This is weird, I click on Add/Remove Programs and nothing happen. I mean it the Add/Remove window doesn't even appear. I don't know what's wrong, can someone help.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Add/Remove Programs not working (win2k)
- Thread starter Enkrates
- Start date
The two first and most obvious possibilities that come to mind:
1. What type of user account are you logged in under? Some user types, depending upon how they're configured on your system, might not have access to the applet.
2. Is it possible that the applet has become "unregistered"? To find out, issue this command
regsvr32 appwiz.cpl
at the CMD prompt (while logged in under a full admin account. If functioning of the applet is restore, then I guess something like an uninstall program or registry cleaner may have tanked the necessary registry data.
I guess you might also look in the Event Viewer to see if there might be any clues in the System or Applications logs.
Regards,
Jim
1. What type of user account are you logged in under? Some user types, depending upon how they're configured on your system, might not have access to the applet.
2. Is it possible that the applet has become "unregistered"? To find out, issue this command
regsvr32 appwiz.cpl
at the CMD prompt (while logged in under a full admin account. If functioning of the applet is restore, then I guess something like an uninstall program or registry cleaner may have tanked the necessary registry data.
I guess you might also look in the Event Viewer to see if there might be any clues in the System or Applications logs.
Regards,
Jim
Even logged on as Administrator, its not working. I also did a "regsvr32 appwiz.cpl" and it tells me that DllRegisterServer in appwiz.cpl succeeded.
So any other idea? I also notice that when I double-click on the Add/Remove icon, a "mshta.exe" is spawned in the Processes windows of the Task manager. If I click Add/Remove icon 10 times, 10 mshta.exe are spawned
.
Thank you,
Enkrates
So any other idea? I also notice that when I double-click on the Add/Remove icon, a "mshta.exe" is spawned in the Processes windows of the Task manager. If I click Add/Remove icon 10 times, 10 mshta.exe are spawned
.Thank you,
Enkrates
Hmmm. MSHTA.EXE is the application host executable. It should be activated only momentarily, then disappear immediately -- I think. On this WinXP machine it flashes by on the Task Manager so rapidly that it's really hard to see.
Two possibilities from this point that strike me are:
1. a possible file corruption, not likely unless you've disabled WFP, or
2. a permissions issue caused by a policy / security setting you set just before the problem started.
If it isn't the second possibility, then it almost has to be that something happened to the file complement, which takes us back to number 1 or a reasonable facsimile thereof.
Try this from the CMD prompt:
sfc /purgecache
sfc /scannow
If you don't have the i386 directory on your system with the registry pointing to it as the install source, you'll need the Win2K setup CD during the "scannow" process. This could take some time to complete, depending on the speed of the system drive and how fragmented the drive might be.
If that doesn't work, the only thing I can think of would be to perform an install-over / upgrade install of Win2K. If you do this, you'll have to apply your last service pack and any security patches or fixes that you appled following that last service pack.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Jim
Two possibilities from this point that strike me are:
1. a possible file corruption, not likely unless you've disabled WFP, or
2. a permissions issue caused by a policy / security setting you set just before the problem started.
If it isn't the second possibility, then it almost has to be that something happened to the file complement, which takes us back to number 1 or a reasonable facsimile thereof.
Try this from the CMD prompt:
sfc /purgecache
sfc /scannow
If you don't have the i386 directory on your system with the registry pointing to it as the install source, you'll need the Win2K setup CD during the "scannow" process. This could take some time to complete, depending on the speed of the system drive and how fragmented the drive might be.
If that doesn't work, the only thing I can think of would be to perform an install-over / upgrade install of Win2K. If you do this, you'll have to apply your last service pack and any security patches or fixes that you appled following that last service pack.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Jim
Hmm, I think I may have to reinstall win2k again. I already did the sfc /scannow and /purgecache commands.
Another question, if I were to reinstall win2k, should I install over the current win2k or should I format the hard drive do a fresh install. If I upgrade over the current version, will it becomes bloated (perhaps a little)?
Another question, if I were to reinstall win2k, should I install over the current win2k or should I format the hard drive do a fresh install. If I upgrade over the current version, will it becomes bloated (perhaps a little)?
