XP Pro Problem following lost firewall

[GandalfGrey]

Recently attempted to update ZoneLabsPro....attempt failed with 'True Vector" error. Coud not get ZoneLabs back up.....

Now strange things are happening.....

Tried to remove program & no longer have that option on most of my software???? Also have about 100 added files/programs listed in Software Repair/Remove window....

Suggestions?

Duke

[BartusCompater]

Do you have Windows Xp Service Pack 2? If not, you need to download it. When/if you do, make sure you have the Windows Firewall set on as some measure of defense for your computer that if I read correctly, lost it's firewall.

I think it would be helpful for the people here if you also posted what kind of unexpected/new things you have noticed in the edit/remove programs list that you mentioned. Also, you said wierd things are happening, were you referring to the aforementioned programs list?

Next, head to http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ and get a free viruscan. That should get you started until a real expert gets in here.

[classicsoftware]

The problem is with Z/A. The pro version causes problems. Re-install. Then boot into safe mode and try to uninstall..

Let us know if it works....

[GandalfGrey]

Thanks for the two replies. I am at SP2 in XP......sorry I said Pro...it is XP Home....my laptop is pro....

I have no listing in the Change/Remove window for Zone Labs......

I have 80-100 listings that are unusual....things that seem to be files, not programs....such as "Block Diagrams", "CAD Drawing Converter", "CC_ccstart",
"Borders & Backgrounds".....etc.

The listings, and all my regular programs, except a couple, are beside a greyed-out icon and the listings do not offer me any chance to change or remove the listings.

Now my system is failing to run several of my software programs.....Print Shop 21....Microsoft Publisher, etc. They begin to load then stop and hang there.

I have run every check program of which I am aware to determine any worm/virus, etc. and find nothing.

When I try to reinstall the Zone Labs I get a "True Vector" error......the Zone Labs folks, of course, tell me it is Windows.

I am about ready to scrap the thing and blow away my HDs (I have two) and start over again......

Any suggestions appreciated.

Duke

[GandalfGrey]

Do you suppose a reinstall of Windows might help....perhaps missing or corrupted files????

Duke

[Sylvander]

Ideally you'd have a backup of the C: partition made when all was well, and you'd just restore that to "jump back" to the way things were then.

If you don't have a backup, then try using "last good configuration".
Assuming that enough of the good configuration settings in that are matched by files that have not been deleted, then all will be well.

You could try classicsoftware's suggestion to install then uninstall ZA after the above [if needed].

If none of that is good enough, run a "repair" Windows re-installation.

[classicsoftware]

I meant Pro as in Zone Alaram Pro.....

Please try what I said first. Otherwise we will have to manually remove it from your registry.

[GandalfGrey]

It will not reinstall.......True Vector fails every time I try it.

Duke

[classicsoftware]

Use this to rid yourself of the beast.

[GandalfGrey]

Oh, Exalted Grand Master Gek....."classicsoftware"......

Ye have prevailed......now I have ZL Pro back....Thank You sincerely!

However, now I need to deal with what is quite apparently a separate problem....the "change/remove" software option in Win XP....& all the extra listings...plus the fact I cannot "change/remove" them!

Any thoughts since you obviously knew the ZL cure.....

Thanks again, and welcome from a person who loves the best of PA beers, Yuengling Lager! (Now brewed here in Tampa, also, but not the same as with your water!)

Duke

[classicsoftware]

Well Duke:

I acutually prefer Dark Beer, but the Hof Brau Haus is over 10 hours by plane to Munich so...... I go very 20 years or so...


Now to the serious part. It's not really Windows fault if a program like ZA removes itself from the add/remove programs listing before it uninstalls itself.

What other programs are there, but not installed and not there, but installed.

Let me know....

[PrntRhd]

Duke,
Try CCleaner to see if will remove the extra entries, look for Issues on the left of the interface. In Tools on left it also has an uninstaller function as well.
http://www.ccleaner.com/
and it is free!

[GandalfGrey]

Classic, how do I respond......?

The items listed may or may not be there......some are active programs.....some appear to be files and many seem to be connected to Visio, one of my programs.

They have no option for removal......

I have tried to remove some....even blowing away the files and directories....then I still see them listed, but cannot remove them. (the listings, not the files which are gone).....

Confusing? Yeah, me too!

Duke

[Sylvander]

The "Add/Remove Programs" window is constructed [by the Windows shell = Explorer] by displaying "Keys" in the registry [at least they SHOULD be in the registry].
Try going into "regedit" and using "Edit->Find..." to search for the name of a program you KNOW should be there.
Meanwhile I'll see if I can find where mine are located.

[Sylvander]

In my registry the keys are at:
"HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Uninstall".
There's a key for each program.
The "UninstallString" "Data" specifies what does the uninstallation.

[GandalfGrey]

THE PLOT THICKENS!

