Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software control

[Guest Ken Springer]

I've been uninstalling a lot of unused software, running spam/spyware,

installing all the updates, etc., all the usual stuff, I hope, on a friend's

computer. It was a mess, she sometimes had to manually shut down and restart

the computer when coldbooting.

 

After this last go around in doing all of this, something affected the

administrator's rights. I can no longer add or removed software using the

add removed software control panel. The guest account has been disabled, so

her administrator's account was the only active account.

 

The option to change/remove a program is not longer available for any

installed software when you open the add/remove control panel.

 

I thought I'd simply create a new administrator's account. In creating the

2nd admin account, I got a message that an administrator's account needed to

be created. I took this message to mean the system did not recognize the

original administrator's account to have administrator rights. Even though I

set the new account to be an administrator, the system did not recognize the

2nd account as having administrator authority either.

 

In researchin this issue here in newsgroups, I ran into a post that said to

run \scannow, but the system reports it cannot find scannow.

 

The computer is a Gateway, but at the moment I don't have any details as to

model, RAM, etc.

 

The computer runs fine, far, far, far, far better than it has in months,

apparently. If I don't get it fixed in the next couple of days, it shouldn't

be a problem.

 

Any ideas out there?

 

 

Ken

[Guest Nightowl]

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software control

 

Hi Ken

 

Please see my comments inline.

 

Ken Springer <wordworks.nospam@greeleynet.com> wrote on Fri, 25 Jul

2008:

>I've been uninstalling a lot of unused software, running spam/spyware,

>installing all the updates, etc., all the usual stuff, I hope, on a friend's

>computer. It was a mess, she sometimes had to manually shut down and restart

>the computer when coldbooting.

>

>After this last go around in doing all of this, something affected the

>administrator's rights. I can no longer add or removed software using the

>add removed software control panel. The guest account has been disabled, so

>her administrator's account was the only active account.

>

>The option to change/remove a program is not longer available for any

>installed software when you open the add/remove control panel.

 

When you say that something affected the administrator's rights, is this

because you can't add/remove programs? Because that in itself doesn't

mean there's any problem with an admin account.

>

>I thought I'd simply create a new administrator's account. In creating the

>2nd admin account, I got a message that an administrator's account needed to

>be created. I took this message to mean the system did not recognize the

>original administrator's account to have administrator rights. Even though I

>set the new account to be an administrator, the system did not recognize the

>2nd account as having administrator authority either.

 

Again, I'm not sure what you mean by "The system did not recognise the

second account as having administrator authority either." If the account

you were using didn't have admin rights, you wouldn't have been able to

create a second account at all. Here's a quick and easy way to check:

while you're in the account that you think *should* have admin rights,

right-click the Start button. If on the menu you have "Open All Users",

your account is an admin :-)

>

>In researchin this issue here in newsgroups, I ran into a post that said to

>run \scannow, but the system reports it cannot find scannow.

 

The command you're thinking of is:

 

sfc /scannow

 

but try this first: go to MVP Kelly Theriot's site here:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

 

Scroll down to line 337, right-hand column for Restore Change or Remove

Programs. There are instructions at the top of the page on how to use

the file.

 

Good luck! Let us know how you get on :-)

>

>The computer is a Gateway, but at the moment I don't have any details as to

>model, RAM, etc.

>

>The computer runs fine, far, far, far, far better than it has in months,

>apparently. If I don't get it fixed in the next couple of days, it shouldn't

>be a problem.

>

>Any ideas out there?

 

--

Nightowl

[Guest Ken Springer]

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software con

 

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software con

 

Hi, Nightowl,

 

I wrote a reply this morning, and then when I posted it, the message came

back that the post couldn't be displayed because the server was busy.

 

Maybe I should have just reloaded that page, but I hit the back button

instead, and of course everything I'd just written was gone.

 

So I just walked away in disgust.

 

Please see my replies inline below.

 

 

 

"Nightowl" wrote:

> Hi Ken

>

> Please see my comments inline.

>

> Ken Springer <wordworks.nospam@greeleynet.com> wrote on Fri, 25 Jul

> 2008:

>

> >I've been uninstalling a lot of unused software, running spam/spyware,

> >installing all the updates, etc., all the usual stuff, I hope, on a friend's

> >computer. It was a mess, she sometimes had to manually shut down and restart

> >the computer when coldbooting.

