# Uninstall programs, not listed in add/remove programs



## Aanand (Oct 25, 2005)

There are few programs listed in the start>programs list when I click on the start button. But I donâ€™t find them in the *add/remove program*s. 
As I am a medico, I am using many medical books that come in CDs that are installed in my PC. These are listed in the start>programs menu. But when I want to uninstall them they are not available to uninstall. There is no uninstalling provision in these programs as it is the case with many of the software. What can I do now?


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## choudang (Oct 25, 2005)

they are not integrated with windows. just delete the folder from its destination. have you tried with uninstaller prgrames like Safe Unstaller?


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## Tech&ME (Oct 26, 2005)

warrior said:
			
		

> *they are not integrated with windows*. just delete the folder from its destination. have you tried with uninstaller prgrames like Safe Unstaller?



this is not the case warrior!

Actually some software do not include an uninstaller simply b'coz they forget to do so..... hi hi   

Even many Microsoft Software are installed on your PC but they do not have any Uninstaller and thus they never show up on your Add/Remove Program Folder of the Control Panel. hence, this is nothing to do with "*Integration with WINDOWS*"

Every Program/Software you install does not becomes the part of the OS itself and hence the question of integration does not arise here.

And also as Warrior said just deleting the folders will not help. 

Follow this instructions:

Some programs come with there own installers and uninstallers and hence they are unable to register an entry in the Add/Remove Programs folder.

However, this installers do allow you to uninsatall their software, what they do is they make separete *uninstall* entry in the START MENU itself. In such a case, you require to click on the Uninstall link in the START MENU under the respective program group.

If in case you do not find any uinstaller there also. Then manually delete all the folders of the respective program from C:\Program files\   folder.
also check this folders for dependencies and delete them :

1. c:\documents and settings\<user name>\local settings\Application DATA

2. c:\documents and settings\<user name>\Application DATA

And most importantly, do remember to go to the registry and clean/delete all the entires there for the respective program.

to go to the registry editor do this:

click START --> RUN --> type: REGEDIT


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## choudang (Oct 26, 2005)

what do i mean by integration with windows? when a prgm is installed.... it will use few .dll files from system32 or windows. the programs are taking the bydefault location from the registry [we can change that]. but i found some prgm that they are using windows installer, and goes to the default program files, bu they are not included into the Add Remove list. when i remove that folder..... nothing goes wrong. they have their dll files which will use windows dll at the run time. .... if i use regcleaner, there are few invalid entries showing the target directory. 

ex: TMPGcov.

i'm not too sure abt that. i do it often with my some programs. can you give me hand on this matter?


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## Tech&ME (Oct 26, 2005)

warrior said:
			
		

> what do i mean by integration with windows? when a prgm is installed.... it will use few .dll files from system32 or windows. *the programs are taking the bydefault location from the registry [we can change that]. *but i found some prgm that they are using windows installer, and goes to the default program files, bu they are not included into the Add Remove list. when i remove that folder..... nothing goes wrong. they have their dll files which will use windows dll at the run time. .... if i use regcleaner, there are few invalid entries showing the target directory.
> 
> ex: TMPGcov.
> 
> i'm not too sure abt that. i do it often with my some programs. can you give me hand on this matter?



No this is not the case always, I understood what you were trying to say.
and for your info, even if a installed program uses windows .dll files, this does not mean they get integrated with windows, understood! 

And even if a program uses the Windows installer this does not necessaraly mean it will also install an uninstaller. Some programs simply doesnot come with uninstaller package. The person or company who made the software did not simply include an uninstaller even if it uses the Windows installer to install the program. Windows installer does not install third party software completely, it is used only to trigger the main installer before the actual installaition begins.  Microsoft has made it compulsory for some types of software to use Windows Default Installer to be used first on a computer running Windows XP. Microsoft has made this changes in Windows XP. If such programs does not make use of the windows default installer to install Windows XP will not allow such programs to install at all. This also relates to SECURITY issues.



And deleting folder of program files does not solve any thing alone. You must clean the registry.

Quote

" the programs are taking the bydefault location *from the registry *[we can change that]."

What registry ?

Some programs do not work properly if you install them to a differnet directory, becouse programs are design to make use of the path (Program files) in some cases.

When ever a program/software is installed the registry entries are always made at the end, i.e. and the time of finishing installation. The registry entries are separete files which gets added to the registry.


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## choudang (Oct 26, 2005)

> What registry ?
> 
> Some programs do not work properly if you install them to a differnet directory, becouse programs are design to make use of the path (Program files) in some cases.



i have divided my HDD like C 5GB D 5GB Rest of each 20GB [total 76GB]--- instead of using C: as program files direcory i make few changes in Registry and make a folder 'APPz' as default location for Program files [ i don't want to select 'Browse' all the time]. when i start install, the program takes 'E:\APPz' as the default Path. Thats why i said that all the Progams will take their installation path from registry. HLM>software>microsoft>windows


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## digitizen (Oct 26, 2005)

i dont know why we are all used to solving everything the difficult way . there  is a software in internet called advance uninstaller which will uninstall programs not in your in add/remove program list.


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## choudang (Oct 26, 2005)

> i dont know why we are all used to solving everything the difficult way . there is a software in internet called advance uninstaller which will uninstall programs not in your in add/remove program list.



see the first reply. i gave him safe unstaller [didn't mentioned the name]


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## Cool Joe (Jun 5, 2008)

CCleaner is a good effictive app...


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## johny rico (Jun 6, 2008)

Use Tuneup utilities they're good. They'll uninstall the software and correct errors


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