an empty "Add or Remove Programs" list

Hi,

I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant messenger
my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove Programs" from the
control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP (or registry) partially
corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a Dell machine. Do you think I
can repair XP from the Dell or MS website? Your help is much appreciated.

Tony

Have you tried 'System Restore'?
JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP (or
> registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a Dell
> machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS website? Your
> help is much appreciated.
>
> Tony
>
>
>
>
>

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266668
Add/Remove Programs tool displays installed programs incorrectly
--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart
Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

"JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP (or
> registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a Dell
> machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS website? Your
> help is much appreciated.
>
> Tony
>
>
>
>
>

I just went to research "System restore" after reading your reply. I have
had this PC for two years without setting any restore point before. If I
restore the PC to its original point in Dell, I will probablly create more
problems than now, won't I?

Tony

"Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
news:mdqui.1257$3x.1169@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net ...
> Have you tried 'System Restore'?
> JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> Hi,
>>
>> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
>> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
>> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP
>> (or registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a
>> Dell machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS website?
>> Your help is much appreciated.
>>
>> Tony
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>

On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:45:41 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
wrote:

> I just went to research "System restore" after reading your reply. I have
> had this PC for two years without setting any restore point before. If I
> restore the PC to its original point in Dell, I will probablly create more
> problems than now, won't I?


I don't know what you mean by "its original point in Dell," but note
that restore points only go back a maximum of 90 days.

And even 90 days is much too long. System Restore is a good tool for
undoing a *recent* change--for reverting the operating system to the
condition it was in a day or a few days ago, but that's all it is. I
wouldn't try to go back more than a week, or two weeks at the very
most.


> "Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
> news:mdqui.1257$3x.1169@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net ...
> > Have you tried 'System Restore'?
> > JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> > news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
> >> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
> >> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP
> >> (or registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a
> >> Dell machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS website?
> >> Your help is much appreciated.
> >>
> >> Tony
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

"Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message
news:1mjkb3d0pkr7grkugpd9mcmos0c1ne3v2f@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:45:41 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I just went to research "System restore" after reading your reply. I
>> have
>> had this PC for two years without setting any restore point before. If I
>> restore the PC to its original point in Dell, I will probablly create
>> more
>> problems than now, won't I?
>
>
> I don't know what you mean by "its original point in Dell," but note
> that restore points only go back a maximum of 90 days.
>
The statement is rather imprecise...
Perhaps he meant restoring the computer back to the as delivered state via
the recovery
parition. I consider doing so the absolutely last resort..
Jim
> And even 90 days is much too long. System Restore is a good tool for
> undoing a *recent* change--for reverting the operating system to the
> condition it was in a day or a few days ago, but that's all it is. I
> wouldn't try to go back more than a week, or two weeks at the very
> most.
>
>
>> "Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
>> news:mdqui.1257$3x.1169@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net ...
>> > Have you tried 'System Restore'?
>> > JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> > news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
>> >> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
>> >> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP
>> >> (or registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a
>> >> Dell machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS
>> >> website?
>> >> Your help is much appreciated.
>> >>
>> >> Tony
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>
> --
> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> Please Reply to the Newsgroup

Hi,

The reason I mentioned ""its original point in Dell" because I never
manually created a restore point before. I also assumed XP wouldn't create
a restore point automatically. So I thought the only restore point I had is
the very beginning machine state when Dell delivered the machine to me.
Does XP periodically create restore points? How often? If so, I may simply
try to roll my XP back the last restore point, hopefully a day or two
before. Thanks for any future instruction.

Tony


"Jim" <j.n@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:Fhsui.48220$YL5.8928@newssvr29.news.prodigy.n et...
>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:1mjkb3d0pkr7grkugpd9mcmos0c1ne3v2f@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:45:41 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I just went to research "System restore" after reading your reply. I
>>> have
>>> had this PC for two years without setting any restore point before. If
>>> I
>>> restore the PC to its original point in Dell, I will probablly create
>>> more
>>> problems than now, won't I?
>>
>>
>> I don't know what you mean by "its original point in Dell," but note
>> that restore points only go back a maximum of 90 days.
>>
> The statement is rather imprecise...
> Perhaps he meant restoring the computer back to the as delivered state via
> the recovery
> parition. I consider doing so the absolutely last resort..
> Jim
>> And even 90 days is much too long. System Restore is a good tool for
>> undoing a *recent* change--for reverting the operating system to the
>> condition it was in a day or a few days ago, but that's all it is. I
>> wouldn't try to go back more than a week, or two weeks at the very
>> most.
>>
>>
>>> "Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
>>> news:mdqui.1257$3x.1169@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net ...
>>> > Have you tried 'System Restore'?
>>> > JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>> > news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
>>> >> Hi,
>>> >>
>>> >> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
>>> >> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
>>> >> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my
>>> >> XP
>>> >> (or registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is
>>> >> a
>>> >> Dell machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS
>>> >> website?
>>> >> Your help is much appreciated.
>>> >>
>>> >> Tony
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
>> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>
>

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:25:25 GMT, "Jim" <j.n@nospam.com> wrote:

>
> "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:1mjkb3d0pkr7grkugpd9mcmos0c1ne3v2f@4ax.com...
> > On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:45:41 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> I just went to research "System restore" after reading your reply. I
> >> have
> >> had this PC for two years without setting any restore point before. If I
> >> restore the PC to its original point in Dell, I will probablly create
> >> more
> >> problems than now, won't I?
> >
> >
> > I don't know what you mean by "its original point in Dell," but note
> > that restore points only go back a maximum of 90 days.
> >
> The statement is rather imprecise...


