A free utility uninstalls apps that Add or Remove Programs can't handle
On Tuesday I reported on Microsoft Outlook 2007's unexcused absence from my Vista PC. I thought the problem might due to Outlook 2003 being installed on the same machine. When I upgraded to Office 2007, the older versions of the apps remained on my system, even though I never used them. This didn't appear to be a problem until Outlook 2007 took a hike.
My second surprise was my inability to uninstall Office 2003. Vista's Programs and Features Control Panel applet (which XP calls Add or Remove Programs) would pop up this error message: "This patch package could not be opened. Contact the application vendor to verify that this is a valid Windows Installer patch package." You'll find more information about this and similar Windows error messages in this Microsoft knowledgebase article.
The fix entails downloading and running Microsoft's Windows Installer CleanUp Utility (this link starts the download automatically). The program also helps cure problems you encounter when trying to install Office and other apps that rely on the Windows Installer, including Adobe Acrobat. After you download and install the program, open it by clicking its shortcut on the Start menu, select the app from the list, and click Remove > OK > Exit.
Microsoft's Windows Installer CleanUp Utility can fix programs that refuse to install or be removed from your system.
Pay attention to Microsoft's warnings about this tool: It changes your Registry, an activity that's always fraught with peril. Also, if you reinstall the program, make sure you use the same directory as the previous installation to avoid placing duplicate copies of files on your hard drive.
I'm happy to report that Outlook 2007 has remained in place since I removed my old Office apps using the installer cleanup tool. I can't say for sure that the two problems are related, but a fix is a fix.
Monday: Clear space on your hard drive by manually deleting the unnecessary files that auto-cleanup tools leave behind.
Dennis O'Reilly has covered PCs and other technologies in print and online since 1985. Along with more than a decade as editor for Ziff-Davis's Computer Select, Dennis edited PC World's award-winning Here's How section for more than seven years. He is a member of the CNET blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. 
Who came up with that idea?
I guess I'm just complaining because I hate GIMP and most music production software (-laugh-) that is available for Linux, and getting said music software to even work on the various distros I tried was a nightmare (fedora and knoppix, and one other that I don't recall).
Having trouble installing Office (which was something that was ultimately easily taken care of) is also NO reason to go buy a whole new computer, which is what buying a Mac necessarily entails; though I can't say it'd be bad to get one. I just hate the phrase "get a Mac". I'll do that when you give me a thousand bucks, thanks.
I guess pushing a button or two is challenging for Windows users...
Can I install the upgrade version of Office 2007, without installing the old Office XP/2002 first? In other words, when I install Office 07, will it ask for an Office XP disk or serial number, rather than requiring that Office XP be physically installed on the computer?
If I can do that, it would eliminate any new vs old Office software conflicts.
There's another issue with Office 2007 running on XP machines: Some features in the new programs are designed to work with Vista specifically. One of these is the inking feature I talked about earlier this week. I'm going to do a post--probably next week--on what you lose when you run Office 2007 apps on XP vs. using them on a Vista PC.
Thanks.
- by tobiusb June 4, 2009 2:22 PM PDT
- This looks like the program I am looking for BUT? how do you load a program when Windows Install will not allow you to install it???? Another Microsoft BOO! BOO!.
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(13 Comments)I am stuck here - can't uninstall - can't install to cleanup to uninstall any program - grrrr
Tobius