Runtime Error Installing/Uninstalling SoftwareWhenever I try uninstalling any softwar

[Farooq]

Whenever I try uninstalling any software, I get these two error message:

Microsoft VC++ Runtime Library
Program..Common Files\installshield\engine\6\intel32\ikernel.exe
abnormal program termination
[OK]
.
.
An installation suport file 'c:\...' couldnt be installed. The remote procedure call failed.
[OK]

Also.. while installing new software, either the program hangs or ends up by displaying the same two messages.

After that Error messages, installation/uninstallation stops.

I hope someone could help me fix it. Thanks for your concentration.

[GaryRouth]

Run a full system antivirus scan. There's a chance a virus has infected that file. Might as well run an antispyware scan too.
http://securityresponse.symantec.com...symten@mm.html

Basically, your InstallShield seems to be broken: if your system scans clean [might double-check with an online scan at http://housecall.trendmicro.com just to be sure] post that info, and I'll look around to see if there's a redistributable download link we can provide.
. . . Gary

[Farooq]

Just did an online scan, the result: no virus found.

But.. a couple of weeks before, an Online Scan did find and clean a couple of virii (and before that the problem didnt exist).

I would be happy to have a redist link for installshield... (one more Q.. Do i have to install the InstallShield as on (www.instllshield.com) or is there any other versoin provided by microsoft ?)

[Miz]

Take a look at the MS KB article, Windows Installer CleanUp Utility and maybe you need to go to this MS page for the Windows Installer update.

[catfishjoe_1]

i would try to install the software that you mentioned in your first post on this thread and then try to uninstall again. looks like it was an interrupted install/uninstall from the error message.
cat

[GaryRouth]

Glad it's not a virus.

Here's a link to the InstallShield Knowledge Base article for your error, it includes links in the 2nd troubleshooting link for downloading a recent version. http://consumer.installshield.com/kb.asp?id=Q110644

It also mentions clearing your Temp files. The 3rd link on that page refers to DCOM settings: while it is a good idea to make sure you yourself have access, I'd advise against the somewhat desperate method they suggest for having an installation go forward: they mention setting the DCOM access to "Everyone" ---> I'd think that is highly dangerous to your system's security. But the first two links on that page seem fairly helpful, and the download link to the recent version is there should you need it.

It won't hurt to update your Windows Installer, like Miz suggests, but I think your system's current problem is likely with InstallShield - which is different.

catfish's idea will sometimes work on certain systems, since installation routines will often install a more recent version of InstallShield if they don't detect one already on the computer.

Hopefully you'll be in business again soon
. . . Gary

[Farooq]

Originally posted by GaryRouth Here's a link to the InstallShield Knowledge Base article for your error, it includes links in the 2nd troubleshooting link for downloading a recent version. http://consumer.installshield.com/kb.asp?id=Q110644

Updating the Installshield Installation Engines did the trick. I can install as well as uninstall new programs. Thanks a lot for the help

But the only problem left behind is when i wanted to uninstall an 'old' (prior to updating the engines) program, it only refreshed the installed program listing without removing anything from the list or HDD. mind you, this problem did exist before updating the installation engines ..

[GaryRouth]

What program is it that won't uninstall itself? (some just don't want to leave the comfort of a cozy hard drive)

An easy way to resolve a stubborn uninstaller (but that can be tricky if file versions get overwritten) is to reinstall the offender, and then uninstall it again. A fresh installation should have a good uninstall file with all the files, folders, shortcuts, and registry entries listed for the uninstaller to remove.

If that doesn't work, you can try manually uninstalling: not a wonderful choice. Sometimes you can find it's uninstall file (should include a list of all the changes the program wrote on installation) and just delete each item (the uninstall file is often in that software's folder in C:\Program Files). Files in the Common shared directories might be needed by other programs, so you might want to back them up before deleting them, in case something else breaks and you want to restore them. For Win98 I often recommend RegClean 4.1 to help clean up any obscure Registry entries - - but I recently found that RegClean can cause a problem for MS Office 2000. So if you don't have Office 2000 and you do have Win98, it's a handy free tool. It's still available at download.com. Other Registry Cleaners are around, too (including one from Norton) - I just haven't used any of them.

Seems like you're pretty much back in business. Post again if you have any other questions.
. . . Gary

[Farooq]

What program is it that won't uninstall itself? (some just don't want to leave the comfort of a cozy hard drive)

All programs that use InsthallShield, but no, none of them is a stubborn installer.

[GaryRouth]

I suppose that if everything is working OK, you can leave things as they are, and all new installations should go OK. Hard drives are so big that you might not gain much by uninstalling the programs that are incomplete uninstalls. As long as they aren't loading any background processes unnecessarily (which you could prevent by removing them from HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Run . . . and perhaps from /Run Services too [and check the same keys in HKEY_Current_User]) - they won't do anything but waste space. And today's hard drives are so giant that a few megabytes here are there are fairly unnoticeable.

If you'd still like to try to remove the programs from before the new InstallShield's arrival - you could try the reinstalling-then-uninstalling trick. That should generate an InstallShield uninstall file that the new engine can use to remove things (I think these files have the .isu extension).

There are also third-party uninstall utilities of the shareware/freeware type, available over at places like download.com . . . I don't know much about how well these work, since I tend to use either RegClean, the reinstall/uninstall trick, or manually remove things (Windows Explorer & Regedit [have to justify the cost of those Registry books I bought, you know]). . .
. . . Gary

[Farooq]

Well.. as a last resort I would have been more than happy to do that inst-reinst-uninstall, but anyways...

There are also third-party uninstall utilities of the shareware/freeware type, available over at places like download.com . . . I don't know much about how well these work, since I tend to use either RegClean

Just incase.. I would like quote here one of the better uninstaller utilities Ashampoo Uninstaller, I had it on the other pc and it works just fine.

Thanks for all info!