How to remove "ghost" programs from "Add/Remove" list?

Discussion in 'Software' started by Armitage112, Jun 16, 2009.

  1. Armitage112

    Armitage112 Private E-2

    I have a rather old Dell Dimension XPS T450 Pentium III that still runs pretty well. Went to clean out some old files using "Add/Remove Programs", and found "Microsoft Photodraw 2000 v.2" was taking up 16.9 MB. We never used it, so I went to remove it, and it asked me for an installation disc, which I don't have. Consequently, it won't let me remove this.

    So I go to the MS Support site, and it gives me all this graphic info on how to remove Photodraw "the hard way", but when I went to follow their directions, I found that Photodraw wasn't where they said it would be in my C: drive. So I went through the other drives, plus I did a few Searches, and I don't seem to have anything in my PC named "Photodraw"--yet this still shows up on my "Add/Remove Programs" options.

    I have other items on my "Add/Remove Programs" that appear to be "ghosts"--there's nothing in my system with those names, yet they appear on "Add/Remove Programs"--Photodraw is the only one that actually has a size listed, though, hence my concern.

    How do you remove "ghost" programs from "Add/Remove Programs", if in fact the program is no longer on the PC? Thanks in advance!
     
  2. Elder_Usr

    Elder_Usr Sergeant

  3. Armitage112

    Armitage112 Private E-2

    Thanks for the suggestion--I downloaded the application, but when I went to run it, it gave me a list of things it would remove, and nothing I wanted to remove was on it! Any other suggestions, or did I do something wrong?
     
  4. iwunderdownunder

    iwunderdownunder First Sergeant

    g'day Armitage112

    if it is invalid add and remove programs you could try reg seeker " http://www.majorgeeks.com/RegSeeker_d2579.html ".when you run the program in the left menu you will see installed applications click on it and from the menu select invalid add and remove entries,it will list any entries then down the bottom click select all then press the action and delete them you will be prompted to save as back up so do so.
    this is a very powerful registry program so be careful how you use it and always keep back ups of what you do. hope this helps.
     
  5. Armitage112

    Armitage112 Private E-2

    Thanks for the advice, but sadly, that didn't work either. Anything else?
     
  6. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

  7. hrlow2

    hrlow2 MajorGeek

    I usually get some message saying that the program has already been removed and if I want to remove it from the listing.
     
  8. Armitage112

    Armitage112 Private E-2

    That did it! I never knew CCleaner could do that--I just use it to clean up my drives, but when I looked under the other options, it was so simple to delete the "ghosts" from my registry. I was SO sick of looking at them and not being able to get rid of them! Thanks so much!
     

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