> >

> >After this last go around in doing all of this, something affected the

> >administrator's rights. I can no longer add or removed software using the

> >add removed software control panel. The guest account has been disabled, so

> >her administrator's account was the only active account.

> >

> >The option to change/remove a program is not longer available for any

> >installed software when you open the add/remove control panel.

>

> When you say that something affected the administrator's rights, is this

> because you can't add/remove programs? Because that in itself doesn't

> mean there's any problem with an admin account.

>

 

100% correct, I assumed, which a person should never do, that somehow the

administrator's rights had been compromised in some way.

> >

> >I thought I'd simply create a new administrator's account. In creating the

> >2nd admin account, I got a message that an administrator's account needed to

> >be created. I took this message to mean the system did not recognize the

> >original administrator's account to have administrator rights. Even though I

> >set the new account to be an administrator, the system did not recognize the

> >2nd account as having administrator authority either.

>

> Again, I'm not sure what you mean by "The system did not recognise the

> second account as having administrator authority either." If the account

> you were using didn't have admin rights, you wouldn't have been able to

> create a second account at all. Here's a quick and easy way to check:

> while you're in the account that you think *should* have admin rights,

> right-click the Start button. If on the menu you have "Open All Users",

> your account is an admin :-)

>

 

During the creation of the 2nd administrator account, I got a pop up

dialogue that sounded like the system did not recognize the orginal

administrator's account as having administration rights.

 

Thanks for the tidbit about "Open All Users", that's something I did not

know. I'm not an IT professional, just the most knowledgeable of my group of

friends and relatives so I get elected to solve problems! LOL

> >

> >In researchin this issue here in newsgroups, I ran into a post that said to

> >run \scannow, but the system reports it cannot find scannow.

>

> The command you're thinking of is:

>

> sfc /scannow

>

 

I did eventually try this, but the command wanted to see the CD with XP

Professional on it with SP #3. The command does not let you browse your hard

drive for anything, it insists on the CD, bypass the operation, of skip this

step. It came up 3 times, as I chose to skip, and then I aborted the process.

 

I downloaded SP 3, but for some reason the computer would not burn the SP to

a CD-R. I don't have a clue why, as a visual look at the CD shows the burner

tried to write things. I don't know if it makes any difference, but it's an

old CD-R, just a 74 minute CD. I didn't check any burner settings in XP to

see if that may be the problem.

> but try this first: go to MVP Kelly Theriot's site here:

> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

>

> Scroll down to line 337, right-hand column for Restore Change or Remove

> Programs. There are instructions at the top of the page on how to use

> the file.

>

 

I downloaded the file, and the owner and I were dismayed to find it deleted

the original administrators account. She wasn't happy with that at all, she

thought she'd lost everything. :-) But I showed her how to get everything

copied to the new admin account, and she's happy.

 

I sure wish we could attach files

 

I'll be leaving for home tomorrow afternoon via Amtak, but if we don't

resolve the issue, it won't be a major issue. With all the stuff I have

removed, and nearly 700 spyware and spamware issues now gone, the computer is

about 10X faster!! She's going to be investing in some spyware/software now,

she didn't think she needed any.

 

 

Ken

> Good luck! Let us know how you get on :-)

>

> >

> >The computer is a Gateway, but at the moment I don't have any details as to

> >model, RAM, etc.

> >

> >The computer runs fine, far, far, far, far better than it has in months,

> >apparently. If I don't get it fixed in the next couple of days, it shouldn't

> >be a problem.

> >

> >Any ideas out there?

>

> --

> Nightowl

>

[Guest Nightowl]

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software con

 

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software con

 

Ken Springer <wordworks.nospam@greeleynet.com> wrote on Sat, 26 Jul

2008:

>I wrote a reply this morning, and then when I posted it, the message came

>back that the post couldn't be displayed because the server was busy.

>

>Maybe I should have just reloaded that page, but I hit the back button

>instead, and of course everything I'd just written was gone.

>

>So I just walked away in disgust.

>

>Please see my replies inline below.

>

 

Hi Ken

 

The web interface is buggy and difficult to use :-( Most of us regular

readers use a newsreader instead -- makes things a lot easier!

>

>"Nightowl" wrote:

>

>> Hi Ken

>>

>> Please see my comments inline.

