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Q170669: Creating C:\Program Folder Causes Add/Remove Program to Fail

Article: Q170669
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): WinNT:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbsetup
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

After you create a folder called C:\Program, if you then go to Control Panel,
double-click Add/Remove Programs, and select an installed program to remove or
update, you get the following error message:

  An error occurred while trying to remove "program_name"
  Uninstallation has been cancelled

If you rename the folder called Program to, for example, Program2, you see the
following message:

  This change may impact one or more registered programs. Do you want to
  continue?

CAUSE
=====

In the registry under

  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall
  \...

any programs whose uninstall string value starts with C:\Progra~1 or "C:\Program
Files\..." will fail to be removed if a C:\Program folder exists.

These examples will fail:

  UninstallString:reg_sz:c:\Program Files\My_program\setup setup

  UninstallString:reg_sz:"c:\Program Files\My_program\setup" setup

  UninstallString:reg_sz:c:\Progra~1\My_program\setup setup

RESOLUTION
==========

Perform the following steps to remove the desired application:

1. Rename the C:\Program folder.

2. Click the Start button, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then
  double-click Add/Remove Programs.

3. Click the application you want to remove, and then click Remove.

4. Click OK.

5. Rename the folder in step 1 back to its original name.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are
researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbsetup 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : WinNT:4.0

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