Re: Control Panel Add/Remove Programs shuts down pc

When I click on Add/Remove, I can view that screen for about 45 seconds, then
it goes black and reboots; no options, and I cannot stop it. Now that we
have it narrowed down to the Uninstall Key, can I 'delete' an entry, reboot
and try the add/remove? If it still crashes, I can restore the entry from
the Recycle Bin, and then delete another until I find the one that crashes
the system? Does this sound like a viable solution or will I be compounding
the problem?

"NewScience" wrote:

This means that there is definitely an invalid entry in the Uninstall
string.
When you system crashes, do you get a BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death), or what?
Do you have any option before it crashes?
The reason being is to be able to run RegMon, which monitors access to the
registry by apps. By using regmon, we can determine what entry is being
read just at the time of the failure.

If not, the you need to review each entry looking for invalid information.
You really need to know what to look for. I ran into this before, but I
forgot what the cause was. Something sticks in my mind about a '-1' being
set in some value for some entry (UninstallString?) that caused it. But I'm
not sure.

If you Export the Uninstall key, you can open the .reg file and peruse it
.... but it will be in Unicode.
If you Export it as a Hive, you can send it to someone knowledgeable, they
can Import as a Hive, and view it and tell you the invalid entry. There is
nothing in the Uninstall key except entries pointing to pathnames and
version numbers. So don't worry about things like Product Keys, ....

Something got added recently that has caused this. Can you remember what
you added, other than Java, recently?


"Clev" <Clev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:FCC238C3-5414-4493-85C0-A156FD903377@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In your previous reply, you mentioned a quick test of adding:

Quote:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall-1
Reboot and then try and access Add/Remove. If the system still crashes
then
the Uninstall key has nothing to do with it.
Unquote

The system 'did not' crash so I posted that we were close to a solution.
I returned the registry to the original 'uninstall' without the -1, and
rebooted. Clicking Add/Remove crashed the system again. So, we've
narrowed
it down haven't we? Or, am I getting too anxious (LOL)?
I don't know how I'll ever thank you for all the time you've put into
this.

clev
"NewScience" wrote:

I started over again to get the posts to slide over in OE.
Ipasted everything we have talked about.

Don't understand abbreviated H_KEY registry ... what were you trying to
say?

Now we are getting someplace. Rename the Uninstall string back. The
reason
nothing appears is because Add/Remove uses the registry key Uninstall to
display in that window. SInce you renamed it, it assumes there are no
entries. It's working just as it should.

Reboot and try Add/Remove.
If you crash ... we now know definitely that the problem is some entry in
the Uninstall key.

We can go from there.

By the way, do you have Show Updates checked in Add/Remove Window (top of
display)?

"Clev" <Clev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:E88B2CA1-09FD-49B8-A421-61DE1973C78D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
H_KEY registry was removed yesterday and I used CleanUp afterwards.
"Search"
reveals no trace of java. I d/loaded and installed Java 5.0 this
afternoon
and it appears to be working OK.

I added the -1 to Uninstall now am allowed to open add/remove without
crashing. However, most programs are missing; especially all of the
hot
fixes.

I have not updated ERD in about 6-months; lots of hot fixes since then.
I've got to be more vigilant.

I have the complete Win2k Professional edition that I bought from
Staples
and I've been following the auto updates of Service Pack 4. When sfc
/scannow asked for the win2k cd with svc pk 3, I 'assumed' that was my
original disk.

I think that we are getting close to a solution. When I change the
registry
back to 'Uninstall', what next?

"NewScience" wrote:

1. If you were not able to use the Add/Remove Program to remove Java,
but
only used the Installer Cleanup program ... that does not remove Java
from
your system. All that does is remove Installer remnants from the
Registry
and from the C:\Windows\Installer folder. Java is still installed ...
you
just remove methods of uninstalling it.

I have Java installed ... let me see what it has as far as the
UninstallString for the Uninstall Registry key:

Sorry ... don't have it installed under Windows XP ... maybe I do
under
Windows 2000. However you can check what the string is. Open:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

and search for Java. See if there is anything there. Since you used
Windows Installer Cleanup ... it's probably gone. You may need to
reinstall
Java 8.0 and then find the UninstallString and remove it manually.
When you used Windows INstaller were there any references to Java 3.0
or
5.0? Or was there just one reference to 8.0. If so, the
UninstallString
for the other versions maybe still in the Registry for those.