Hi,
The install-over in this case won't cause any bloat. All that happens in this type of install is that the system files get "refreshed". Whether you try this or just go for the total clean install is really a matter of how much time and effort you have invested in your current configuration / software installations / etc. Obviously, a clean install is almost certain to fix the issue because it replaces both the file complement AND the registry. But I'd be surprised if the install-over didn't, too, if I'm right in thinking this issue is caused by a file complement issue. (By that, I mean a mixture of versions of important system files that don't match each other properly and thus don't work well together.) Of course, I have to admit that I'm surprised that the purge and rescan didn't work.
I've heard of this happening on a couple of machines, but they've never been machines that I could actually get my hands on. I wonder what causes this phenomenon. Was there any unusual history with this machine, in particular with respect to the history of the installation and un-installation of Internet Explorer versions? In what order were service packs and Internet Explorer version updates (if any) performed on the system? Have any repair installs been performed before on the machine? Those can cause partial reversion from service pack levels, though I haven't seen them cause this particular problem.
Regards,
Jim
The install-over in this case won't cause any bloat. All that happens in this type of install is that the system files get "refreshed". Whether you try this or just go for the total clean install is really a matter of how much time and effort you have invested in your current configuration / software installations / etc. Obviously, a clean install is almost certain to fix the issue because it replaces both the file complement AND the registry. But I'd be surprised if the install-over didn't, too, if I'm right in thinking this issue is caused by a file complement issue. (By that, I mean a mixture of versions of important system files that don't match each other properly and thus don't work well together.) Of course, I have to admit that I'm surprised that the purge and rescan didn't work.
I've heard of this happening on a couple of machines, but they've never been machines that I could actually get my hands on. I wonder what causes this phenomenon. Was there any unusual history with this machine, in particular with respect to the history of the installation and un-installation of Internet Explorer versions? In what order were service packs and Internet Explorer version updates (if any) performed on the system? Have any repair installs been performed before on the machine? Those can cause partial reversion from service pack levels, though I haven't seen them cause this particular problem.
Regards,
Jim
OK, actually I did a fresh install of Win2k yesterday (Old OS was WinMe). I remember the Add/Remove Programs icon was working right after I install win2k and apply the Service pack 1 (I remember checking Add/Program to see if SP1 are shown there).
But since then, I also patched it with Service Pack 2, and then upgrade to internet explorer 6. I don't remember the order in which I did those thing. Maybe I upgrade internet explorer 6 first and then Service Pack 2. Then after SP2 and IE6, I upgrade to direct 8aand then upgrade the Critical Packages from windows update, and install some applications. After installing these application, I then check the Add/Remove again and it does not work. You see, there were so many things I did since the last time that it works that I am not sure what actually causes the problem.
Thank you.
But since then, I also patched it with Service Pack 2, and then upgrade to internet explorer 6. I don't remember the order in which I did those thing. Maybe I upgrade internet explorer 6 first and then Service Pack 2. Then after SP2 and IE6, I upgrade to direct 8aand then upgrade the Critical Packages from windows update, and install some applications. After installing these application, I then check the Add/Remove again and it does not work. You see, there were so many things I did since the last time that it works that I am not sure what actually causes the problem.
Thank you.
There are some known problems with the IE6 Public Preview and Win2K. Here's what I know (I think):
If you are running Win2K with SP2 and then install the IE6 Public Preview, the Add/Remove Programs applet loses track of the SP2 entry (so that it can't be uninstalled).
Some people who have had this happen have mistakenly thought that this meant that they had lost SP2 on the system, a natural assumption for anyone who was used to NT4, where you had to re-install the last service pack after practically every change in the system configuration. So, they would re-install SP2. When they did so, IE6 would disappear from the Add/Remove Programs applet! Cool, huh? (Note: I've seen some discussion of this indicating that the IE6 disappearing act only occurs when the SP2 re-installation is performed with the backup feature disabled. But I've seen some assertions that this doesn't matter.)
Anyway, that's all I know firsthand about it. It's obvious that the Add/Remove Programs applet can be affected by this combination of OS and service pack and Internet Explorer versions, but I'm not sure about the applet being disabled altogether. Of course, I also don't know whether your IE6 version was the final version or the preview version, and I don't know if that would make any difference. My suggestion, all things considered, is that you should NOT upgrade to IE6 in any form -- that's if you stick with Win2K. IE5.5 SP2 is a decent and secure browser. IE6 is better, IMHO, but not worth screwing up the OS for!
