Computers 101

Q:
I uninstalled a program, but every time I go to the Add/Remove Programs list, it's still there. How do I get rid of it?

A:
Sometimes when you remove a program from your computer its ghost seems determined to stay on.

When that happens, most people click the program, hit the Add / Remove button and end up with an error. And the program is still stuck on the list.

So, is the program listing there forever? Can you ever get rid of it?

YES - but you have to play around in your system registry.

Before we go any farther, I want to say that messing with your registry is not for everyone and should only be attempted by advanced users. If any of the information below doesn't make sense to you, it's probably NOT a good idea for you to be trying this tip. So, do this only at your own risk. If something gets messed up, I don't wanna hear about it :-)

Also, make sure you back up your registry first. If you don't know how, check out today's tip.

Here's the procedure:

1. Run your registry editor by hitting the Start button, Run, Then type:

regedit

Hit Enter.

2. Your registry editor should now be up and running. Now would be a good time to back up your registry by hitting the File menu, Export Registry. Just in case.

3. OK, now navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

4. Under this Uninstall folder, you'll see all the stuff that's listed on the Add / Remove programs list. Find the folder for the program that's stuck in your Add / Remove programs box, right-click, and select Delete from the resulting menu.

Now, go back to your Control Panel, Add / Remove programs area and you should find that extra program is now gone.

BONUS TIP

You may have already figured this out, but there's another use for this tip. If you have a program listed in the Add / Remove programs section that you DON'T ever want uninstalled, you can delete its folder from the Uninstall folder list mentioned above. That way, you (or someone else) won't accidentally remove it.

Oh, and don't worry. Deleting the folder won't remove the program, just its entry in the Add/ Remove section of the Control Panel.

~ Steve

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Tip of the Day

Backing Up the Registry 

If you are using the tip in today's Computers 101, or you like to play with your registry, you should be backing it up. Come to think of it, backing up your registry from time to time is a pretty good idea. Well, there's an easy way!

For Win 98 & ME...

1. Click Start /Run and type in "regedit" (no quotes).

2. Next, click the Registry menu, Export Registry File...

3. Select a location from the resulting box and give your backup registry a
name. I use:

Regbackup10-03-2003.

That's it! All backed up.

For XP users...

1. Click Start /Run and type in "regedit" (no quotes).

2. Next, click the File menu, Export

3. Select a location from the resulting box and give your backup registry a
name. Something like:

Regbackup10-03-2003.

Just a quick note: by default, Windows backs up the registry when you shut down your machine. The above is probably best used for those (like myself) who like to tinker with registry settings.

Now, how to restore the registry you just backed up...

First, if Windows gets an error when loading your registry, it will automatically revert to its backup, so it should never give you any kind of trouble loading.

OK, but what do you do if you've been playing around in your registry and have *really* messed stuff up?

Click the Registry menu (in the Registry Editor) and select Import Registry. Then just point the computer to your back up file.

Oh, one more thing. You can also add the registry to your regular backup routine (you do have a backup routine, don't you?). Your registry is in two hidden files called "User.dat" and "System.dat", located in the Windows folder. Just add those two files to your normal backup.

~ Steve

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Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

TechiesDay

Will you celebrate TechiesDay this year? What, you don't know what TechiesDay is? Well then you need to check out this site. I feel like shouting, "Extra! Extra! Read All About It!"

"TechiesDay is a day for tech professionals and organizations to volunteer their time, talent and skills to encourage students in grades K-12 to learn more about careers in technology."

For more defining information on TechiesDay make sure you read the "About" section. Working in the computer industry via this column, I think this is a fabulous idea. So many jobs are computer based nowadays, and many more are going to be shifting that way in the future—children need to be exposed to computers early on and what better way than through TechiesDay events.

TechiesDay 2003 is this Sunday, October 7th. Find out how you can participate at this site.

http://www.techiesday.org/

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com