How to Uninstall Missing Programs

[caniacbart]

I have Win Vista Ultimate with 2 users accounts (both Admin with one restore hidden admin user).

I'm trying to uninstall several programs my daughter installed, but they are not listed on the uninstall menu. I see then running in the tool bar and under the Win Explorer root menu, but they do not show up on the uninstall menu.

Any suggestions?

 

[Eximo]

Some applications are user specific and you may need to log in with the other account to remove them.

You can also locate the uninstall applications or re-run the original setup to remove stubborn applications. unis000.exe is fairly common. setup.exe /uninstall, something.msi /X. There is also the uninstall section in the Windows registry: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall which should have every properly designed programs uninstall string.

Combing through the registry and deleting the appropriate keys (search is handy for locating them) and then the directories is a last resort, but can lead to some not so good behavior if you don't catch everything.

 

[caniacbart]

Thanks Eximo.

I have two user accounts and have logged into both of them. The applications still do not appear. I am familiar with the registry removal, but it just perplexes me to no end as to "why" I don't see them in the standard uninstall menu.

 

[JDFan]

Thanks Eximo.

I have two user accounts and have logged into both of them. The applications still do not appear. I am familiar with the registry removal, but it just perplexes me to no end as to "why" I don't see them in the standard uninstall menu.

IT depends on how the installation program for them was written -- If the installer does not register itself with the OS then it will not show up in the uninstall menu. does the program in question have a desktop icon for launching ? If yes right click and select open file location to go to the folder the program is installed in and see if there is an uninstaler listed there (sometime it will be the same setup.exe used to install that you run again to uninstall) -- If the programs were all installed on a given date it might be easier to do a system restore to a date prior to them being installed (but then you will need to track down the individual folders and delete the files to regain the HDD space since system restore will rewrite the system files so they are not installed but will not delete the actual files)

To save having to do the same again you might want to create a limited user account that can not install programs on the system and make her have you install any programs on the system from your admin account instead of giving her an admin level account.