3 replies to this topic

[May]

I made a beginners mistake in uninstall CA - infinite loop :(. Now I can uninstall the product !

There is some way of uninstalling without running the initial uninstall sequence? I've tried to delete the Uninstall key from registry, but there is no result.

Please help me! Thanks.

[Ian Blake]

I can think of two ways of getting around this problem.

1.  The first is to use a utility you should have called MSIZAP.  You can use this to clean up the msi registry for a particular installation.  Then you just remove the files and registry keys manually.

2.  Edit the cached msi file and remove the offending CA.  This has the advantage of a more orderly uninstallation, removing files and registry.
Cached installations can normally be found in the directory  C:\WINNT\Installer   you will find a number of files with names like '103b1da.msi'  Move the cursor over the filename in explorer and a tooltip will tell you the contents.   When you have found yours open it with ORCA.   Select the InstallExecuteSequence find your CA and delete it (or add a never true condition). Save it.  Run the Uninstall.

Hope this helps.

(You can find the name of the cached msi file more directly.  It is in the registry under HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion.\Installer\LocalPackages and an obsfucated version of your ProductID guid.)

[May]

Thanks, it worked!