If during the process of uninstalling Windows applications something happens that is not provided for by the programmed procedure, then the result may be incomplete removal of the entries related to this application from the registry. As a result, the already removed program remains in the list of installed uninstallation wizard. An attempt to uninstall such a phantom application again will result in a message about the impossibility of finding the files to be deleted and, accordingly, performing the uninstall procedure. You can delete the remnants of entries in the system registry related to the problematic application yourself, without involving the Windows Uninstall Wizard.
Instructions
Step 1
You need to start the procedure by starting the control panel. This can be done in the main menu (the "Start" button). In the Windows XP operating system, the link to launch the panel is located in the "Settings" subsection of the main menu.
Step 2
With the Control Panel open, run the Add / Remove Programs utility.
Step 3
After the utility compiles a complete list of applications installed on the computer, you need to find an entry related to the program that was deleted with an error. Here you should remember the spelling of the program name - you will need it to search in the registry. You do not have to close the utility, but simply collapse it - if necessary, you can expand it and check the names.
Step 4
Now you should open the Windows Registry Editor. Its executable file is located in the system folder of the OS, but it is not necessary to look for it there - you can use the program launch dialog. To open it press the key combination CTRL + R. In the dialog enter "regedit" (without quotes) and click "OK".
Step 5
The first operation in the Registry Editor you need to save a copy of the current settings before starting editing. To do this, select the "Export" item in the "File" section of the editor menu and save a copy. From this file, using the "Import" item in the editor's menu, you can restore the current state of the registry, if necessary.
Step 6
Then, navigate the registry tree in the left pane to the Uninstall section. The full path there should be like this: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE => SOFTWARE => Microsoft => Windows => CurrentVersion => Uninstall
Step 7
In the Uninstall section, you need to find the key for the program to be removed. You should search in the left pane of the editor, by the name of the program. The name does not have to exactly match what is written in the list of installed applications - the similarity of these names is enough. When you find a similar key, open it and find the parameter named DispiayName in the list. By clicking it, you will see the full name of the found program in the form in which it is written in the list of installed programs. If this is what you are looking for - proceed to the next step, if not - examine the other keys in the Uninstall section.
Step 8
The next step is to delete the found key in the registry - close the list of its parameters and right-click the key. In the context menu, you need to select the "Delete" item.
Step 9
To make sure that the uninstalled program is no longer in the list of installed programs, close the Add / Remove Programs wizard and open it again. The wizard will re-scan the registry and make a list of installed applications.
