Uninstall Error: "This action is only valid for the products ...

[danieluc]

Hy guys,

I am using Install Shield 2008 Premiere, and recently I've encountered the following error when trying to uninstall:

"This action is only valid for products that are currently installed"

Anyone has any idea why this is happening ?

Thanks,
Daniell

[jedimaster_mark]

That means that the GUID of the product you're uninstalling isn't listed in the registry as an installed product.

[MattArnold]

How about a registry path to where it's looking so the Product GUID can be manually modified or added from there?

My machine got in this state after testing a broken "Change" option under Add/Remove Programs (which I only had to add because Install Shield doesn't seem to offer any other way to differentiate between Uninstall Mode and Upgrade Mode without this option enabled).  Now I'm stuck with an application I can't get Install Shield to recognize is installed on my machine and can't get it to recognize it isn't!  Any previous installers or the current installer launch maintenance mode which raise this error for "Modify", "Repair" and "Uninstall" and manually deleting the files from Program Files makes no difference either!  I'm completely stuck and really want this feature removed in my installer once I can actually use it on my machine but also need to know in Install Script when the installer is in uninstall mode and when it is in Upgrade mode!

[MattArnold]

Well I found the registry path myself:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\PRODUCT_CODE_GOES_HERE

I had to delete the registry key which matched the Product Code of the Installshield project for my application (found under "General Information") and it then allowed me to run the installer again to install an uncorrupted complete installation of my application.

[MattArnold]

Having corrupted the installation again in the same way, the registry key has not reappeared and thus I cannot delete it to resolve the issue again! The entry still appears under Add/Remove Programs however (I say "however" because I thought that list was supposed to be maintained from this registry path!).

[MattArnold]

Strangely this time, the entry went to what appears-to-be the 32-bit equivalent registry path:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\PRODUCT_CODE_GOES_HERE

Deleting this one yielded the same result.

[MattArnold]

...And now that I've deleted both registry keys and the installation has become corrupted again, it's permanently stuck on my machine!

[MattArnold]

This time deleting this registry key deleted the Add/Remove Program Files entry.  I don't think there are any more left to delete after this one though:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\InstallShield_PRODUCT_CODE_GOES_HERE

[danieluc]

Hi again,

Thanks for the quick response. Do you think of any reason why is that? ,or where to check why is this not happening anymore?

Daniell

[danieluc]

Hi again,

Got the error: somehow the Product Code GUID has changed...

thanks