How to Solve Uninstall Errors
One of the most common problems of uninstall errors is that the configuration of the computer has changed. So in general try to make sure the configuration is the same as when you installed the problematic software.
Especially the installation location can be a problem. If you added a drive or changed drive letters somehow, that can be a problem. The same applies to folders. If the installation folder changed, the uninstaller will have problems finding and removing the software.
Some programs keep track of folders and paths used in and by the program, mostly in the Windows registry. In many cases, these entries in the registry need to be corrected or cleared before uninstalling the program will work. You can try using a registry cleaner to remove the entries and then try to uninstall the software again.
What is Uninstall Error 1324?
Error 1324 is a typical example of an installation error. The error can happen when installing or uninstalling software. The most common error message in this case is “Error 1324: The path xxxxxx contains an invalid character”, where ‘xxxxxx’ refers to a folder on your computer. Basically it means that there is a problem with the shell folders. You can manually correct the problem by modifying the registry to correct the path for the program you are trying to uninstall, or you can simply reset all shell folders in the registry. Both require editing of the registry. There are two registry keys in Windows XP and Vista:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders
and
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
Check both for invalid drive letters and folders and make corrections as required. You can edit the registry or make sure the path exists by re-assigning driver letters and moving folders around. If you edit the registry, it is best to make use of the environment variables as seen in the screenshot.
Common programs that can suffer from this type of error are Windows Media Player in relation with URGE and Adobe Acrobat (Reader).
What is Uninstall Error 1404?
Error 1404 is an error that can also occur when uninstalling software. A common scenario is when you remove or uninstall antivirus software. The exact error message is:
Error 1404: Cannot delete ‘xxxxxx’. Verify that you have sufficient access to the key or contact your support personnel.
The ‘xxxxxx’ will refer to a registry key, and the problem is that the registry key can not be deleted as a result of insufficient privileges. The solution to this error is to manually change the access rights for the registry key and delete it. You need to click the Start menu and select Run. In the Run box, type regedit and press Enter. In the Windows registry editor, locate the exact key that is listed in the error message (the ‘xxxxxx’). Right-click the registry key and in the popup menu, select Permissions.
In the Permissions dialog box, make sure that the Administrator group has Full Control. Now again right-click the registry key and in the popup menu, select Delete. Click Yes on the confirmation prompt.
Other Uninstall Errors
If the PC configuration has not changed, you can also try reinstalling the problematic software, and then uninstall it. This can only work if you install the software at the same location as it is currently installed though. The reinstall can fix any problems with the registry paths and as a result, allow you to uninstall it.
Insufficient privileges can be another cause of uninstall errors. If you run Windows XP or Windows Vista, you can first try running the uninstall process under the user account that you used to install software, but in most cases an account with administrator privileges is required. This is especially true for antivirus software.
Antivirus software is tightly integrated into the operating system which requires sufficient access rights, both for installing and uninstalling the antivirus software. Error 25002 when uninstalling Norton Antivirus software is an example of such an error.
Since a lot of applications use the Microsoft installer for both installing and uninstalling software, a possible cause of uninstall errors is a problem with the Microsoft installer, MSIEXEC.EXE. Re-registering the MSIEXEC.EXE program can help in these cases.
I hope the above solutions help you with your uninstallation problems. If all these seem a bit too technical to do for your taste, you can always use 3rd party uninstaller software such as Perfect Uninstaller. Not only does this tool uninstall any unwanted software for you, but you can even use it to ‘force uninstall’ sneaky software that seem to embed themselves deep into your system.
Another plus is that if Perfect Uninstaller can’t, for whatever reason, remove the software you want to remove, you can use its built-in Special Uninstall feature to let them know what you want removed and you’ll get a reply within 48 hours on exactly how to remove it.
Software Tip
