KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q134981: PRB: Directories & Registry Entries Left After Deinstall

Article: Q134981
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 15-FEB-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

In Windows NT, Windows version 3.1, and Windows for Workgroups, removing all
Visual FoxPro files by using the Visual FoxPro Setup program does not remove the
main Visual FoxPro directories and related subdirectories. Also, in Windows NT
and Windows 95, registry information is not removed.

CAUSE
=====

This is by design. The Visual FoxPro directory tree is not removed for safety
reasons. Removing the directory tree could also delete user files and adding in
the algorithm to check for user files versus FoxPro files would have added an
additional level of complexity to the removal option.

RESOLUTION
==========

After the removal process has completed, you can delete the directory where
Visual FoxPro was installed by using File Manager.

To remove the Registry entries in Windows 95 and Windows NT, you need to delete
the Visual FoxPro key and all its subkeys by using the Registry Editor.
Microsoft does not support the use of the Registry Editor, so you are urged to
exercise extreme caution when working with the registry files. The Visual FoxPro
registry entries are found in HKEY_CURRENT_USER on Local Machine in the
Microsoft folder.

STATUS
======

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The README help file distributed with Visual FoxPro provides the following
information. Note that the last sentence of the first paragraph is incorrect:

  To remove Visual FoxPro from a hard disk in Windows for Workgroups or Windows
  NT, double-click the Setup icon in the Visual FoxPro program group. Then
  choose Remove All from the Visual FoxPro Setup dialog box. This process does
  not remove user files.

  CAUTION: Though the removal procedure offers several opportunities to keep
  files or shared components, it offers no final warning before it starts to
  delete all Visual FoxPro files. Press ESC to stop the removal process.

Any user-created files stored in the Visual FoxPro installation directory are
removed. To preserve these files, you must move them to a different directory
location before running Setup.

In Windows 95, this behavior is somewhat different in that the removal process
does prompt for the deletion of the directory tree. This is done as part of the
requirements for Windows 95 certification.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior
---------------------------

Run the Visual FoxPro Setup program contained in the Visual FoxPro program group,
and choose Remove all. When the software has been removed, start the File
Manager and verify that the directory where Visual FoxPro was installed is still
present.

Additional query words: 3.00 VFoxWin install deinstall

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300
Version           : WINDOWS:3.0

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.