Microsoft KB Archive/927395

= You cannot uninstall a program after you upgrade to Windows Vista =

Article ID: 927395

Article Last Modified on 10/26/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Windows Vista Ultimate
 * Windows Vista Enterprise
 * Windows Vista Business
 * Windows Vista Home Premium
 * Windows Vista Home Basic
 * Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition
 * Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit Edition
 * Windows Vista Business 64-bit Edition
 * Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition
 * Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit Edition

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SUMMARY
''This article describes methods to use when have trouble uninstalling a program on Windows Vista after you have upgraded the computer from an earlier version of Windows. You may encounter this problem when the program or the program installer is incompatible with Windows Vista. This article contains step-by-step instructions to uninstall the program.''



SYMPTOMS
After you upgrade to Windows Vista from an earlier version of Windows, you cannot uninstall a program. This problem occurs whether you use the Programs and Features control panel item or the program installer.



CAUSE
This problem may occur when the program or the program installer is incompatible with Windows Vista.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Method 1: Use the Programs and Features Control Panel item to uninstall the program
If you have not already tried to use the Programs and Features Control Panel item to uninstall the program, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Startvistastartbutton.jpg], type appwiz.cpl in the Start Search box, and then click appwiz.cpl in the Programs list.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
 * 1) Right-click the program, and then click Uninstall.

Note You may click the option Uninstall and Change or Uninstall/Change on the pop-up menu when you right-click other programs.
 * 1) Follow the instructions to uninstall the program.

Method 2: Uninstall the program by using the program's original installer file
If the program does not appear in Programs and Features, you may be able to uninstall it by using the program installer. To do this, use one of the following methods.

Start the installer by using the Start menu
To start the installer by using the Start menu, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Startvistastartbutton.jpg], click All Programs, and then locate the program's folder.
 * 2) Click the installer program in this folder.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Allow.
 * 1) Follow the instructions to uninstall the program.

Start the installer from the program's installation folder
To start the installer from the program's installation folder, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Startvistastartbutton.jpg], and then type the name of the program in the Start Search box.
 * 2) Right-click the program in the Programs list, and then click Open file location.
 * 3) Locate the installer, and then double-click it.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Allow.
 * 1) Follow the instructions to uninstall the program.

Start the installer from the program's installation media
If the installer is not in the Start menu or in the installation folder, you may find it on the program's installation media. For example, the media may be a CD or a DVD.

If you receive an error message when you run the installer, or if the installer does not uninstall the program, use one of the following methods.

Use the Program Compatibility Assistant to reinstall the program's installer
If the installer does not work correctly, the Program Compatibility Assistant may start automatically. To use the Program Compatibility Assistant, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Reinstall using recommended settings.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Allow.
 * 1) Follow the instructions to uninstall the program.

Configure the original installer to use compatibility mode
To configure the original installer to use compatibility mode, follow these steps:
 * 1) Right-click the program's installer, and then click Properties.
 * 2) Click the Compatibility tab.
 * 3) Click to select the Run this program in compatibility mode check box.
 * 4) In the list, click Windows XP (Service Pack 2), and then click OK.
 * 5) Double-click the installer.

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Allow.
 * 1) Follow the instructions to uninstall the program.

Method 3: Use the program's .msi package to uninstall the program
To use the program's .msi package to uninstall the program, follow these steps:
 * 1) Click Startvistastartbutton.jpg], type %windir%\Installer in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.

The Installer folder opens.
 * 1) On the View menu, click Details.
 * 2) Right-click the Name column, and then click More.
 * 3) Click to select the Subject check box, type 340 in the Width of selected column (in pixels) box, and then click OK.

Note It may take several minutes for the subjects to appear next to all the .msi files.
 * 1) Double-click the program's .msi file.
 * 2) Follow the instructions to uninstall the program.

Method 4: Use the program's .msi package with installer logging enabled
To create a log of the program's uninstallation process, follow these steps:  Click Start, type cmd in the Start Search box, right-click cmd.exe in the Programs list, and then click Run as administrator

If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue. At the command prompt, type msiexec /x /lv* &quot;%userprofile%\desktop\msi.log&quot;, where   is the path and file name of the .msi file for the program that you are trying to uninstall, and then press ENTER.

For more information about the elevated command prompt in Windows Vista, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsVista/en/library/00d04415-2b2f-422c-b70e-b18ff918c2811033.mspx

 Follow the instructions to uninstall the program. Open the .msi.log file on your desktop. You can use this log file to research problems that occur during the program's uninstallation process.

Note If the uninstallation process encounters an error, make a copy of the log file before you finish or cancel the uninstallation process. You can then review the log file at the point where the error occurred.

For more information about how to enable logging, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

314852 How to enable Windows Installer logging in Windows XP

Method 5: Visit the program vendor's Web site
Visit the program vendor's Web site. The vendor may provide an uninstaller, an updated .msi package, or manual removal instructions.

Keywords: kbtshoot kbprb kbuninstall kbwindowsinstaller kbexpertisebeginner KB927395

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