>>

>> Ken Springer <wordworks.nospam@greeleynet.com> wrote on Fri, 25 Jul

>> 2008:

>>

>> >I've been uninstalling a lot of unused software, running spam/spyware,

>> >installing all the updates, etc., all the usual stuff, I hope, on a friend's

>> >computer. It was a mess, she sometimes had to manually shut down and restart

>> >the computer when coldbooting.

>> >

>> >After this last go around in doing all of this, something affected the

>> >administrator's rights. I can no longer add or removed software using the

>> >add removed software control panel. The guest account has been disabled, so

>> >her administrator's account was the only active account.

>> >

>> >The option to change/remove a program is not longer available for any

>> >installed software when you open the add/remove control panel.

>>

>> When you say that something affected the administrator's rights, is this

>> because you can't add/remove programs? Because that in itself doesn't

>> mean there's any problem with an admin account.

>>

>

>100% correct, I assumed, which a person should never do, that somehow the

>administrator's rights had been compromised in some way.

>

>> >

>> >I thought I'd simply create a new administrator's account. In creating the

>> >2nd admin account, I got a message that an administrator's account needed to

>> >be created. I took this message to mean the system did not recognize the

>> >original administrator's account to have administrator rights. Even though I

>> >set the new account to be an administrator, the system did not recognize the

>> >2nd account as having administrator authority either.

>>

>> Again, I'm not sure what you mean by "The system did not recognise the

>> second account as having administrator authority either." If the account

>> you were using didn't have admin rights, you wouldn't have been able to

>> create a second account at all. Here's a quick and easy way to check:

>> while you're in the account that you think *should* have admin rights,

>> right-click the Start button. If on the menu you have "Open All Users",

>> your account is an admin :-)

>>

>

>During the creation of the 2nd administrator account, I got a pop up

>dialogue that sounded like the system did not recognize the orginal

>administrator's account as having administration rights.

>

>Thanks for the tidbit about "Open All Users", that's something I did not

>know. I'm not an IT professional, just the most knowledgeable of my group of

>friends and relatives so I get elected to solve problems! LOL

>

 

Heh, I know what you mean. Exactly the same thing happens to me.

 

>> >In researchin this issue here in newsgroups, I ran into a post that said to

>> >run \scannow, but the system reports it cannot find scannow.

>>

>> The command you're thinking of is:

>>

>> sfc /scannow

>>

>

>I did eventually try this, but the command wanted to see the CD with XP

>Professional on it with SP #3. The command does not let you browse your hard

>drive for anything, it insists on the CD, bypass the operation, of skip this

>step. It came up 3 times, as I chose to skip, and then I aborted the process.

>

>I downloaded SP 3, but for some reason the computer would not burn the SP to

>a CD-R. I don't have a clue why, as a visual look at the CD shows the burner

>tried to write things. I don't know if it makes any difference, but it's an

>old CD-R, just a 74 minute CD. I didn't check any burner settings in XP to

>see if that may be the problem.

>

>> but try this first: go to MVP Kelly Theriot's site here:

>> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

>>

>> Scroll down to line 337, right-hand column for Restore Change or Remove

>> Programs. There are instructions at the top of the page on how to use

>> the file.

>>

>

>I downloaded the file, and the owner and I were dismayed to find it deleted

>the original administrators account. She wasn't happy with that at all, she

>thought she'd lost everything. :-) But I showed her how to get everything

>copied to the new admin account, and she's happy.

>

>I sure wish we could attach files

 

 

Ken, Kelly's files are totally safe and this one *could not* delete your

administrator's account, or have any effect on it at all. All it does it

remove a policy setting which hides the change/remove options. If you

open the .reg file with Notepad you can see this for yourself.

 

But do you really mean it was deleted (I'm not sure, because you go on

to talk about copying settings and files to the new admin account)? Or

do you just mean you could no longer see it as an option on the Welcome

screen? If so, that's by design; once a second account with admin rights

is created, the built-in Administrator account is hidden (but still

there). In XP Pro you can access it by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at

the Welcome screen and typing Administrator for username and the

password, if any, in the login box that pops up. In XP Home, you need to

boot to Safe Mode and you'll again see Administrator on the Welcome

screen.

