SP2 Add/Remove Programs Prob

[bigbuck]

I installed XP SP2 about a month ago. 266Mb .......Windows XP-KB835935-SP2-ENU, Self Extracting Cabinet

Everything appeared to go well, no obvious problems, no crashes, no clashes etc.

One slight problem was that I noticed that the list of programs in "Add/Remove Programs" in the Control Panel has been affected.

It no longer lists all the programs installed on this computer. It sorts the programs by 4 criteria; Name, Size, Frequency of Use and Date Last Used.

Now none of these list gives me a full list of all programs..... Name gives me only 6 programs beginning with the letter 'A' ?, Size gives me 12 assorted programs, and Frequency of Use and Date last used give me more programs, but not an entire list.

I had not initially worried about this problem, but recently I had to uninstall a program first in order to install a newer version. I was unable to find this program ANYWHERE in Add/Remove Programs.

To be sure the SP2 installation had gone correctly, I ghosted back to SP1 from my external backup HDD and reinstalled SP2. Same problem....Add/Remove Programs List was full on SP1 and incomplete on SP2!!

I have since ghosted SP2 to this backup HDD, so can not revert to SP1.

Fortunately I had a third party program (Toni Arts- Easy Cleaner) which had an uninstall facility which had a full list of all programs on this computer (interestingly even SP2..which does not appear on my Add/Remove Programs List). I used this program to do the uninstall.

Can anybody offer me some assistance/advice on how to rectify this problem. I have searched the internet for similar problems, but been unable to find any.

Thanks,

Buck

[bigc73542]

This is the first time I have heard of this problem, I have sp2 also and my add/remove didn't change except for the absence of the installed win. updates. besides for that it has remained the same. Sorry I couldn't be more help.


bigc

[bigbuck]

Thanks anyway BigC,

Found this on another forum http://www.flexbeta.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4375


Posted: Aug 29 2004, 10:57 PM
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Spongy Goodness
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There is your answer right there, SP2!!! Happened to me. A little tip for you, SP2 for some reason causes a rogue svchost.exe process to run. Whatever this process is doing screws up multiple things on a system. CD's don't run correctly, some control panel items don't run correctly, MSI installers hang, some properties such as My Computer properties don't work. Stopping this rogue svchost.exe process brings the system back to life. Only problem is, there are multiple svchost.exe processes running and its hard to tell which one is causing the issue. It's not a fix and I have contacted Microsoft about the issue but have yet to receive a fix for it. I ended up slipping SP2 and installing XP clean, had no problems after that.


Does this mean anything to you?

Thanks,

Buck

[MikeBCda]

Originally Posted by bigc73542

This is the first time I have heard of this problem, I have sp2 also and my add/remove didn't change except for the absence of the installed win. updates. besides for that it has remained the same. Sorry I couldn't be more help.
bigc

As far as I can tell, I'm not missing anything either. As bigc pointed out, the former huge list of "hotfixes" etc. is gone, but don't forget that SP2 replaces all of those so they're no longer there.

And in case you hadn't noticed, SP2 has added a new feature to Add/Remove -- "Show updates" is now a tick-box option rather than standard, so even if (as is likely) we wind up with as many updates for SP2 as we did before, you can choose not to include them in the list.

[bigbuck]

Thanks Mike,

Yes I had noticed and checked the 'show updates box'.
Interestingly, I found this a few moments ago.. It's exactly my problem.

<apms43DELETECAPSyahoocom@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:16E0F231-D06E-4F8A-9C86-79DB50B96461@microsoft.com...
> With SP2 installed (XP Pro) - the control panel Function - Delete
Programs -
> has become mostly unusable ....
>
> Symptoms: - the normal alphabetic and complete listing of the installed
> programs now lists the programs
>
> a) very partially - after the 'A"'s such as Adobe -- there is a long BLANK
> scroll down before getting to the "F's" - with nothing (it's blank)
> in-between showing
> b) it's not a load timing function trime - i've been very patient
> c) using display by other criteria show shows the same effect - however
with
> different programs (ie sort by size, dateg usage, etc).
>
> What has happened here --- what has SP2 done - and how to correct it
please.
>
> The installation went smoothly - I've had no other problems - and indeed
the
> system seems to load and run faster.
>
>
> Thanks in advance - Tiom


at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...=en-us&m=1&p=1

When I went back to Add/Remove Programs, I found that if you scrolled down about three miles....ther are some more programs listed!!!
The gap between them is HUGE!

So...I'm a little happier...but it's still very odd.

Thanks,

Buck

[bigbuck]

Bump.

still got a big blank space separating my progs in add/remove progs list.

anyone?

[puff-m-d]

I just wanted to add I have the same situation on my machine. There is a huge gap in the add/remove program list. You can scroll down to the G's or so and them it is about a mile of scrolling to get to the last half of the add/remove list. So far I have not a clue as to what has caused it or what the solution is.

[bigbuck]

Originally Posted by puff-m-d

I just wanted to add I have the same situation on my machine. There is a huge gap in the add/remove program list. You can scroll down to the G's or so and them it is about a mile of scrolling to get to the last half of the add/remove list. So far I have not a clue as to what has caused it or what the solution is.

I didn't have the prob before sp2 & here's what M$ had to say when I contacted them.......

Dear Brad,

Thank you for contacting Microsoft Online Assisted Support. My name is John and I will be assisting you with your case involving Windows XP.

As I understand it, your issue is you have a ghosted image of Windows XP and have installed SP2 which is causing you issues with Add/Remove programs and you would like steps to resolve this issue. If this is not correct, please let me know.

