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How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

Operating System, Common Application & ThinkPad Utilities Questions...
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MikalE
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How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#1 Post by MikalE » Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:54 am

My new A31p is loaded with programs that appear on my system but that are not actually loaded on the computer. They appear in the menu bar and the Add/Remove programs list, but they were loaded on a network server or another computer.

I am unable to un-install these programs that do not exist or otherwise make them go away.

This is on XP Pro, and the message received says:

"The Feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable.

Click OK to try again, or enter an alternate path to a folder containing the installation package (program name here) in the box below."

How do I get rid of all of this stuff?
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

RealBlackStuff
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Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#2 Post by RealBlackStuff » Tue Apr 21, 2020 11:08 am

Clear them from the Registry?
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
Lenovo: X240, X250, T440p, T480, M900 Tiny.

PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine
.

MikalE
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Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Marissa, Illinois

Re: How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#3 Post by MikalE » Tue Apr 21, 2020 11:15 am

Christ, that will take weeks. There is all sorts of software that was used on a network. I have no idea what to look for for that procedure.

A fresh reload is looking better all the time.

Or maybe not.

If I navigate to HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE_SOFTWARE, can I just delete the entire entry from the sub-menu or do I have to go into that software's folder and delete every item?

If so, it could be much faster.
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

MikalE
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Marissa, Illinois

Re: How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#4 Post by MikalE » Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:38 pm

Deleting the program folder from the registry does nothing to remove the appearance of these programs in the Start Menu bar or Add/Remove programs list.

I tried deleting the entire folder from the Program Files folder and that does nothing either. Some I can't even delete in that manner because I either don't have permission or it is also a network resource. I checked to see if I could uninstall through the menu bar and that gets the same message as using the Add/Remove programs option

I also can't get to C:\Windows\System32 through a Command Prompt and can't even open the Command Prompt as the Administrator.

This HD is a mess. I think a wipe and reload is going to be in order.
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

MikalE
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Marissa, Illinois

Re: How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#5 Post by MikalE » Wed Apr 22, 2020 11:30 pm

I used an XP Pro .ISO I had, and after backing up all of the drivers, reloaded the O/S and then the drivers. The only hitch was having to delete and reinstall the ATI FireGL 7800 driver a few times before it started working. I'm not really certain why it did that, but it's working now.

I even have all of the IBM software restored.

The installed LAN card did not have the security protocol that my router requires so I bought a $13 TP USB Wi-Fi dongle and that too is working fine now.

The A31p is running much better and faster now. I was waiting minutes for even the shutdown screen to appear and then up to around ten minutes for it to shutdown.

Much faster now.

TO ADD: There are only 21 processes running now as opposed to the 82 processes that were running before the reload.
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

RealBlackStuff
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Posts: 23809
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 5:17 am
Location: Loch Garman, Éire

Re: How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#6 Post by RealBlackStuff » Thu Apr 23, 2020 1:20 am

I have been using this for years now, gives me total access to the whole Windows caboodle.
Copy/paste the below Code in a file: InstallTakeOwnership.reg
Double-click it to install.
You'll find it then in Windows Explorer as "Take Ownership" if you right-click any (sub)directory/file.
It will do a number of CMD-things in a Command-window for a few seconds.
After that it is literally "all yours", even Micro$haft-owned files.
In all those years I never had any reason to undo any such transaction.

WARNING: I take no responsibility for this, do so at your own risk!

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
Lovely day for a Guinness! (The Real Black Stuff)
Lenovo: X240, X250, T440p, T480, M900 Tiny.

PS: the old Boardroom website is still available on the Wayback Machine
.

MikalE
ThinkPadder
ThinkPadder
Posts: 1451
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:51 pm
Location: Marissa, Illinois

Re: How to remove programs that were on a network? Help please.

#7 Post by MikalE » Thu Apr 23, 2020 8:23 am

Thanks for the info.

Since the reload though, I won't worry about it for now.

I really wish I could figure out what was going on with those programs that were on a network, appeared on the A31p, but could not be removed, deleted, or otherwise disposed of.
A31p P-IV 2Ghz, 2MB, 2653-R6U
T500 T9600 2055-BE9
T510 i5 4384-DV7
T510 i7 4349-A64
T520 i7QM 4242-4UU Highly Modified
T16 i7 1260P 21BV000SUS

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