What files were not fixed with the sfc /scannow? You mentioned some
.sys
and some .dll files. That may be important.

A quick test you can do:

Rename
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall-1

Reboot and then try and access Add/Remove. If the system still
crashes
...
then the Uninstall key has nothing to do with it and your problem is
due
to
the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). Remember to rename the key back.

How old was the ERD? Did you update it everytime you udated your
system.

I wasn't asking about the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD), though. I was
asking
about you using the WIndows 2000 CD Repair option.

You mentioned the original Windows 2000 SP3 disk. Does that have the
entire
Windows 2000 SP3 installation on it ... or just the service pack? SFC
/SCANNOW is expecting the original Windows 2000 installation CD that
contains the i386 folder. It will use this as well as your
C:\ServicePackFiles\i386 folder.

Most people take the original Windows 2000 CD, and slipstream all
Service
Packs until that i386 to get a final i386 folder. That way when sfc
/scannow runs, it has all the elements in one place.

Why do you not have SP4 for Windows 2000?

"Clev" <Clev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:01216BAA-666B-43A1-A7C4-F3E2DEB587CF@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After clearing the log, it still crashed on add/remove; I did it
twice
and
got the same events recorded bother times. The event log showed the
reboot
and the start of the event log. There are 4 error messages:
1. Remote Access/The Point to Point Protocol module
c:Winnt/sys32\rastls.dll returned an error while initializing the
network
request and is not supported.
2. Remote Access/The control protocol EAP in Point to Point Prot.
........\rasppp.dll returned........same
3. Rasman and 4. Service Control are the same as I posted earlier.

Also, at this time all Java has been uninstalled/deleted. Can you
give
advice on which 'one' version of Java I should download?

"Clev" wrote:

No, I didn't have the space after 'sfc' I retyped it and the file
protection
box appeared requiring my original win2k svc pk 3 disk. After the
process,
the event viewer had listed numerous .sys and .dll files that were
corrupt
and not able to replace.

Yes, I went through the Emergency Repair Disk program which no
improvement.
I've d/loaded and used the Installer Cleanup program and removed
the 3
conflicting Java programs from Add/Remove, but it still crashes
when I
try to
access it.

I'll clear the event log and access it again to report back with
any
message.

"NewScience" wrote:

Going to answer in reverse order:

2. Windows Installer is set to Manual and the Recovery settings
are
correct.
If you are in Safe Mode, Stopped/Manual is possible for certain
processes.
If you are not, and are in Normal mode, nothing should show as
Stopped.
Blank is OK, but not the word Stopped. And I'm talking about the
initial
service list screen, not showing the word Stopped, not the
Properties
window
showing Status. The Properties window will show the status of
Stopped.
But
the Status column on the initial screen shows blank.

1. I would clear all event logs (right click on name -
Application,
select
clear - NO to save), run Control Panel | Add Remove and if
crashes,
reboot
and immediately check logs to see if errors relate to TimeStamp
of
trying
Control Panel | Add Remove attempt.

If does not crash, immediately check. You can leave Event Viewer
open,
just
click on the Refresh button to refresh right panel.

By the way, have you attempted any sort of Windows XP Repair or
SYstem
Restore prior to this problem?

"Clev" <Clev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8996C46E-AE3E-4A77-AA7D-D35724D1D757@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello again.

1. In the Event Viewer, There are a "LOT" of ERROR messages.
The
first
one
is dtd 9/18/'06 and is 'Service Control Manager/ID 70232/"The
Remote
access
connection manager service terminated with the following error:
Access is
denied. The next error is 'RASMAN/ID 200035/Remote access
aonnection
manager
failed to start because it could not create buffers. Restart
computer.
Access is denied.' These two error messages alternate
repeatedly
from
9/18
and are the only two error messages.

2. In Services.Msc, WinInstaller is installed but is stopped
and
set to
manual. I started it and set it to Automatic. Should I have
done
that?
Also under the Recovery tab "Take no action" is in all event
boxes,
should
that be changed.
Finally, a lot of programs are listed as "Stopped/Manual". Is
that
normal?

Again, thanks for the time you're taking.

Clev

"NewScience" wrote:

Run eventvwr.msc and look in Applications and/or Services.

Also check if Windows Installer service is running in
SERVICES.MSC
when
trying to uninstall apps from Add/Remove.

.