Re: Strange programs listed - Control Panel

Hello Looking 4 Help

Here's something you could try.

Open Regedit (Start | Run, type regedit <ok> and navigate to the key:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall]
and click on the plus sign next to it to open it. All the strange programs that are showing up in Add/Remove should be listed there.

The first set of keys may consist of entries that are a long series of numbers, then there should be some with recognisable names. Click on each key on the left in turn, then look in the right-hand pane. The value DisplayName should be the name that's showing in Add/Remove Programs; there might also be an entry QuietDisplayName that may be a bit more informative. If that's not there, look at the other entries for clues to what the apps may be -- InstallLocation, DisplayIcon or UninstallString for example, if they're there.

If you decide an app is definitely unwanted and it happens to have the entry NoRemove set to 1 in the right-hand pane, changing this to 0 or simply deleting that entry should give you a Remove button in Add/Remove so that you can uninstall it (you might need to reboot first before it shows up). Alternatively, if it has an UninstallString entry you can do this:

1. Right-click on UninstallString and choose Modify. In the box that pops up, the ValueData will be "active" and highlighted so you can copy it with Control-C. Cancel out of the box.

2. Go to Start | Run and paste in the uninstall string you copied with Control-V. Click OK and the uninstall routine should run.

I hope some of this helps you find out what the mystery programs are. Please do let us know how it goes :-)

--
Nightowl


Looking 4 Help Please <dontbotherme@xxxxxxxxx> wrote on Thu, 5 Jul 2007:

I did the steps but the programs do not show up in Control Panel. I am not as
concerned about the "real" programs showing up in Control Panel as I am the
50 or so items that make no sense to me. Some of them are: CCScore, ESSBrwr,
ESSqui, kgcvday, KSU, SHASTA, staticccr, etc. These were not in the list a
week ago. I cannot remove them, as there is no button to select to
Add/Remove/Change when I open up Add/Remove Programs. Here are my concerns
that I'm seeking help for:

1)Is it likely that these strange programs are actually legitimate apps,
just replacing the names of the true programs installed on this computer
2)If these are viruses or whatever, how can I get rid of them and get my
actual programs to appear in the Add/Remove list

I feel that this comptuer obviously has had a virus for these strange names
to appear and for the System Restore to have somehow gotten turned off.
Additional suggestions would be appreciated.

"Byte" wrote:

Show All Files in Add/Remove Programs (G4)
http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/windowstips/story/0,24330,3352313,00.html
--
XP - WNP
Today is the first day of the
rest of your life.



"Looking 4 Help Please" wrote:

> I have a user whose computer was getting really slow. I cleaned up the tmp
> files and cleared the cache and history. Nothing unusual in her Startup
> folder. Looked in Control Panel within Add/Remove Programs. Has >approximately
> 60 items showing, 10 which are valid names. The rest make no sense to me
> [ESSini, SFR, to name a few]. I know that she has other >applications on there
> that are working, but they don't show up in Control Panel by their correct
> name. There is no Change/Remove buttons for any of these either. I thought
> about cleaning up the registry but am afraid that these are just >aliases and
> that if I do delete one, an actual legitimate program will be >uninstalled. I
> attempted to use System Restore but it had been disabled. Norton found no
> viruses.

--
Nightowl
.

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