Add/Remove Programs issue with Win2K machine.

[Xylob the Destroyer]

Every time I try to uninstall any programs, wheter it's via the Add/Remove Programs dialog or if I use the uninstall.exe for the specific program/folder, I get the same error -- cannot find INSTALL.LOG.

Apparently this is a Windows system file that has somehow been deleted.
Any ideas on how I can uninstall applications now?

I've got over 20GB of music on the compute, so a reformat and OS installation would really not be preferred.

TIA!

[zoobie]

when you run cleaners, sometimes it deletes this file
you can try reinstalling these programs which will remake the install.log then try to delete them

[Xylob the Destroyer]

that's kinda what I thought.
what a PITA...

[TBoneit]

This should help. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301
I've used it in the past when there was a uninstall problem. What I do if the program will not uninstall nor re-install is use this utilty to cleanup the install for that program. Then I can install and uninstall.

Good Luck

Description of the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility
SUMMARY
Microsoft has updated the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility. With the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility, you can remove a program's Windows Installer configuration information. You may want to remove the Windows Installer configuration information for your program if you experience installation (Setup) problems. For example, you may have to remove a program's Windows Installer configuration information if you have installation problems when you try to add (or remove) a component of your program that was not included when you first installed your program.

The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility does not perform the following functions: • Remove Windows Installer
• Remove files of any programs that are installed by Windows Installer, such as Microsoft Office 2003
The Windows Installer CleanUp Utility does perform the following functions: • Provides a dialog box in which you can select one or more programs that were installed by Windows Installer

To do this, select the programs that you want in the Installed Products list in the Windows Installer CleanUp dialog box. After you make this selection, the utility removes only the Windows Installer configuration information that is related to those programs.
• Removes the files and registry settings that make up the Windows Installer configuration information for programs that you select
If you use this utility