>

>I'll be leaving for home tomorrow afternoon via Amtak, but if we don't

>resolve the issue, it won't be a major issue. With all the stuff I have

>removed, and nearly 700 spyware and spamware issues now gone, the computer is

>about 10X faster!! She's going to be investing in some spyware/software now,

>she didn't think she needed any.

>

>

Sounds like you have done a good job for your friend, but if it was in

that bad a state I wouldn't be totally sure that her machine is clean.

Do din into her head the need to run protective software and regular

checks. She doesn't need to invest, there are lots of good free programs

out there, such as Ad-Aware, Spybot, Super AntiSpyware and MalwareBytes'

AntiMalware.

 

All the best,

--

Nightowl

[Guest Ken Springer]

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software con

 

Re: Cannot change/remove software with the add remove software con

 

Good Morning, Nightowl,

 

My comments are inline once again.

 

"Nightowl" wrote:

> Ken Springer <wordworks.nospam@greeleynet.com> wrote on Sat, 26 Jul

> 2008:

>

> >I wrote a reply this morning, and then when I posted it, the message came

> >back that the post couldn't be displayed because the server was busy.

> >

> >Maybe I should have just reloaded that page, but I hit the back button

> >instead, and of course everything I'd just written was gone.

> >

> >So I just walked away in disgust.

> >

> >Please see my replies inline below.

> >

>

> Hi Ken

>

> The web interface is buggy and difficult to use :-( Most of us regular

> readers use a newsreader instead -- makes things a lot easier!

>

 

I would too!!!! I've been trying out Forte's Agent at home, but it's got a

couple of quirks I don't particularly care for. Plus I don't need the email

ability, as I use Outlook for that so I can easily sync with my cell phone.

I don't really like Outlook either, but it's the syncing there. Got a good

newsreader to suggest?

 

On my Windows 98 machine, I used to use Opera for my browser, which has a

built in mail and newsgroup clients. I need to reinstall XP Home on my

personal machine, and when I get that done, I'm going to give Opera another

try. I've been using Firefox, but it seems to have issues for me.

 

But one thing I do know, unless I need a Windows computer for my next job, I

just became semi-retired, it will be a Mac, unless I can see a Linux equipped

machine and like what I see. One thing about a Mac, you can run a Windows OS

side by side with OS X.

> >

> >"Nightowl" wrote:

> >

> >> Hi Ken

> >>

> >> Please see my comments inline.

> >>

> >> Ken Springer <wordworks.nospam@greeleynet.com> wrote on Fri, 25 Jul

> >> 2008:

> >>

> >> >I've been uninstalling a lot of unused software, running spam/spyware,

> >> >installing all the updates, etc., all the usual stuff, I hope, on a friend's

> >> >computer. It was a mess, she sometimes had to manually shut down and restart

> >> >the computer when coldbooting.

> >> >

> >> >After this last go around in doing all of this, something affected the

> >> >administrator's rights. I can no longer add or removed software using the

> >> >add removed software control panel. The guest account has been disabled, so

> >> >her administrator's account was the only active account.

> >> >

> >> >The option to change/remove a program is not longer available for any

> >> >installed software when you open the add/remove control panel.

> >>

> >> When you say that something affected the administrator's rights, is this

> >> because you can't add/remove programs? Because that in itself doesn't

> >> mean there's any problem with an admin account.

> >>

> >

> >100% correct, I assumed, which a person should never do, that somehow the

> >administrator's rights had been compromised in some way.

> >

> >> >

> >> >I thought I'd simply create a new administrator's account. In creating the

> >> >2nd admin account, I got a message that an administrator's account needed to

> >> >be created. I took this message to mean the system did not recognize the

> >> >original administrator's account to have administrator rights. Even though I

> >> >set the new account to be an administrator, the system did not recognize the

> >> >2nd account as having administrator authority either.

> >>

> >> Again, I'm not sure what you mean by "The system did not recognise the

> >> second account as having administrator authority either." If the account

> >> you were using didn't have admin rights, you wouldn't have been able to

> >> create a second account at all. Here's a quick and easy way to check:

> >> while you're in the account that you think *should* have admin rights,

> >> right-click the Start button. If on the menu you have "Open All Users",

> >> your account is an admin :-)

> >>

> >

> >During the creation of the 2nd administrator account, I got a pop up

> >dialogue that sounded like the system did not recognize the orginal

> >administrator's account as having administration rights.

