Uninstall multiple Language Packs

  • Thread starter Thread starter I. Kinal
  • Start date Start date
I

I. Kinal

I would like to uninstall several language packs from my system. However,
whenever I select multiple languages to remove, the first one succeeds, and
all the rest fail. Is this a bug?

Thanks,
I. Kinal
 
I am having the same problem as well.
I disabled system restore which speeds up the removal of each language
slightly but I had to sit there and manually remove each one, one by one.
I had every single language installed onto my system (due to a badly
configured WSUS Server) and it took me ages to get them all off.
It would seem to be a bug :(

If a faster way exists to remove all these language packs please let me know!

Thanks
Robin
 
How many languages do you actually speak? ;^) I have Office 2007 with
German and Spanish Language Packs, and that gets me Proofing Tools in way
more languages than I actually speak, read or write.
 
I am having this issue as well. Some weird compulsion caused me to want my
Windows Updates to show zero items (recommended, required and optional).
This led me to install all the language packs. When the Windows Update
version of Vista SP1 failed because it was the lightweight install that only
a few languages, I realized I should keep my computer lighter. I got around
the SP1 issue by installing the fuller standalone MSI but I still want to
make sure I don't miss updates in the future because of language packs
(again, going lighter). Having to uninstall them one at a time is quite a
pain.
 
I would prefer doing them individually, so that no conflicting changes can
occur when each of the Language Packs are being remove. The complexity of
having a variety of languages that apply different settings across the
system removed at the same time I believe can cause some issues. Its like
trying to install multiple applications at the same time.
 
Rather than install them, hide them. That will give you the same result (WU
shows no items) without nasty side effects.
 
It looks like the Vista UI wants to uninstall mulitiple language packs
"individually" by chaining the uninstall of one after the other. I'm not
asking that they uninstall all of them concurrently. The problem is that it
is succeeding with the first item in the chain and failing on the second item
(and not attempting anything thereafter). I'm just getting tired of manually
uninstalling a language pack - which takes longer than I care to "sit and
wait" for - thirty five times over.
 
The problem is for people who have already ended up with them all installed
(or some of them) who have to sit there for hours to remove all the installed
language packs.

If Vista is only capable of removing one language at a time why does the
Vista GUI tease you that if you select more than one it will uninstall it. If
you do select multiple ones it does seem to try for a while to remove each
subsequent one and then fail.


It takes over half an hour to remove each language
First it does a system checkpoint
Then it slowely removes the language
Then you have to restart and it spends time configuring updates while
shutting down and then while starting up.

If only it would remove them all at once I could set it away removing them
before going to bed but as it is I need to sit there removing them one by one.

It would be faster to format and re-install the system.

If Vista is not capable of removing more than one it shouldn't have a GUI
which suggests it can. Also if we can install all these language packs in one
go why can't we remove them in a similar manner?

Richard G. Harper said:
Rather than install them, hide them. That will give you the same result (WU
shows no items) without nasty side effects.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/


Matt Poland said:
I am having this issue as well. Some weird compulsion caused me to want my
Windows Updates to show zero items (recommended, required and optional).
This led me to install all the language packs. When the Windows Update
version of Vista SP1 failed because it was the lightweight install that
only
a few languages, I realized I should keep my computer lighter. I got
around
the SP1 issue by installing the fuller standalone MSI but I still want to
make sure I don't miss updates in the future because of language packs
(again, going lighter). Having to uninstall them one at a time is quite a
pain.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
How many languages do you speak? ;^)

Earle

robinwilson16 said:
The problem is for people who have already ended up with them all
installed
(or some of them) who have to sit there for hours to remove all the
installed
language packs.

If Vista is only capable of removing one language at a time why does the
Vista GUI tease you that if you select more than one it will uninstall it.
If
you do select multiple ones it does seem to try for a while to remove each
subsequent one and then fail.


It takes over half an hour to remove each language
First it does a system checkpoint
Then it slowely removes the language
Then you have to restart and it spends time configuring updates while
shutting down and then while starting up.

If only it would remove them all at once I could set it away removing them
before going to bed but as it is I need to sit there removing them one by
one.

It would be faster to format and re-install the system.

If Vista is not capable of removing more than one it shouldn't have a GUI
which suggests it can. Also if we can install all these language packs in
one
go why can't we remove them in a similar manner?

