Add/Remove shortcuts will not go away

dynamox · ‎Jul 16, 2003

Hello guys. I am beginning to think this is a Adminstudio 5 issue. When i install my msi by double clicking, i can go into add/remove and successfully uninstall the product (files are gone as well as the shortcut in add/remove). When i install my msi via Active Directory policy, i can uninstall ...they files are gone and the link in Add/Remove dissapears. I close Add/Remove dialog and reopen it and the Link to my app is back. At this point the link does not have the "change" button, only remove. I click remove, it removes the link again. I close add/remove dialog ...go back in ...the link is back. This happens to all of my msi's that i have created using AdminStudio 5. I 've never had this problem with 3.5.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

dynamox · ‎Jul 16, 2003

I just searched the registry and found the app listed under Hkey Classes Root\Installer\Products....when i remove the product key, it's gone from Add/Remove for good. Why is this key not getting removed but the installer?

Thanks

RajeshTammana · ‎Jul 16, 2003

This seems strange to me. We have not seen this issue until now.

Can you try installing the package directly on the machine without distributing through Active Dirctory? If it does not happen in that case, it may be due to Active Directory distribution mechnaism.

Regards
Rajesh Tammana
InstallShield Software Corporation.

AlaksSevugan · ‎Jul 16, 2003

I'm assuming that you have assigned the software packages to users (not machines) in Group Policy via the user configuration node in the Group Policy MMC.

When a software is assigned to users,

1. Shortcut appears in the start menu or Desktop after logon
2. Installed when the shortcut is launched the first time.
3. Will reappear automatically if removed from Add/Remove Programs panel.
4. Installed through document association.

As you can see, when the software is assigned via group policy, the Software is said to be a managed application. Managed application can be removed only when removed from the Group Policy. It cannot be uninstalled/removed from the client desktop.

Let me know if you have any questions.

dynamox · ‎Jul 16, 2003

Hello AlaksSevugan. This msi is assigned, so it gets installed per machine. Per Rajesh suggestions i installed it by double clicking the msi, then uninstalled it without any problems. The app did not reappear in Add/REmove. I've repackaged a dozen of msi's and have never seen this before. This happens on two packages that i have repackaged. When the app is installed via GPO, and i manually go to Add/Remove and uninstall it, i know that it gets unistalled...the files are gone, links in Program File menu are gone...odbc connections are gone, so i know it works, it's just it does not remove product id from Hkey Classes Root\Installer\Products. How can i troubleshoot this guys?

Thanks

RajeshTammana · ‎Jul 16, 2003

When an msi package is assigned, the entry in the Add/Remove programs is always shown even after the package is removed from the System. It is a way of MSI advertising and installing the application on demand.

If the assignment item is removed from the GPO, then the item in the Add/Remove programs panel will be removed.

Regards
Rajesh Tammana

dynamox · ‎Jul 16, 2003

Hello Rajesh. I am not publishing my msi , my msi is assigned to the computer's OU in AD. When the GPO is assigned to a particular OU, computer account gets moved to that OU and all apps get installed on the first reboot. Msi's from Microsoft, Symantec, WRQ are being assigned to the OU where my client computers are. They are always dissapear from Add/Remove when uninstalled.

CChong · ‎Jul 17, 2003

When you assign an application using GPO to a computer the following will happen.
1. You should reboot your machine.
2. During your reboot process your assigned application will be installed on your computer. It will be a full install of the application not just the creation of the advertised shortcuts in the Program menu.
3. Uninstall of the application has to done from the GPO as the Change and Remove button in the Add/Remove Panel will be disabled.

However when you assign an application to a user the following will happen.
1. User logs off and log back again.
2. You will see the Application showing up in the Add/Remove programs in the Control panel with Remove button enabled.
2. You will also see the shortcut of the application showing up in the Program Menu.

Now in this case (assigning to a user) the application is not completely installed, all you see in the Program menu are advertised shortcuts. When you click on the shortcut, application will be installed at that time. Also the application entry will always show up in the Add/Remove program. Even if you remove the application, the entry has its remove button enabled. The reason for this is your machine still has advertised shortcuts and this means you still have some pieces of your application on your local machine and I think that is the reason why Windows always shows this entry with Remove button enabled.

Now you can get rid of this entry from Add/Remove program completely if you publish your application instead of assigning it. When you publish the application there are no shortcuts that are created. User has to go to Add/Remove programs and then click on Add New Programs button and then they will see this Published application. Now when they install this application it will show in the Add/Remove Program and if you uninstall you see it is gone from the Add/Remove programs.

I think you were publishing your MSI’s created by AdminStudio 3.5 instead of Assigning them. Try assigning them and I think you will get the same result as you are getting with MSI packages created with AdminStudio 5.0

dynamox · ‎Jul 23, 2003

Hello Amber. Thank you for trying to help me: I do agree with what you said here:

------When you assign an application using GPO to a computer the following will happen.
1. You should reboot your machine.
2. During your reboot process your assigned application will be installed on your computer. It will be a full install of the application not just the creation of the advertised shortcuts in the Program menu.-------------

****3. Uninstall of the application has to done from the GPO as the Change and Remove button in the Add/Remove Panel will be disabled.******

But i disagree with step number 3. I've personally unistalled msi's from Symantec, Microsoft, WRQ, Citrix that were deployed via GPO assigned. They were uninstalled and never came back. This is driving me nuts, cause my msi's get unstalled, only leaving the little trail in HKCR\Installer\Products key. Of course i can write a little VBScript to remove those values with a custom Action, but i still wonder why should i?. Anymore suggestions Amber? Thank you for helping me out.

billyl · ‎Nov 13, 2003

dynamox,

Did you figure out the solution? I am having the same problem as you are.

Thanks.

Billy

dynamox · ‎Nov 28, 2003

nope Billy. I had to write a little vbs to remove those values from the registry.