How do I add suggestions my keyboard?

Why can't I "Add/Remove Programs?"

  • "Add/Remove Programs" in Control Panel won't let me remove some programs. Help! My XP laptop has a gremlin. When I open the Control Panel and select "Add/Remove Programs," several of the apps do not have the "Change/Remove" option. Most do, but not all. (Naturally, the few I want to ditch don't have it.) Any suggestions? BTW, one of the apps I want to remove (and reinstall) is the driver for my Microsoft Digital Media Pro keyboard. In the middle of a session the @$*&% keyboard will sometimes simply stop functioning. Letters, numbers, function keys and those dedicated buttons to launch e-mail and my browser - kaput. I have to reboot to bring it back to life. Neither of these are brand-new problems, so I don't think it's something I recently installed. Any ideas will be mucho appreciated

  • Answer:

    Sounds like malware. Do a google search on the name of the software that won't uninstall, you should be able to find some instructions for uninstalling.

wordwhiz at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

It's definitely malware. If you follow the instructions step by step in http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407, I will guarantee you it will correct the problem along with finding others problems you didn't even know you had. It's a little time consuming, but you will clean all the malware from you're computer that's a good thing. These guys know what they're doing.

MaryDellamorte

It's not definitely malware. I have seen this happen because of a corrupted .NET framework installation, which was fixed by removing all traces of the framework using http://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2005/04/08/406671.aspx However, I can't make any guess as to whether that would help you. I'd say malware is probably a better bet, in any case.

crinklebat

Add/Remove Programs is not used to delete drivers. They don't usually show up there. You need to get into the Device Manager, find the keyboard, and open its settings. One of the tabs allows you to delete the driver.

Steven C. Den Beste

wordwhiz is saying these items do show up in Add/Remove, just that the option to remove them isn't there. If you feel comfortable mucking about in the registry, you can look for the Add/Remove key for the program under: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall There may be a DWORD value there called NoRemove set to 1. If it exists, changing that to 0 should give you back the option to remove it, assuming there's also an UninstallString entry to tell your system how to do so.

JaredSeth

wordwhiz here. Thanks for all the input, folks. Why can't there just be a real-life "EASY" button?? (sigh) A few updates and clarifications. I'll be surprised if it's malware. My antivirus (AVG) is up to date and scans for nasties nightly. I use Sygate Firewall and regularly run both Spybot and AdAware, and use Stealther and CS Lite while browsing. fyi, the keyboard's install CD told me to go to the Control Panel and uninstall the software before reinstalling. That's where this all began. But I had previously noticed that several other apps were missing the remove/ uninstall buttons -- not just the most recent ones, either. Curious, yes, and annoying -- but nothing I can't live with. I'm a little hesitant to muck about in the registry without adult supervision. I've been in there before (but not in a long time) and don't really relish a return visit. I will check out bjgeiger's and Mary Dellamorte's links and see what I come up with. Bless the hive mind. You guys rock!

wordwhiz

Oh yeah, the Add/remove programs list does display all my installed apps. But as JaredSeth noted, a select few are kissing the remove option.

wordwhiz

argh... that's "missing," of course, not "kissing." Must. Go. Sleep. Now.

wordwhiz

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.