Someone else around here may well know better than me about this. If so, I hope they'll speak up. We should look around for info on the combination of Win2K, SP2 and IE6 to see if anything turns up in places like the MSKB. I'll get back to you here in this thread if I find anything. Sorry I don't know anything more specific.
Regards,
Jim
If you are running Win2K with SP2 and then install the IE6 Public Preview, the Add/Remove Programs applet loses track of the SP2 entry (so that it can't be uninstalled).
Some people who have had this happen have mistakenly thought that this meant that they had lost SP2 on the system, a natural assumption for anyone who was used to NT4, where you had to re-install the last service pack after practically every change in the system configuration. So, they would re-install SP2. When they did so, IE6 would disappear from the Add/Remove Programs applet! Cool, huh? (Note: I've seen some discussion of this indicating that the IE6 disappearing act only occurs when the SP2 re-installation is performed with the backup feature disabled. But I've seen some assertions that this doesn't matter.)
Anyway, that's all I know firsthand about it. It's obvious that the Add/Remove Programs applet can be affected by this combination of OS and service pack and Internet Explorer versions, but I'm not sure about the applet being disabled altogether. Of course, I also don't know whether your IE6 version was the final version or the preview version, and I don't know if that would make any difference. My suggestion, all things considered, is that you should NOT upgrade to IE6 in any form -- that's if you stick with Win2K. IE5.5 SP2 is a decent and secure browser. IE6 is better, IMHO, but not worth screwing up the OS for!
Someone else around here may well know better than me about this. If so, I hope they'll speak up. We should look around for info on the combination of Win2K, SP2 and IE6 to see if anything turns up in places like the MSKB. I'll get back to you here in this thread if I find anything. Sorry I don't know anything more specific.
Regards,
Jim
Thought I should post these MSKB article numbers:
Q293907
Q296822
They detail some of what I was talking about in the above message. And they also cover the method for uninstalling IE6. Since we don't know the exact order of installation on this system, I'm not quite sure I can advise trying to uninstall the browser. I guess it should be safe. You might try it as an alternative if you decide to try the upgrade install and it doesn't work.
Wish I could come up with something more definitive. I fear that what you're saying may be due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances the outcome of which would have been very hard to predict. For future reference, though, I'd suggest that any future clean installs of Win2K be followed immediately by the service pack install, and then by all other installations of device drivers (first) and software (later). With reboots and a little testing after each install. Time-consuming but definitely worth it.
These days I'm becoming of the opinion that it may be best to stick with the browser version that came with the OS, though that may not be strictly necessary. The danged browser most certainly is intimately entertwined in the OS. At the least, I'd let others find the potholes before proceeding with my own installation.
I've only used IE6 with WinXP, so don't have any direct experience. But I have certainly seen more than one weird complaint associated with the IE6 / Win2K combination. Dang! Somebody around here MUST know something about this. Try searching through the message base, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that someone pipes up.
Regards,
Jim
Q293907
Q296822
They detail some of what I was talking about in the above message. And they also cover the method for uninstalling IE6. Since we don't know the exact order of installation on this system, I'm not quite sure I can advise trying to uninstall the browser. I guess it should be safe. You might try it as an alternative if you decide to try the upgrade install and it doesn't work.
Wish I could come up with something more definitive. I fear that what you're saying may be due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances the outcome of which would have been very hard to predict. For future reference, though, I'd suggest that any future clean installs of Win2K be followed immediately by the service pack install, and then by all other installations of device drivers (first) and software (later). With reboots and a little testing after each install. Time-consuming but definitely worth it.
These days I'm becoming of the opinion that it may be best to stick with the browser version that came with the OS, though that may not be strictly necessary. The danged browser most certainly is intimately entertwined in the OS. At the least, I'd let others find the potholes before proceeding with my own installation.
I've only used IE6 with WinXP, so don't have any direct experience. But I have certainly seen more than one weird complaint associated with the IE6 / Win2K combination. Dang! Somebody around here MUST know something about this. Try searching through the message base, and we'll keep our fingers crossed that someone pipes up.
Regards,
Jim
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 24K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 20K
-
-
-
Facebook
Twitter