I will be unable to assist you with this case due to the version of Windows installed on your computer being an ghosted image. Microsoft does not support ghost and any other third party programs.

Please let me know if this resolves your issue or if you require further assistance. I will stand by for your response.


Kind regards,
John Helpful
Microsoft Australia & New Zealand Technical Support

I won't print my response !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheers

[bigbuck]

Thanks Folks......
A fresh reinstall today has restored my add/remove progs list.

Thanks very much anyway...

Buck.

[bigbuck]

Scratch that last comment..........

THE GAPING HOLE IS BACK IN MY ADD/REMOVE PROGS LIST!!!



#@$%#&*@

[GlobalForce]

Hey Buck, I can't explain the cause, but see if this helps out. Experts-Exchange (scroll past the ad's).
More recent, The Elder Geek.

Add/Remove blog, "oldnewthing".

GF

[puff-m-d]

Hi bigbuck,

I have come up with a solution that worked for me. Try the following:
1. Bring up your add/remove programs control panel. Make note of the entry both before and after the gap as you will need this info later.
2. Click "start", "run", and "regedit".
3. Navigate to the following key: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\".
4. Look thru this key and see if you have an entry between the two entries you noted earlier in step # 1. This entry (where the gap appears in add/remove programs control panel) has become corrupt for some reason. Highlight and delete this entry.
5. Close regedit.
6. Go back to you add/remove programs control panel and check. The gap should now be gone.

I hope this works for you as it fixed my problem. Let me know how it goes.

[bigbuck]

Thanks GF and Puff for your responses.
Followed GF's links and found some interesting stuff....

TheHunter990
Posted: Sep 22 2004, 10:54 AM
Quote Post
TEG Forum Member
I've also have the same thing. The program that created it was Autocad 2002

I run autocad lt 2002....

Tried that regedit Puff...but there was nothing between the two separated add/remove programs....

alsotriedthe M$ fix...

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, and then type CMD.
2. At the prompt, type REGSVR32 APPWIZ.CPL.

It's interesting to note that Autocad SHOULD be between the two progs with the big space....
Anyway...I will follow up at http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;EN-US;266668 &
http://www.theeldergeek.com/forum/in...showtopic=5195 a little more tomorrow.

Thanks again for your time.
Cheers,
Brad.

[bigbuck]

Problem Solved.
Found This;

User #62086 2 posts
Phil
I'm new here, please be nice

this post was edited

I had the same problem.

Under SP1, I would exit Add/Remove Programs and re-enter, and the problem would go away.

Under SP2, the problem never goes away.

I did learn that the programs ARE in the listing, they're just way down there.

I have found a cause and a solution; it worked for me, but I don't know if it will work for you:

In my case, the problem turned out to be the Uninstall\DisplayIcon registry value for AutoCAD 2002.

I 'simply' removed the comma from "D:\\Program Files\\AutoCAD 2002\\acad.exe,-1"

To find the value, I ran Regedit, and navigated to the key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micro* soft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninst* all]

I exported the registry tree to a file, and searched for AutoCAD 2002.

This let me identify the key as {5783F2D7-0101-0409-0000-0060B0CE6* BBA}, allowing me to edit the value.

That fixed it.

Sometimes you get lucky.

at http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum...12&p=-1#bottom

It worked a treat.
Thanks to all for the assistance.
Cheers,
Buck

[puff-m-d]

Hello bigbuck,

I am glad to hear your got your problem sorted out ....

I tried everything... then... I meet genius's here.... the ARBB (Add/Remove Big Blank) appeared where MS Encarta 2000 was suppose to be (Encarta could not be seen... just an AARBB there). I simply popped in the Encarta disk, used the uninstall before install options and PRESTO.. ARBB gone forever.

THANKS!

Epilog...

Reinstalled it, ARBB came back, uninstalled it, ARBB gone... I love repeatability... I am so happy about this I could just keep inserting the ARBB in and out all night long

Thanks again!

For sale: One Micosoft Encarta 2000 CD, $5

don't know if i want an encarta.... bigbuck your solution worked thanks, must be a problem with autocad 2002 cuz that was the same problem i had

I also had this problem with AutoCAD 2002 installed. Removing the comma in the registry value fixed the prob. Thanx!!

I too fixed this big blank gap by doing the Autocad reg hack.
Well found bigbuck!

V.

[bigbuck]

Originally Posted by The Conundrum

bigbuck your solution worked thanks, must be a problem with autocad 2002 cuz that was the same problem i had

Originally Posted by wollfbp

I also had this problem with AutoCAD 2002 installed. Removing the comma in the registry value fixed the prob. Thanx!!

Originally Posted by Vermin

I too fixed this big blank gap by doing the Autocad reg hack.

Too easy guys!....Only took me about 2 months of hard searching every forum/newsgroup I could find. Spread the word...

Originally Posted by DAYVARINO

Reinstalled it, ARBB came back, uninstalled it, ARBB gone... I love repeatability... I am so happy about this I could just keep inserting the ARBB in and out all night long

Now this problem may happen with other programs...not just Autocad 2002LT.
Have a look for a program that is missing from Add/Remove progs....It should probably be where the big hole is....It's probably a corrupt registry key.....Dayvarino, it's probably encarta in your case.
Cheers Guys,
Buck

had the same problem with AutoCAD 2k2 and your fix worked like a charm...thanks a bunch!

[bigbuck]

Originally Posted by TechSoul

had the same problem with AutoCAD 2k2 and your fix worked like a charm...thanks a bunch!

Not mine...I found it on Whirlpool forums....A bloke called Phil? I think?

Sweet!! Been looking for that fix for a while. Took the comma out of the autocad entry and now the gap is gone!