Help. Can't install/uninstall Java.

[Harvey]

I wanted to install the latest 32 bit version of Java (jre-7u10-windows-i586) on my laptop (32 bit XP Pro), and, per their recommendation, I uninstalled the previous version using Add/Remove Programs. The icon is now gone from the list of installed programs, but, when I ran the installation program, I got this message:

Error 1714. The older version of Java 7 Update 10 cannot be removed. Contact your technical support group.

I tried the earlier version Java 7 Update 9 and got the same message, except that it named ver. 7 Update 9 in the message.

I also downloaded and ran JavaRa, which is supposed to clean out vestigal Registry entries for earlier versions, but the problem remains. I've found many references to this problem, but no solutions.

TIA for any help.

 

[Iron Woode]

did you reboot the system?

I have had similar issues with other programs, but never java.

maybe system restore to a proper install of java? or maybe to a point before 7 update 10?

 

[postmortemIA]

Or delete java files in program files and system files, then remove it from registry?

 

[Harvey]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I've rebooted many times since going through this, I don't have any restore points going back that far, and the same problem was there the last time I cloned the drive. I also manually edited the registry to remove all references to Java and the Sun folders and deleted those folders. None of that changed anything so at least, I didn't screw up my registry.

It may get down to re-installing Windows from the ground up. I can do it on a spare notebook drive and clone it once I've transferred all my files. Everything else runs very well so I'm just hoping to avoid that much hassle if possible. I'm also considering just ignoring Java on this machine.

 

[Iron Woode]

someone reported success with Revos Uninstaller.

 

[Bubbaleone]

I wanted to install the latest 32 bit version of Java (jre-7u10-windows-i586) on my laptop (32 bit XP Pro), and, per their recommendation, I uninstalled the previous version using Add/Remove Programs. The icon is now gone from the list of installed programs, but, when I ran the installation program, I got this message:

"Error 1714. The older version of Java 7 Update 10 cannot be removed. Contact your technical support group."

I tried the earlier version Java 7 Update 9 and got the same message, except that it named ver. 7 Update 9 in the message.

I also downloaded and ran JavaRa, which is supposed to clean out vestigal Registry entries for earlier versions, but the problem remains. I've found many references to this problem, but no solutions.

TIA for any help.

This problem stems from missing paths to the original MSIs that installed the previous JREs. TechNet's Windows Installer CleanUp Utility will list every JRE and Java updater that's installed. The utility removes them, and then they're deleted from the Windows Installer database, allowing you to do a clean reinstallation.


.

 

[Harvey]

This problem stems from missing paths to the original MSIs that installed the previous JREs. TechNet's Windows Installer CleanUp Utility will list every JRE and Java updater that's installed. The utility removes them, and then they're deleted from the Windows Installer database, allowing you to do a clean reinstallation.


.

Thanks. Unfortunately, the MS utility found no problems... unlike me.

 

[Bubbaleone]

Hmmm...the installer cleanup utility has never failed me; my thought is that JavaRA has the same function which is why the MS cleanup ute didn't find anything, which leads me to suspect file system errors or system files corruption has caused two very good utilities to fail at their tasks. Have you already tried running chkdsk /r and sfc?

 

[bruceb]

Harvey, try the tool in this link .. it should fix it.

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall

 

[Harvey]

Harvey, try the tool in this link .. it should fix it.

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall

The page at Bubbaleone's link says the previous tool is no longer available and links to the page in yours. Thanks, but I already tried it with no luck.

I suspect I'm going to have to re-install Windows or do without Java until I do.

 

[Bubbaleone]

Harvey, my apologies, I mistakenly posted the wrong TechNet link. You can download msicuu2.exe here: Microsoft MSI cleanup utility

 

[Harvey]

Harvey, my apologies, I mistakenly posted the wrong TechNet link. You can download msicuu2.exe here: Microsoft MSI cleanup utility

Your link to TechNet included a link to the page on Microsoft that used to host the utility. It also included this warning:

Important The Windows Installer Cleanup utility (MSICUU2.exe) that was previously referred to in this article was discontinued. Although the Windows Installer Cleanup utility resolved some installation problems, it sometimes damaged other components that were installed on the computer. Because of this, the tool was removed from the Microsoft Download Center. The Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter
(http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall)
is a replacement for that utility.

Despite the warning, I downloaded it from your newer link and ran it. Unfortunately, once it started, Java was not on the list of programs the utility it could uninstall so I exited the prog and uninstalled it.

Thanks yet again, and onward.

 

[Albatross]

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall/en

Run this first and uninstall Java update whatever number.

http://forums.whatthetech.com/index.php?showtopic=104537

Then this one and I finally could install the latest Java.


Ran into the same problem,this fix worked for me.

 

[Harvey]

I was able to fix it another way. I downloaded and installed the last rev of Java ver. 6 (jre-6u38-windows-i586.exe), and it installed perfectly.

I'll wait until after I clone my drive before trying to install ver. 7, but I can at least hope that it has reconstructed enough info in my registry and elsewhere that Java will again be able to update itself normally. If not, at least, I have a handle on the problem that's OK for now.