On checking as suggested by Sylvander.......I find:

In my Base C:/Windows folder......in addition to my usual Windows folders, a whole slew of additional folders with labels like: "$NTUninstallKB835732$" and "$MSI31Uninstall KB893803$.......must be 30 of these.

Inside the folders....like the 1st I named above are files and a folder.....

Contents: a folder named "spuninst" plus a number of .dll files, and a few named "reg008", etc.

Within the "spuninst" folder are three files.....

"spuninst" (an application with a label "windows service pack uninstall"); a file in notepad "spuninst setup information" & another "spuninst text document".

It appears to me something to do with SP2 has screwed up the area......should I run a couple of the uninstall applications and see what happens????

Thanks
Duke

[classicsoftware]

Duke:

Please be every specific. You are not clear. Where do the items show up? Where do they not show up give examples.

[Sylvander]

"should I run a couple of the uninstall applications and see what happens?"
I wouldn't risk it, not using those odd moved versions anyway.
You might try looking at the "UninstallString" for "ZoneAlarm" and try that.
See if there are uninstall keys in the registry for [the strange folders named] "KB835732" & "KB893803" etc, and where the registry "UninstallString" says the uninstall data/program Should be located.
It looks like something has moved [some or] all the uninstall files out of position, possibly for a nasty purpose [is the PC infected?]

If you don't have a backup of C: but could go back to a restore point [so the configuration files say that the PC doesn't have the latest updates], then you might be able to go back the the Windows update site and have that re-do the updates.

[GandalfGrey]

"Classicsoftware", I'll try to make this clear....and I understand it is a bit hard to make it so!

1. In post #4 above I listed some samples of the extra listings in my "change/remove" window for Windows.....These listings seem to be files not programs....and they are all sort of greyed out.....they are in addition to my regular programs listed in the change/remove list.

2. The items I listed in post #16 just above are all located in my C:/Windows folder. Each has the same "spuninst" folder inside....thus my belief it has to do with the Service Pack from Windows.

3. To answer Sylvander in post # 18 above......I have tried the restore process and it sez it cannot complete the command. as for infected, I have tried every inspection know to man and nothing was found. Even when I had the Zone Labs problem my Norton was still in place and up to date. Disk Doctor fins nothing as well.

Let me add one more effort on my part.....I tried to re-install or fix Windows, and the process will not run. It tells me I have a "newer version" than the disk....obviously referring to the SP2 install, and will not run anything except an options offering which will not help. I tried to re-set my boot to be from CD & reinstall Windows that way, but the thing reads the disk, checks the C: drive and then opens C:/Windows....

It is all getting a bit jumbled.....but I do feel because of the files I have not located in Windows that the thing has to do with a failed or messed up SP2 install.

Thoughts folks?

Thanks
Duke

[Sylvander]

"Thoughts folks?"
Personally, I tend to go for the "Alexander the Great Cutting the Gordion Knot" approach. You can spend more time fiddling than it would take to begin afresh.
It all depends on what you have available to you in the way of knowledge, techniques, software.
You could save all your important data [you should have that done already as a matter of routine], then [zero-fill, re-partition][I zero-filled and re-partitioned my drive twice in the last 2 days (it's good Practise)] reformat, and rebuild your software [re-install Windows and all programs].
Make backups at strategic points along the way.
The backup that's made once the build is complete should be saved long-term; that's a good place to be able to "jump back" to if all else fails [I bet you wish you had one of those right now].
I had great fun yesterday zero-filling, re-partitioning, re-formatting, re-storing backups. The zero-filling is the thing that takes the longest.
Once you have backups of a clean, orderly system that's working well, all of these kinds of software problems will be history.

[classicsoftware]

I think for now, reformatting and restoring is overkill.
Please list everything in the Add/remove program list. I think what are suffering from now is a failure to communicate.

[GandalfGrey]

OK Exalted Grand.....you asked for it......

Here is 1st section of the Add/Remove program list.....

Add-Ons
Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Standard
Adobe Reader 6.0
Advanced Network Diagramming
Advanced Network Diagramming Help
AutoDiscovery and Layout
AutoDiscovery and Layout Help
Block Diagrams
Block Diagrams Help
Borders and Backgrounds
Borders and Backgrounds Help
BTrieve
CAD Drawing Converter
CAD Drawing Converter Help
CAD Drawing Display
Callouts and Connectors Help
CC_ccStart

That is page 1 of 5 plus pages of this stuff within the Add/Remove window. Most DO NOT have the button for Change/Remove.....a few do.

That help????

Duke

[Sylvander]

What's the list like in the registry below the "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Uninstall" key?
Is the registry a mess?
Seems like a group of keys were move to the wrong location [the "Uninstall" key] in the registry.

[classicsoftware]

List them all from top to bottom.

Then look in the resgistry where Sylvander is pointing and see how many match up.