Have you ever opened the Add/Remove Programs
applet, only to discover that it still lists a program you’ve
already removed? If this has happened to you, chances are good that
you attempted to clear the entry from the Add/Remove Programs tool
by clicking the Change Or Remove Programs button again.
When you do, you receive an error message that
states Windows no longer has the program installed. But the entry
still remains in the Add/Remove Programs tool.
To get rid of these orphaned entries, you must
resort to editing the registry. Follow these steps:
- Open the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
- Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Uninstall. - Expand the Uninstall tree, and locate the
branch associated with the program that you’ve uninstalled. - Delete the branch.
- Close the Registry Editor, and restart the
system.
Note: Editing the registry
is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before saving any
changes.