I thought so. ;-)


> Perhaps he meant restoring the computer back to the as delivered state via
> the recovery
> parition.


Perhaps, but as always, I prefer not to guess as to what people mean.
If I guess, and I guess wrong, I might give them bad advice.


> I consider doing so the absolutely last resort..


As do I.




> > And even 90 days is much too long. System Restore is a good tool for
> > undoing a *recent* change--for reverting the operating system to the
> > condition it was in a day or a few days ago, but that's all it is. I
> > wouldn't try to go back more than a week, or two weeks at the very
> > most.
> >
> >
> >> "Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
> >> news:mdqui.1257$3x.1169@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net ...
> >> > Have you tried 'System Restore'?
> >> > JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> >> >> Hi,
> >> >>
> >> >> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
> >> >> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
> >> >> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP
> >> >> (or registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a
> >> >> Dell machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS
> >> >> website?
> >> >> Your help is much appreciated.
> >> >>
> >> >> Tony
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >
> > --
> > Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> > Please Reply to the Newsgroup
>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 17:49:12 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
wrote:

> Hi,
>
> The reason I mentioned ""its original point in Dell" because I never
> manually created a restore point before. I also assumed XP wouldn't create
> a restore point automatically.


It does.


> So I thought the only restore point I had is
> the very beginning machine state when Dell delivered the machine to me.


But there was none then.


> Does XP periodically create restore points?


Yes.


> How often?


By default, once a day.


> If so, I may simply
> try to roll my XP back the last restore point, hopefully a day or two
> before. Thanks for any future instruction.
>
> Tony
>
>
> "Jim" <j.n@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:Fhsui.48220$YL5.8928@newssvr29.news.prodigy.n et...
> >
> > "Ken Blake, MVP" <kblake@this.is.am.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> > news:1mjkb3d0pkr7grkugpd9mcmos0c1ne3v2f@4ax.com...
> >> On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 14:45:41 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> I just went to research "System restore" after reading your reply. I
> >>> have
> >>> had this PC for two years without setting any restore point before. If
> >>> I
> >>> restore the PC to its original point in Dell, I will probablly create
> >>> more
> >>> problems than now, won't I?
> >>
> >>
> >> I don't know what you mean by "its original point in Dell," but note
> >> that restore points only go back a maximum of 90 days.
> >>
> > The statement is rather imprecise...
> > Perhaps he meant restoring the computer back to the as delivered state via
> > the recovery
> > parition. I consider doing so the absolutely last resort..
> > Jim
> >> And even 90 days is much too long. System Restore is a good tool for
> >> undoing a *recent* change--for reverting the operating system to the
> >> condition it was in a day or a few days ago, but that's all it is. I
> >> wouldn't try to go back more than a week, or two weeks at the very
> >> most.
> >>
> >>
> >>> "Unknown" <unknown@unknown.kom> wrote in message
> >>> news:mdqui.1257$3x.1169@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net ...
> >>> > Have you tried 'System Restore'?
> >>> > JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> >>> > news:%23cpfOzf2HHA.5380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> >>> >> Hi,
> >>> >>
> >>> >> I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant
> >>> >> messenger my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove
> >>> >> Programs" from the control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my
> >>> >> XP
> >>> >> (or registry) partially corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is
> >>> >> a
> >>> >> Dell machine. Do you think I can repair XP from the Dell or MS
> >>> >> website?
> >>> >> Your help is much appreciated.
> >>> >>
> >>> >> Tony
> >>> >>
> >>> >>
> >>> >>
> >>> >>
> >>> >>
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
> >> Please Reply to the Newsgroup
> >
> >
>

--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User
Please Reply to the Newsgroup

On Wed, 8 Aug 2007 13:43:27 -0700, "JD Young" <jdt_young@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I think I have a big trouble. I want to remove the yahoo instant messenger
>my cousin just installed. When I open my "Add or Remove Programs" from the
>control panel, I see an empty list. Somehow, my XP (or registry) partially
>corrupts somewhere, I guess. My computer is a Dell machine. Do you think I
>can repair XP from the Dell or MS website? Your help is much appreciated.
>
>Tony
>
>
>
>

Do a system restore to the day before instant messenger was installed
..