UKC

I've tried several times to uninstall a program through "Control Panel" on my PC. Every time I do so I get a message after about a minute saying:

"Setup.exe uncountered a problem and needed to close"

Grateful for any advice please.

In reply to mypyrex:

I use CCleaner to run uninstalls. Seems a bit better at gettign rid of sticky stuff like Skype and Apple.

I also use the 32 times overwrite clean up free space and erase the pictures of Darren Jackson's cow punching orgy

In reply to mypyrex:

pretty hard
in general I suppose that the standard uninstall program supplied is not working. Often vendors don't care much about the quality of their uninstall program (why should they?)

try googling for a free program that does uninstalls not through the Control Panel.

In reply to mypyrex: Another vote for CCleaner. That reminds me I need to run it to check for Malware

In reply to John Rushby: But john do you have to have the pro (paid for) version of CCleaner to do that?

In reply to Al Evans: Another vote for CCleaner. The free version is the one to go for:-
http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner

In reply to John Rushby:


The amount of sh1t we have to deal with as a result of CCleaner and Registry Cleaner....! Leave the registry alone. It does not need cleaning!

You can manually remove programs as follows:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314481

In reply to mypyrex: The free version of CCleaner does a more thorough job of cleaning than the MS Remove utilities. It also gets rid of programs when MS Remove fails. The first time I ran CCleaner it improved the performance of my laptop significantly so now I run it on a regular basis. I have to agree however that messing with the registry can be dangerous so it needs to be used with care.

In reply to GridNorth: Until I became a Windows App developer, I was very much with you. But now I understand a bit more about the registry, I don't really understand what the fuss about it is. It serves a very useful purpose for apps and even when very large is very quick. In itself, it is not the cause of your PC slowing down.

The genuine speed gains you can make on your PC are by only running programs and services you need. We get really fed up when Registry cleaners decide that all the registry entries our program legitimately creates and uses get "cleaned" in the name of efficiency. And then we get the blame. Same goes for antivirus software. If you don't click on pictures of fat women, you don't need them.

In reply to higherclimbingwales:

+1

In reply to EeeByGum: I don't know what the specific cause of my PC slowing down was, all I know is that CCleaner solved it and it has never caused me any problems. With regards virus infection, I think that game download sites are some of the worst culprits along with malicious emails.

In reply to EeeByGum:

I tried to uninstall Skype and MSM and neither seemed to want to disappear using the usual stuff. I used CC to do the job.

Surely that wouldn't interfere with the registry unless I elected to go on an unistall binge would it?

In reply to mypyrex: If the program is running at the same time and has a copy of itself in temp files. This can give this message because you cant uninstall a temp file or a program that is running. I think. It could be running in the background from startup.

What is the program you are trying to get rid of.

Run msconfig and click the startup tab and unclick anything from the location of the program. Files and where they are from will be listed if your on the right tab. I would check but i am on linux and cant remember.