of creating a restore point and manually deleting those registry entries.

Can’t understand why the partial uninstall – wonder if a sfc /scannow would find anything to repair ?

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I did not do another re-install after that – I was hoping I could first find a product code for Silverlight to uninstall it. Bellarc lists product codes – and mentions Silverlight by name, but does not give a product code for Silverlight. What it does list is a product code for Microsoft – Office Outlook Connector – which I think was one of the Windows Live Essentials Modules that installs alongside anything actually CHOSEN for install. Its product code does not seem to have the required 38 characters. I will do a sfc /scannow when I get a chance. I just hope that the outcome is a clear statement about anything wrong (or not).
Luckily I do not need to ‘create a restore point’ before deleting registry entries, as I do my experimenting on a CLONE of my system, and only implement changes after they have proved ‘successful’.

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Even MS advise exporting a folder before making any changes in the registry.

I think it’s probably easier to create a restore point and I always advise creating one before making any changes to the registry.

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I KNOW that creating a restore point is standard procedure. I managed to delete 3060 Silverlight entries from Registry – but ONE resisted deletion. Firefox now lacks Silverlight, and ALSO calls for its installation. More as things develop …

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Claims to have corrected : 1 Corrupt Patch Registry keys & 2. Cannot install or uninstall a program

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Can again NOT install Silverlight.

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I was unable to install Silverlight, so have gone back to the two fixits

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Although I was told that Silverlight could not be installed, I can now play Microsoft Videos in Firefox again. And I.E. again asks me to install Silverlight to play that video.

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I wonder if the one indelible registry entry is somehow connected to my ‘problem’.

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I wonder if you need to take permission of it or if you would be able to delete that entry after enabling and logging in with the hidden admin account ?

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It’s hard to remember the exact sequence because I have done so much. But I did another registry cleanout after a re-install, and there were only 34 references to Silverlight. I could delete them ALL. The situation now is that I can not install it (because it is already installed) but I can no longer access it in Firefox (AS WELL AS not in I.E.). Remember that this is a disposable clone that I have experimented on. So my REAL system still has Silverlight in Firefox, but not in I.E.

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Perhaps make another clone and try it for real with the hidden admin account.

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‘Hidden Admin Account’ – you mean boot into Safe Mode ?

‘try it for real’ not sure what you mean, but my plan of action is :
boot to Safe Mode
sfc /scannow
set I.E. to be default and reset it
run the fixits – only to uninstall
’empty the registry with RegScanner
re-install by Fixit
look at I.E.’s Add-ons -enable if Silverlight appears
test video in I.E.
test video in FF

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The hidden admin account is the ultimate boss and my thought was to use this to try and delete that obstinate Silverlight registry key.

To enable the hidden admin account, run a cmd prompt as an admin and enter net user administrator /active:yes then enter shutdown /r /t 00 to reboot.

After it reboots you click on the Admin icon to log in – wait for it to rearrange things and then go into the registry and have another go at that key.

I wonder if there is something in Windows Essentials that makes Windows think Silverlight is still installed and perhaps uninstalling that, use the Silverlight uninstall Fixit, a reboot and reinstall of WLE may help.

I assume the Find in regedit didn’t find any more but there could be a related key which could link to Silverlight which would normally be uninstalled, but isn’t for some reason.

Change the active:yes to active:no to disable the hidden admin account and reboot as it shouldn’t be left enabled.

“try it for real” was to actually do it on your computer after creating another clone as the back up.

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I tried sfc /scannow on my trial system, and it said it would take ‘some’ time, so I went and did other things, when I came back there was NO sign of ‘anything’. So just now I have tried it again on my ‘real’ system, and it reported corrupt files, but was unable to fix some of them, and required a reboot for changes to take effect. It referred me to windirlogscbscbs.logfor dertails, but the cbs folder contained NO file of today’s date.
I have also tried the enabling the hidden administrator account on the trial drive, but was interrupted and could not finish all the procedures – will owe you that report till I do it. That account seems to be freshly minted, and to have none of the settings I have so laboriously accumulated over the years. Is it really different from the Administrator account that can be launched from Safe Mode ?

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The hidden admin account isn’t your profile and it arranges things to suit itself and is different from the admin you get in Safe Mode.

As it prompted you to reboot to effect the repairs, run the sfc /scannow again to see what it now reports – and wait around for it to complete this time to see what happens.

Then enter

findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >”%userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt

This will put an icon onto the Desktop which will open the CBS log in Notepad with what it has and cannot repair.

The scan only take 15 – 20 mins.

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The hidden admin account isn’t your profile and it arranges things to suit itself and is different from the admin you get in Safe Mode.

As it prompted you to reboot to effect the repairs, run the sfc /scannow again to see what it now reports – and wait around for it to complete this time to see what happens.

Then enter

findstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%LogsCBSCBS.log >”%userprofile%Desktopsfcdetails.txt

This will put an icon onto the Desktop which will open the CBS log in Notepad with what it has and cannot repair.

The scan only take 15 – 20 mins.

Sorry about the long delay before my response. I’ve had to deal with many dramas. That CBS.log file did indeed become accessible, but was VERY long and unintelligible (to me). I did the following after than scan : I set Internet Explorer to be the default browser; and reset its Defaults. I tested for Silverlight – I.E. asked for installation, but it Worked in FF. I ran the MicrosoftFixit.ProgramInstallUninstall.RNP.Run.exe which listed S.L., so I let it uninstall Silverlight. It reported ‘FIXED’ for ‘cannot install or uninstall a program’. I ran RegScanner – to QUICKLY identify all the references to Silverlight in the Registry. It could delete all but one entry – just like before – but THAT could be deleted without fuss in Regedit. I ran the MicrosoftFixit50747.msi whose file TYPE is Windows Installer. It reported ‘This MicrosoftFixit has been processed’, but Silverlight did NOT show in Programs and Features. So ran the Silverlight installer which did NOT say ‘can’t because it’s already installed’, like previously. I.E.’s Add-ons STILL did NOT include S.L. amongst the Toolbars and Extensions; trying to play a Microsoft video in I.E., triggered ‘install Silverlight’ and running the video in Firefox triggered ‘activate Silverlight’. Where to now ?

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Can you copy & paste the CBS log ?

Some more on trouble shooting Silverlight which looks more helpful.

http://www.techsupportall.com/silverlight-wont-install-and-cant-uninstall/

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I will send the log, and look into the new URL when I can. Thanks
The Manage Files process put a ‘!’ at CBS.log, so I copied it elsewhere and changed it to CBS.txt and ‘pointed to’ it. After some time the 1.11Mb file acquired a ‘!’ again and the ‘Upload’ window showed Total size : 0; Files 0. It does not seem to want to share its shameful secrets with you. Either I will figure out a solution, or you’ll send me one.

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You can copy & paste the log from Notepad to post in full in the reply box.

The CBS logs seem to be volatile so you may have to redo the sfc /scannow to produce another CBS log.

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