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.
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Select Start > Run
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In the Open: line
type regedit and press Enter.
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Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
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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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