Manually uninstalling software

[josephj]

I'm running Window XP Media Center Edition on my notebook (dual boot with Linux).

A long time ago, I bought a scanner and installed the software that came with it including Omnipage 4SE.

Now, I need to do some OCR, so I went looking for it and didn't find it in the menus anywhere except for a broken link or two (must have gotten partially uninstalled).  So I thought, "no problem, I'll just install the newer version (15) that I bought awhile ago and use that."  Oh, well ... won't install because an older version is already installed (and it's too mongoloid to handle it).  But, it didn't show up in add/remove programs.

Then, I did something stupid.  I went into the program files and application data folders and manually deleted (permanently) all the Scansoft folders.  That didn't help and then (hindsight is wonderful) I realized there might have been an uninstall  program there.

I even ran my registry fixer, but it didn't find anything helpful.

So Omnipage 15 won't install.

Any ideas on how I can get past this?  (I put in a support email to Scansoft, but I'm not holding my breath.)

Worst case, I might still be able to find the disk that came with my scanner, then reinstall and (hopefully) uninstall 4SE.  I'm hoping I don't have to do that.

How does Omnipage know an older version is installed?   It must be something in my "friend", the registry.  And how do I get rid of it?

I do keep checkpoints and system restore points, but this install is so old, it's way too far back to go.

TIA

Joe

[jheart]

Try Revo uninstaller http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html (Click on the Revo Uninstaller Free Button on the left not the Pro version on the right). It should find all the registry entries for the old program you want to uninstall. I use it all the time for a clean uninstall of programs in Windows.

Revo Features:

http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_uninstall_features.html

Jerry

[josephj]

I tried that.  It's a nice program, but it didn't do anything because it didn't see the applications at all.

What finally worked was reinstalling the application from the install disk (which I was lucky to find) and then uninstalling it the normal way.

Based on this experience, I'm unclear on when this program, revo uninstaller is really useful.

Joe

[fpirrone]

Don't know why you expressed reluctance about what you discovered that finally worked - it struck me as a quick and simple solution, and I'm not surprised it worked. 

As far as Revo not finding the application - and I assume this was after you had manually deleted it...who knows.  The Registry is easily searchable - press F3 and enter Omnipage, if that's how they spell/format it, or just Omni which should be unique enough, and once you've deleted all Registry entries referring to that application, it's GONE to Windows.  Well, that's all moot now...

Frank

[josephj]

I was thinking about what would have happened if I could not find the original install disk.

Yes, it looks like I had manually deleted the software at some point.

Is it really that easy - just search for "Omni" or a similar phrase?  I thought that apps put things all over the place in the registry and that most of them had (at least partially) non-human-readable names.

I know I've deleted things from the registry before that looked harmless, but may have made my system unstable.
When it comes to the registry, I feel like a bull in a china shop.  Based on past experience, it's my #1 reason for disliking Windows and that's saying a lot given all the other good ones!

Joe

[fpirrone]

For most applications, the Registry is the only place they announce themselves to Windows, or conversely, the only place Windows looks to see what it's supposed to understand and be able to run. 

Yes, there are different places in the registry where programs register different parameters, such as where the file extension is listed that will cause Windows to invoke that program when a file of that type is double-clicked.  Applications can also deposit registrations, settings, run/launch behaviors, paths and directories, etc. about the Registry

A number of applications write settings and create caches etc. under Windows administrator and user accounts located beneath Documents And Settings and the hidden folder Application Settings, so the Omnipage installer may have looked there to see if there was an older version still lurking on your system.  Windows sometimes leaves those directories alone during application deletion since they often contain personalized and customized data which might be useful if you reinstall the program.

Frank