Tip #3987 - Missing Change/Remove Buttons
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Q:
I would like to remove some programs from my computer, but when I go to
the Add/Remove Programs section of the Control Panel, the Change/Remove
button that's normally there is missing. What can I do to get it back
so I can get these programs uninstalled from my PC? Any help you have
would be greatly appreciated!
A:
Wow, that has to be so frustrating! I have to admit that I have never
had this happen to me before. (On another note, I also have to admit that
I don't go through and remove my programs like I should sometimes. Shhh!
Don't tell on me!) Either way, I still feel your pain with this one and
after a little research, I was able to find a quick fix for this. Let's
check it out, shall we?!
First of all, if some
of you aren't quite sure what I'm talking about, go to Start,
Control Panel and select the Add/Remove Programs
link. There you will see a list of all the programs you have installed
on your computer. If you run down through that list and highlight your
programs, there should be a Change/Remove button for
each of those applications. With that button, you can control all that
you do with your programs. You can either change them or completely remove
them from your computer. So, as you can see, if that button isn't there,
all your control is gone and that is what's ailing the person who asked
today's question. With all that said, let's get on with the show!
Warning:
For this tip, you will be working in your Registry Editor,
so before you begin, make sure you're comfortable using it. The Registry
Editor is not a tool to just play around with. If you make a mistake,
you could risk messing up other parts of your computer and so on. If you're
not 100 percent sure you can do this, please ask someone who is for some
help.
When you're ready,
just simply follow these steps to get your Change/Remove buttons back:
1.) Go to Start,
Run and type "regedit" (without
the quotes) into the box. Click OK and the Registry Editor
will open for you.
2.) Then navigate
to this location:
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\<Program
Name>."
Note: (For
the program name, you'll want to look for the program you want to remove
from your computer).
3.) In the right pane,
double click the NoRemove choice (REG_DWORD) and set
the value to 0 (zero). If it happens to be set to 1,
the Remove button will not be available.
4.) Back in the right
pane, double click the NoModify option (REG_DWORD) and
set it to 0 (zero) as well. If this happens to be set
to 1, the Change button will not be available.
Now, you will need
to do this for each program you want to remove, but once you change those
two values, click OK and close everything else out. Then
go back to the Control Panel and look through your list of programs. All
of the Change/Remove buttons should be back for you and you can then continue
removing all those unnecessary programs from your computer. No more missing
buttons. Oh yeah!
~ Erin
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