Thanks for all the replies, folks. :thumbsup:

 

[bruceb]

Let us know if you can install Java 7 Update 10 .. I think that is the latest version. It should have no trouble if Java 6 is now installed.

 

[Harvey]

I cloned my drive, uninstalled Java 6.38, ran CCleaner, rebooted and tried to install Java 7.10, but alas, no love. I got the same error message.

I re-installed Java 6.38, which appears to be working. Looks like my choices are to live with the old version or re-install XP from the ground up, which is way too much work, at least until I have some overriding need for Java 7.

 

[Iron Woode]

I cloned my drive, uninstalled Java 6.38, ran CCleaner, rebooted and tried to install Java 7.10, but alas, no love. I got the same error message.

I re-installed Java 6.38, which appears to be working. Looks like my choices are to live with the old version or re-install XP from the ground up, which is way too much work, at least until I have some overriding need for Java 7.

did you try updating java without un-installing ver 6?

I did that using java update from control panel and it worked fine on my sister's pc that had ver. 6 and winXP.

 

[Harvey]

did you try updating java without un-installing ver 6?

I did that using java update from control panel and it worked fine on my sister's pc that had ver. 6 and winXP.

Thanks, but yes, that's exactly what I did, and it failed in exactly the same way. I then tried uninstalling it and trying again with the same result. Then, I re-installed ver. 6.38 with no problem.

Searching Google for the error message finds so many reports of this same problem covering many updates of ver. 7.x that I'm convinced it's Java's screw up, but obviously not on all machines.

I don't mind that they had a problem. Almost every company runs into those from time to time. What I mind us that, with so many reports over such a long period, they haven't found the cause, let alone the fix. It doesn't speak well for the company or their programming "talent."

 

[Iron Woode]

Thanks, but yes, that's exactly what I did, and it failed in exactly the same way. I then tried uninstalling it and trying again with the same result. Then, I re-installed ver. 6.38 with no problem.

Searching Google for the error message finds so many reports of this same problem covering many updates of ver. 7.x that I'm convinced it's Java's screw up, but obviously not on all machines.

I don't mind that they had a problem. Almost every company runs into those from time to time. What I mind us that, with so many reports over such a long period, they haven't found the cause, let alone the fix. It doesn't speak well for the company or their programming "talent."

probably just some weird combination of things causing a glitch. Could it be a permissions issues?

I had a similar issue with Live messenger. No contact would show as online. It was driving me nuts. Uninstalling - reinstalling didn't help. I had to jump through a whack of hoops to completely remove it and then re-install it to get it working again.

 

[Steltek]

I've seen a similar error before with different software packages.

Are you running XP SP3? Also, what version of Windows Installer are you running? You can determine the installer version by entering the following run command:

msiexec.exe

If you aren't running the most recent version, you could try upgrading to the newest version which is v4.5 (granted, I don't know if it would help, and I'd definitely create a restore point before just to be safe were it me). You can get the most recent version through the link on this page:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372856%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

 

[Harvey]

I've seen a similar error before with different software packages.

Are you running XP SP3? Also, what version of Windows Installer are you running? You can determine the installer version by entering the following run command:

msiexec.exe

If you aren't running the most recent version, you could try upgrading to the newest version which is v4.5 (granted, I don't know if it would help, and I'd definitely create a restore point before just to be safe were it me). You can get the most recent version through the link on this page:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa372856%28v=vs.85%29.aspx

Thanks for the input. Yes, I'm running SP3. My system is running msiexec ver. 3.01.4001.5512.

I can try the newer version. I'll clone the drive, again, before installing it. I like that even better than creating a restore point because I can completely restore everything exactly as it was.

 

[Steltek]

Thanks for the input. Yes, I'm running SP3. My system is running msiexec ver. 3.01.4001.5512.

I can try the newer version. I'll clone the drive, again, before installing it. I like that even better than creating a restore point because I can completely restore everything exactly as it was.

That would definitely be the best option. It is kind of a shot in the dark, as it were, but you really have nothing to loose by trying it on a cloned image though.

You might also try cleaning out your %temp% folder before your next installation attempt as well.

 

[bruceb]

At this point your best bet, is first to Uninstall what ever version of Java you have. The you need to clear the registry of all keys related to Java. Then also delete any folders that contain Java (including in the Doc and Settings area) Reboot and try a clean install of Java 7 Update 10 using the full off line installer.

 

[Harvey]

At this point your best bet, is first to Uninstall what ever version of Java you have. The you need to clear the registry of all keys related to Java. Then also delete any folders that contain Java (including in the Doc and Settings area) Reboot and try a clean install of Java 7 Update 10 using the full off line installer.

Thanks. Already did all of the above.

For now, I don't need Java. The only reason I could possibly have for running any version of Java 7 would be if I needed to install Open Office, Libre Office or some other really good program that requires it. At that point, I'll just re-install XP from the ground up. Until then, it's become too much work to worry about it.

 

[Slammy1]

Although I do not believe it i your issue, I had any number of install problems with Java until I finally d/l'd the update and ran as admin.