> >

> >Thanks for the tidbit about "Open All Users", that's something I did not

> >know. I'm not an IT professional, just the most knowledgeable of my group of

> >friends and relatives so I get elected to solve problems! LOL

> >

>

> Heh, I know what you mean. Exactly the same thing happens to me.

>

 

I guess we're both gluttons for punishment!!!!!! At least for one of my

sisters, my nephew gets the nod when he's home. He just built himself a

whale of a unit.

>

> >> >In researchin this issue here in newsgroups, I ran into a post that said to

> >> >run \scannow, but the system reports it cannot find scannow.

> >>

> >> The command you're thinking of is:

> >>

> >> sfc /scannow

> >>

> >

> >I did eventually try this, but the command wanted to see the CD with XP

> >Professional on it with SP #3. The command does not let you browse your hard

> >drive for anything, it insists on the CD, bypass the operation, of skip this

> >step. It came up 3 times, as I chose to skip, and then I aborted the process.

> >

> >I downloaded SP 3, but for some reason the computer would not burn the SP to

> >a CD-R. I don't have a clue why, as a visual look at the CD shows the burner

> >tried to write things. I don't know if it makes any difference, but it's an

> >old CD-R, just a 74 minute CD. I didn't check any burner settings in XP to

> >see if that may be the problem.

> >

> >> but try this first: go to MVP Kelly Theriot's site here:

> >> http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

> >>

> >> Scroll down to line 337, right-hand column for Restore Change or Remove

> >> Programs. There are instructions at the top of the page on how to use

> >> the file.

> >>

> >

> >I downloaded the file, and the owner and I were dismayed to find it deleted

> >the original administrators account. She wasn't happy with that at all, she

> >thought she'd lost everything. :-) But I showed her how to get everything

> >copied to the new admin account, and she's happy.

> >

> >I sure wish we could attach files

>

>

> Ken, Kelly's files are totally safe and this one *could not* delete your

> administrator's account, or have any effect on it at all. All it does it

> remove a policy setting which hides the change/remove options. If you

> open the .reg file with Notepad you can see this for yourself.

>

> But do you really mean it was deleted (I'm not sure, because you go on

> to talk about copying settings and files to the new admin account)? Or

> do you just mean you could no longer see it as an option on the Welcome

> screen? If so, that's by design; once a second account with admin rights

> is created, the built-in Administrator account is hidden (but still

> there). In XP Pro you can access it by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete twice at

> the Welcome screen and typing Administrator for username and the

> password, if any, in the login box that pops up. In XP Home, you need to

> boot to Safe Mode and you'll again see Administrator on the Welcome

> screen.

>

 

Another little tidbit of new knowledge. It's just hidden, and doesn't show

up at the welcome screen. I'd copied everything from the original install

using Windows Explorer. I'm not going to worry about it now.

 

But I just created a System Restore point, so if anything goes too bad, she

can restore to this date.

 

System Restore is another litte thing I hadn't previously known about.

> >

> >I'll be leaving for home tomorrow afternoon via Amtak, but if we don't

> >resolve the issue, it won't be a major issue. With all the stuff I have

> >removed, and nearly 700 spyware and spamware issues now gone, the computer is

> >about 10X faster!! She's going to be investing in some spyware/software now,

> >she didn't think she needed any.

> >

> >

> Sounds like you have done a good job for your friend, but if it was in

> that bad a state I wouldn't be totally sure that her machine is clean.

> Do din into her head the need to run protective software and regular

> checks. She doesn't need to invest, there are lots of good free programs

> out there, such as Ad-Aware, Spybot, Super AntiSpyware and MalwareBytes'

> AntiMalware.

 

I installed Ad-Aware here, and am trying to talk her into doing paying for

it so it can run in the background. She leaves her computer on 24/7, so we

can eventually configure it and everything to scan while she's at work. I've

scheduled her Symantec Anti-Virus so it won't interfere with her using the

computer when at home.

 

I also run Spyware Doctor from PC Tools at home and Spybot. I didn't know

about the other two. My nephew used to use WebRoot's product, but it never

seemed to do the job. I don't think you can have too many of these

utilities, none of them seem to find everything. :-)

 

Gonna have another great train ride today!!!

 

 

Have a great Sunday.

 

Ken

 

 

>

> All the best,

> --

> Nightowl

>