Shoutbox

For some strange reason, the Change/Remove button in my Add/Remove programs window isn't there. It only appears on certain programs. I've scanned my PC for viruses, etc. but no difference, also I don't wanna do a system restore

This maybe quite stupid but:
Try restarting it might not have loaded propaly

quote:

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Originally posted by Nathan
This maybe quite stupid but:
Try restarting it might not have loaded propaly

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Its been like that for a month

quote:

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Originally posted by Reaper
For some strange reason, the Change/Remove button in my Add/Remove programs window isn't there. It only appears on certain programs. I've scanned my PC for viruses, etc. but no difference, also I don't wanna do a system restore

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Cause: Do you have, by any chance, something installed of Norton? As this is a common culprint of what has happened with your registry settings for the add/remove panel. Of course it can be caused by other programs too (it doesn't happen on its own out of the blue), but programs to alter user previledges and security and stuff are the most probable cause....

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To fix it (manual method -safe method-):

1. Open you registry editor (Start > Run > REGEDIT)
   
   
2. In the registry editor, navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\software name
   
   
3. In the right window, remove the key value NoRemove and NoModify.
   
   NoRemove set to 1 means that the remove button will not be shown.
   NoModify set to 1 means that change button will not be shown.
   
   
4. Do the above two steps (2 and 3) for each and every software listed under ...\Uninstall\.
   (this can take a while indeed)
   
   
5. After finishing, navigate to:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\software name
   and repeat the whole process.
   
   
6. When both those registry keys are done, restart (or update by pressing F5) your "add/remove programs" panel.

To fix it (search method -prone to mistakes, be carefull-):

1. Open you registry editor (Start > Run > REGEDIT)
   
   
2. In the registry editor, navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
   
   
3. Open the search dialog in your registry editor (or just press <CTRL><F>), and search for NoRemove.
   
   
4. When the registy editor finds a match (must be in the right window and it must still be under the ...\Uninstall registry subkey!), delete that value.
   
   
5. When the registry editors doesn't find any matches anymore or it starts searching under another subkey than ...\Uninstall, cancel the search and start over from step 2, but this time search for NoModify.
   
   NoRemove set to 1 means that the remove button will not be shown.
   NoModify set to 1 means that change button will not be shown.
   
   
6. After finishing both searches, navigate to:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
   and repeat the whole process.
   
   
7. When both those registry keys are done, restart (or update by pressing F5) your "add/remove programs" panel.

Make absolutely sure you do not remove any NoRemove nor any NoModify value under any other subkey than:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall.

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Do you have, by any chance, something installed of Norton?

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Wouldn't it be on the Add/Remove Programs list?

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris4

quote:

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Originally posted by CookieRevised
Do you have, by any chance, something installed of Norton?

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Wouldn't it be on the Add/Remove Programs list?

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Not necessarily; that list can be edited by anyone or anything at any time for any reason.

Nope, never had a Norton product installed.

[Edit] Thanks Cookie.

[Edit 2] I did what you said Cookie, but only a few program were located in those directories, and some didn't have those keys. I changed the ones that did have the keys and they have gone back to normal. What do I do about the others?

^bump

quote:

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Originally posted by Reaper
[Edit 2] I did what you said Cookie, but only a few program were located in those directories, and some didn't have those keys. I changed the ones that did have the keys and they have gone back to normal. What do I do about the others?

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Normally every program you'll see in the add/remove config panel must be listed under those keys mentionned in previous post, as it are only those keys where the panel gets its list from.

Are you sure you checked both registry subkeys, meaning HKCU and HKLM? And you are signed in Windows with full admin rights (aka: the account which installed those programs)? Have you also searched the CLSIDs for the "NoRemove", "NoModify" values (thus not only the subkeys with a program's name, but also the subkeys which are CLSIDs)?

If so, I have no idea as AFAIK no other keys prevent the showing of those buttons... sorry


Wild guesses and things to try in addition:

* Search your entire registry for those program names and check their keys, subkeys and values for anything related. eg: if you have a program called "Blah Yadda Blah 5.1" listed there, search for "Blah Yadda Blah 5.1" in your entire registry. Or search on the additional info you get when you click on the respective "more info" link of that program in the add/remove config panel, etc...

* If they exist, remove the complete subkeys:
KEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Uninstall
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Uninstall
(most likely this will not solve it though. What this does is remocing any restricting you might have on the add/remove config panel. eg: with Policies you can restrict a user to even see the installed programs)

* Follow the previous posted tutorial again, but this time search also all the user subkeys in HKEY_USERS.

* Other keys of some interest and which contain info on the installed programs list:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Installer\Products
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\*\Products\*\InstallProperties

* "NoRepair" is another of such values which can be set together with "NoRemove" and "NoModify"... search it too... Also "SystemComponent" might be set wrongfully for some apps.

Ok, I searched the whole registry for those words and only changed a handful of entries. Yet, there are still no buttons with most of the programs.