Richard G. Harper said:
Rather than install them, hide them. That will give you the same result
(WU
shows no items) without nasty side effects.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/


Matt Poland said:
I am having this issue as well. Some weird compulsion caused me to want
my
Windows Updates to show zero items (recommended, required and
optional).
This led me to install all the language packs. When the Windows Update
version of Vista SP1 failed because it was the lightweight install that
only
a few languages, I realized I should keep my computer lighter. I got
around
the SP1 issue by installing the fuller standalone MSI but I still want
to
make sure I don't miss updates in the future because of language packs
(again, going lighter). Having to uninstall them one at a time is
quite a
pain.

:

I would like to uninstall several language packs from my system.
However,
whenever I select multiple languages to remove, the first one
succeeds,
and
all the rest fail. Is this a bug?

Thanks,
I. Kinal
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Well I speak four languages but I don't need windows to display text in
anything other than English.

I think actually it would be a good idea if these language packs were put in
a seperate classification as "Language Packs" instead of optional updates as
it would be easier to decline them when setting up a WSUS server.
I did say that this was how they all got installed, and before you ask, no
it was not me that set up the WSUS server!

Why is it that they can all be installed in one go but have to be removed
one at a time?

Robin

Earle Horton said:
How many languages do you speak? ;^)

Earle

robinwilson16 said:
The problem is for people who have already ended up with them all
installed
(or some of them) who have to sit there for hours to remove all the
installed
language packs.

If Vista is only capable of removing one language at a time why does the
Vista GUI tease you that if you select more than one it will uninstall it.
If
you do select multiple ones it does seem to try for a while to remove each
subsequent one and then fail.


It takes over half an hour to remove each language
First it does a system checkpoint
Then it slowely removes the language
Then you have to restart and it spends time configuring updates while
shutting down and then while starting up.

If only it would remove them all at once I could set it away removing them
before going to bed but as it is I need to sit there removing them one by
one.

It would be faster to format and re-install the system.

If Vista is not capable of removing more than one it shouldn't have a GUI
which suggests it can. Also if we can install all these language packs in
one
go why can't we remove them in a similar manner?

Richard G. Harper said:
Rather than install them, hide them. That will give you the same result
(WU
shows no items) without nasty side effects.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/


I am having this issue as well. Some weird compulsion caused me to want
my
Windows Updates to show zero items (recommended, required and
optional).
This led me to install all the language packs. When the Windows Update
version of Vista SP1 failed because it was the lightweight install that
only
a few languages, I realized I should keep my computer lighter. I got
around
the SP1 issue by installing the fuller standalone MSI but I still want
to
make sure I don't miss updates in the future because of language packs
(again, going lighter). Having to uninstall them one at a time is
quite a
pain.

:

I would like to uninstall several language packs from my system.
However,
whenever I select multiple languages to remove, the first one
succeeds,
and
all the rest fail. Is this a bug?

Thanks,
I. Kinal
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If they were all installed in one pass by WSUS, then WSUS would likely be
able to remove them all at one time also. If you use the Program Add/Remove
UI that particular code path suggests/requires a reboot to change system
settings when requested by the uninstaller. It cannot chain uninstalls for
a later single reboot as WU/AU/WSUS can.
 
Ok thanks

I don't believe I tried that. If this ever happens again I will try doing it
that way.
If more of the PCs had Vista Ultimate on them it would have caused more of a
problem and I would have needed another way to do it.

Thanks
Robin

Richard G. Harper said:
If they were all installed in one pass by WSUS, then WSUS would likely be
able to remove them all at one time also. If you use the Program Add/Remove
UI that particular code path suggests/requires a reboot to change system
settings when requested by the uninstaller. It cannot chain uninstalls for
a later single reboot as WU/AU/WSUS can.

--
Richard G. Harper [MVP Shell/User] (e-mail address removed)
* NEW! Catch my blog ... http://msmvps.com/blogs/rgharper/
* PLEASE post all messages and replies in the newsgroups
* The Website - http://rgharper.mvps.org/


robinwilson16 said:
Well I speak four languages but I don't need windows to display text in
anything other than English.

I think actually it would be a good idea if these language packs were put
in
a seperate classification as "Language Packs" instead of optional updates
as
it would be easier to decline them when setting up a WSUS server.
I did say that this was how they all got installed, and before you ask, no
it was not me that set up the WSUS server!

Why is it that they can all be installed in one go but have to be removed
one at a time?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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