Are there any standard uninstall utilities in XP?

October 15, 2008

Hi.

The problem:

1) application installed from RAR SFX archive - registered some

objects, created some shortcuts, etc.

2) it created record in [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows

\CurrentVersion\Uninstall] with "UninstallString" parameter.

Are there any standard uninstall utilities in WinXP to run uninstall

for such application?

msiexec does not work because there were no MSI package - it installed

from SFX archive, not from MSI package.

WMIC product where name="..." call uninstall does not work too (by

unknwon reason).

Questions are:

1) Is there any other way to uninstall it? Any standard tools to

simply execute command specified in "UninstallString".

2) How to configure manually key in [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE

\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall] to make it working with

msiexec? Remember - there is no MSI package - there is only RAR SFX

archive.

3) Can you recommend some installation preparing tools that costs

reasonable price (or free) and not looks like a mightmare?

==Some lyric step side:BEGIN==

1) I'm wondering - WHY windows still do not have standard and simple

"uninstall" utility that will ONLY run command specified in

"UninstallString" registry parameter?!

2) It is completely crazy situation with installation tools.

a) InstallShield - cost CRAZY money - 3-4k USD!

b) NullSoft installer is free but looks like low level assmebler -

completely stupid and user unfriendly!

c) Deployment project in Visual Studio requires .NET installed - 20mb

of additional "shit" that we have to enforce our customers to

install. :-\

==Some lyric step side:END==