SOS- Registry Help Needed: Stop Repeating Windows Installer (XP)

[ahhaa]

Years back, I got a DVD internal burner from MadDog, it came with Roxio Creator 8.2 XE (Lightscribe). Everything worked fine, until a couple years ago I tried installing a downloaded update for the software : creatorxe905u.

It used Windows Installer, which 'gathered information', then "Please Wait while Windows configures Roxio 8.2" which gets over laid by a window that said "The feature you are trying to use is on a CD or other removable drive that is not available. Insert Roxio Creator 8.2 XE disc and click OK".

Well, after an hour's search, I gave up trying to find that original 8.2 XE disc (and it never has turned up).
I clicked CANCEL.

However... Windows logic being what it is, CANCEL doesn't actually cancel this install, it's more of a 'try again later'.

I've had it re-emerge 20-40 minutes later, completely screwing up Civilization sessions. It ALWAYS shows up on a machine startup and can only be gotten rid of with Task Manager- for that session.

I've tried several registry editors, but just can't find anything that looks like it would shut down this installer, and have little (as in no) exxperience with registry doctoring...

To make matters worse, this old workhorse AMD has gotten more important, not less, as it has many programs I need occassionally (like OCR) that won't make the jump to my win7 machine, and work perfectly well on the XP machine.

The registry programs I now have are Registry Workshop, Registrar Registry Editor, Sysinternals, & regedit.

I don't even know if I should be looking in Windows or Roxio folders (Roxio has 20 or so main folders).

After like putting up with this 500 times, and peeking into registry 10 times I figured I should mebbe ask for help...? (thanks much)


ps I read the thread about MSICUU2.exe, but it has been retired, and all MS can suggest is get a new disc or clean the old one http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2438651/#reso2

[redwudz]

Have you looked for hidden folders? In 'Control Panel>Folder Options>View', uncheck 'Don't show hidden files, folders, or drives' Then look in your boot drive, probably 'Documents' or your user files and see if any folders related to Roxio shows up. There should be an installer file that should have been deleted. I'm guessing you already check Windows 'Program files'.

The registry might have a reference to the file, and that could be hard to find, depending on how it's named, but I would look for the installer file itself in one of those hidden folders. Messing with the registry can brick your OS if you delete the wrong thing. And always back up your registry before making any changes there.

[aedipuss]

iirc xp put things it is trying to install into /window/sys32/catroot2 so you need to rename catroot2 to clean it out as windows will recreate a new catroot2 without the pending installs. if windows come up with it's in use, you need to stop the service using it, cryptserv maybe?

[SLK001]

If Roxio is still in your "Add or Remove Programs" list (in the Control Panel), then remove it from there.

If that doesn't work, then look in Control Panel\Admin Tools\Services to find any Roxio services that are running. If you find any, double click on them and stop and disable the services. Also make note of what process is running that service under "Path to executable" and delete it after you have stopped the service. Also search your registry using Reg Workshop for "roxio". Delete all keys pretaining to it. Also check for unwanted startup processes using "MSCONFIG.EXE" from START/RUN.

Also check "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Run" to see if there is anything unwanted running.

Same thing with "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Cur rentVersion\Run" \RunOnce and \RunOnceEx. These last two will run a program at startup - and continue to run at startup, until they actual complete their operation (they get deleted once completed). Sounds like yours are completing, thus staying around.

googleupdate is like your problem. It elevates itself to superadministrator, so that extraordinary efforts are needed to remove it. It is just an unneed resource hog.

Anyway, this is how I would go about to eliminate the problem.

[Bjs]

1: Open registry editor
2: Browse to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Installer\Products

Under this you will see a long list of keys with alphanumeric names.
Locate the key belonging to the problematic product and delete it.

[ahhaa]

Thanks guys, I will try some of this today, but the real problem is that I don't want to lose the 'old' Roxio suite, as it has the Lightscribe stuff in it.

IMPORTANT: While looking for answers, I happened on an obscure Microsoft page called Diagnose & fix program installing & uninstalling problems automatically

It's called Fixit

http://support.microsoft.com/mats/Program_Install_and_Uninstall


I'd appreciate one of you guru guys checking it out, my machine is offline so I'd have to use the download version.

It might be useful, if it doesn't get into 'Please insert every Microsoft disc you've ever owned'... validations.

ps found this at wikipedia:
Beginning in May 2011, HP LightScribe® technology optical disc drives will be at the end of their production life in HP Desktop Workstations and Commercial Desktop PCs.
another technology done gone...)

[sanlyn]

If you ever use Roxio again (I'd advise against it) and you're asked to update, ignore it. Roxio updates never work, period.

How did Roxio get on your system to begin with? Did it come with the PC? That's a problem with OEM-installed utilities, you have no way of restoring it without finding it on the OEM's installation CD or supplemental discs, or reinstalling everything to original factory spec. I'd remove Roxio altogether and get a new burner. Shops like Newegg and TigerDirect have great deals on optical drives that come with burner software. Or, eBay is a good source if you just want the software.