Can't uninstall....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Valorie McLaughlin
  • Start date Start date
V

Valorie McLaughlin

I'm the admin of this computer and User Account is turned off.... how do I
get to uninstall or delete unwanted programs in Vista Home Premium? Why am I
still getting the "need permission" error when trying to uninstall programs?
Unlocker will not unlock them for removal. My PC is getting full of
unwanted software thanks to all these confusing poorly designed MS safety
features.

I'm really unhappy with Vista.
 
Valorie McLaughlin said:
I'm the admin of this computer and User Account is turned off.... how do I
get to uninstall or delete unwanted programs in Vista Home Premium? Why am
I still getting the "need permission" error when trying to uninstall
programs? Unlocker will not unlock them for removal. My PC is getting
full of unwanted software thanks to all these confusing poorly designed MS
safety features.

I'm really unhappy with Vista.
Click to expand...

And what might these "unwanted" programs be? I've never had any problems in
uninstalling "unwanted" programs...
 
Hi Valorie,

A couple of generalized points as you do not mention what you are trying to
remove:

1) Even an admin account will not allow alterations to system folders
without self-elevating. This prevents unwanted software (ie: viruses and
spyware) from installing sight-unseen by usurping user privilege.

2) Turning off User Account Control will not alter permissions, and they are
the root of your problem. Plus, disabling it is bad for the above reason.

3) Some programs, those integrated into the OS, cannot be removed any more
can designated system folders.

4) Programs you chose to install or those that came preinstalled by the
manufacturer should be removed through the Control Panel/Programs and
Features applet. If there's no option there, then check under the program
folder itself for something like unwise.exe.

5) Unlocker needs to run elevated (right click the icon, choose 'run as
administrator') in order to be able function correctly.

Listing the software you are trying to remove may garner you additional
advice.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
Vote for my shoe: http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
 
I'm the admin of this computer and User Account is turned off.... how do I
get to uninstall or delete unwanted programs in Vista Home Premium? Why am I
still getting the "need permission" error when trying to uninstall programs?
Unlocker will not unlock them for removal. My PC is getting full of
unwanted software thanks to all these confusing poorly designed MS safety
features.

I'm really unhappy with Vista.
Click to expand...

1) log into admin account
2) with unlocker "delete on reboot "
3) ONLY uninstall programs , NOT delete .
 
Jim said:
1) log into admin account
2) with unlocker "delete on reboot "
3) ONLY uninstall programs , NOT delete .
Click to expand...


Thanks guys. My neighbor sent her self proclaimed nerd son over this morning
and he was able to remove them. He brought something on a thumb drive and
it worked. He was still unable to remove *Spybot* from the right-click menu
though.

What do you mean "log into" the Admin account? I was set as the admin when
the PC was new. There is no password to log-in. In Account Type I'm shown as
the Admin.

As for Spybot, there was no choice to uninstall in Unlocker. How do I
delete a program on reboot using Unlocker? Maybe I have a different version.
 
Valorie McLaughlin said:
Thanks guys. My neighbor sent her self proclaimed nerd son over this morning
and he was able to remove them. He brought something on a thumb drive and
it worked. He was still unable to remove *Spybot* from the right-click menu
though.

What do you mean "log into" the Admin account? I was set as the admin when
the PC was new. There is no password to log-in. In Account Type I'm shown as
the Admin.

As for Spybot, there was no choice to uninstall in Unlocker. How do I
delete a program on reboot using Unlocker? Maybe I have a different version.
Click to expand...

If this is all too difficult for you get your neighbour's son to do it:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/remove-scan-using-spybot-search-destroy-right-click-menu/
 
Thanks guys. My neighbor sent her self proclaimed nerd son over this morning
and he was able to remove them. He brought something on a thumb drive and
it worked. He was still unable to remove *Spybot* from the right-click menu
though.

What do you mean "log into" the Admin account? I was set as the admin when
the PC was new. There is no password to log-in. In Account Type I'm shown as
the Admin.

As for Spybot, there was no choice to uninstall in Unlocker. How do I
delete a program on reboot using Unlocker? Maybe I have a different version.
Click to expand...

My bad ; I misread .
Delete a File with unlocker ; uninstall a Program .
 
Gordon said:
And what might these "unwanted" programs be? I've never had any problems
in uninstalling "unwanted" programs...
Click to expand...

Err - Just because you haven't Err had any problems with unwanted programs,
Err, doesn't Err mean others don't have problems Err with their programs.
Err.
<sigh>

Err.
 
Thanks guys. My neighbor sent her self proclaimed nerd son over this morning
and he was able to remove them. He brought something on a thumb drive and it
worked. He was still unable to remove *Spybot* from the right-click menu
though.
Click to expand...
What do you mean "log into" the Admin account? I was set as the admin when
the PC was new. There is no password to log-in. In Account Type I'm shown as
the Admin.
Click to expand...
As for Spybot, there was no choice to uninstall in Unlocker. How do I delete
a program on reboot using Unlocker? Maybe I have a different version.
Click to expand...

You are *an* admin, not *the* admin. Your account is a standard user
account with some, but not all, administrator privileges.

The administrator account is called Administrator, and you can't get to
it unless you run cmd as administrator and execute this command:
net user Administrator /active:yes

Then login or restart as Administrator, not as Valorie.

After you have accomplished what you want to do, go back to your
regular account and run the above command, replacing yes by no.

You can blame Microsoft for the confusing terminology. This is another
case where they have obfuscated stuff by adopting confusing terminology
(Outlook vs Outlook Express & Internet Explorer vs Explorer are two
other examples).
 
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