Cannot Add/Remove programs: Windows XP?

Question

Please help.
Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs

Before, I used to be able to click the remove/change button that appears when you highlight a certain program.
Now, none of the programs (except 2) have the remove/change button visible. What had happened? How do I solve it (change it back/show it again)?

Also, not all my programs are in that list. Yahoo Messenger is still on my computer, but it does not show up in the add/remove programs window.

And, if you know how to uninstall without going to the add/remove programs, it would be greatly appreciated if you would share.

Answer 1

if you navigate to c:\program files and to the program in question, in each program folder you'll find something called unwise or uninstall
double click it to begin the uninstall for that particular program

Answer 2

That can happen when the uninstall information is removed from the registry as "non-essential" or "orphan links".
So far as I know, the only way to restore the appwizard is to restore the registry information.

Maybe some MS guru has a better answer, but that's all our I.T. dept could find out.

Answer 3

Many programs now have their own uninstall. Click on start, go to the program and see if it has it's own uninstall. More efficient and removes from registry as well

Answer 4

The advice about manually finding the uninstaller is good. If that doesn't work you can reinstall the app and that should fix the uninstaller.

Answer 5

you have a plague, a foul one. The pop-up you observed grew to become into from a internet site that does unquestionably placed Norton on your gadget, yet hidden interior the acquire is the virus. Your grievance has been logged one thousand's of cases on the internet. you like a great virus removal software, and NO, i do no longer advise Norton. Norton blows.

Answer 6

Sounds to me like someone took your rights away. If you are no longer the administrator of that box, those "Change/Remove" buttons will vanish.