Cannot uninstall Eset Smart Security

[Lain]

Whenever I try to remove ESS using Add/Remove programs, it tells me that it is missing a file called ess_3.0.650.msi. I do not have this file, and I couldn't find it anywhere on the net or on the Eset site. This sucks because like this I can not only not uninstall the software, it also keeps be from upgrading to any newer version of ESS as those automatically want to start the uninstallation process of the currently installed version.

Please help me out.

[philby]

Hello

ess_nt32_enu.msi is the installer file, I believe.

You may have deleted it after install?

Maybe just re-download it, install over the top of your existing installation, then re-attempt uninstall.

I would wait for Mr Goretsky's advice first though...

Just an idea.

philby

[Lain]

The new installer file is called like that, yes. But it seems to want the old installer file. And of course I deleted it after install - one shouldn't think that he needs the installer to UNINSTALL a program, don't you agree?

And as I said, installing it on top of the currently installed installation doesn't work because then the installer of the new version first tries to uninstall the old version, and also asks me for that file, and fails when I can't give it to the installer.

[ronjor]

-{ Quote: "one shouldn't think needs that he the installer to UNINSTALL a program, don't you agree?" }-You probably should keep the .msi installer as it contains info on on uninstalling the program.

More info. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Installer)

[Lain]

Where there is written that I have to keep the file to uninstall it? I never do. For not a single program it has ever been necessary to do so. And now for a program where it actually matters to remove it - because as we all know, security software usually nests deep into the system - now it doesn't work. Murphy's Law a guess.

In any case it shouldn't be so hard to resolve this issue. If this is truly the ESET support forum, why doesn't an ESET representative just send me the file in question then, or provide another method on how to uninstall the software? Shouldn't really be so hard.

[ronjor]

Manually uninstalling ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 3.0 (http://training.eset.com/kb/index.php?option=com_kb&Itemid=29&page=articles&articleid=558)

[Lain]

-{ Quote: "Manually uninstalling ESET Smart Security or ESET NOD32 Antivirus 3.0 (http://training.eset.com/kb/index.php?option=com_kb&Itemid=29&page=articles&articleid=558)" }-
Sadly, step 2 already fails. When I try to delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\ESET" or any subkey of that key, regedit tells me that it can not be deleted because there was an error deleting the key.

I do have proper rights to delete it and with other keys there is no problem. What can I do to delete that key?

[Novicex]

Try "Recovery Console" - its on Windows XP CD-DVD. But i think firstly you should kill all active processes and gain all possible rights to delete that key in the registry. If you think administrator always have permission to delete everything, you wrong.