Remove Invalid Listings from Add/Remove
Programs
There are a
number of reasons why an application may remain in the Add/Remove
Programs list long after the application is gone from your computer.
One of the most common reasons is using the uninstaller from the
listing on the All Programs section of Start Menu, but whatever the
reason it remains there are ways to remove the invalid listing.
Method I: This method avoids editing
the registry and should be tried first.
The easiest way
is to open Add/Remove Programs and select the listing for the
program you know has already been deleted. Select the application
and click the Remove button. Since there is no application to
'remove', the process will time out and you'll be presented with an
option to remove the entry.
Method II: This method involves editing
the registry. Make sure to have a verified registry backup before
editing the registry. Help with backing up the registry is available
here.
-
Select Start
> Run
-
In
the Open: line type regedit and press Enter.
-
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
-
The
Add/Remove Programs list is built from the keys listed beneath
the Uninstall folder.
-
Locate the
key for the program that has been uninstalled, right click the
key and click Delete.
Clicking the
keys in the left pane and looking at the information provided in the
right pane can help in identifying the associated programs. Err on
the side of caution in this operation. Once the key has been deleted
it's impossible to use Add/Remove Programs to uninstall if you make
an incorrect selection.
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