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Programs Cannot Be Uninstalled In Vista?
Corson writes "I am surprised that nobody seems to have mentioned this here yet. Possibly after one of the latest updates in Windows Vista, two strange things happened: first, the Uninstall option is no longer available in the Control Panel when you right-click on older programs (most likely, those installed prior to the update in question, because uninstall works fine for recently installed programs — the Uninstall button is also missing on the toolbar at the top); second, some programs are no longer shown on the applications list in Control Panel (e.g., Yahoo Messenger). A Google search returns quite a few hits on this issue (e.g., one, two, three, and four) but everybody seems to be waiting patiently for a sign from Microsoft. But the company seems to have no clue or they would have fixed it already. I am just curious how many of you are experiencing this nuisance."
Whats with all the comments about switching to another OS or some smart-ass comment about not using Windows?
When I was younger my best tactic for fixing a computer issue was to format. As I got older I realized that solution is impractical. Just like switching to another OS is impractical for most of us.
mine is OK. Another article bashing Vista, uh?
Yes, just because you're not having problems, that obviously means that nobody else with a different hardware configuration, different software installed, or a different version of Vista could possibly be having issues with it. That would just be silly.
Goo goo g'joob.
It works both ways though -- some number of users experience a problem and they think that *everyone* must be having the problem. Other users aren't having the problem and don't understand how *anyone* could be having trouble. Despite what some may think, assholes are a two-way street :)
An update in Vista breaking something rather major (the ability to uninstall shit), qualifies as both news (hasn't happened to any other version of Windows that I recall), and something that matters (plenty of people are using Vista, even if it's only because it came with their computer, so this is potentially affecting quite a few people). It quite firmly belongs on slashdot, thanks.
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
Translation: a grand total of 5 users say they are experiencing this problem, probably including the author of this story.
After reading the posts linked in the article it seems the problem might be related to Yahoo toolbar crapware being installed on the PCs. You can use use system restore to fix the problem. Stop clicking "accept" when UAC warns you not to install crapware. Stop posting Vista FUD stories to Slashdot. Thank you.
To add to that, there's often articles about Firefox vulnerabilities on Slashdot, and many posts saying 'everything works fine here' regularly modded up to +5.
In this case, the very first post saying 'mine is OK' is modded as Redundant.
Absolutely... just as you would with any other vendor patch to a production system.
That's not an end user's job. That's the IT staff's job. End users shouldn't be applying patches. Period. End of story. That's what the IT staff is there for.
Those sysads should be retrained or fired.
If you allow things like that to happen automatically, you're going to have to deal with the consequences.
Find another vendor then. No one forces Microsoft's products on you.
...Rob
The American Dream isn't an SUV and a house in the suburbs; it's Don't Tread On Me.
Would your "vetting" process have spotted this...?
I can see how a "vetting process" would spot major problems with a patch but would you honestly have spotted "uninstall button missing for some applications"?
To me it seems like the sort of thing people only notice weeks or months after an update.
No sig today...
1. Download cool app
2. Install cool app
3. Use cool app... it works, cool
4. Guess I don't need that installer anymore
5. Ya know, I don't need this, how do I uninstall it?
Yeah, it's obvious from the OS that I should go re-download the original installer and hope that it has an uninstaller.
Pushing the problem to the developer is essentially pushing it to the end user, because the end user has to manage this stuff, and Apple doesn't even trust its users to organize their own Music folders, etc. They've got these amazing frameworks for implementing common parts of most programs, but not tracking which program does what?
I hope it's just because they're trying for a revolutionary way of tracking these dependencies, or its because of patent licensing or something... and not that they don't think it's necessary
Not to criticize, but when was the last time Microsoft successfully responded to a 0-day within 24, 48, or 72 hours?
Don't tell me to get a life. I'm a gamer; I have LOTS of lives!
Microsoft has claimed the problem is less than 5% of all units.
Maybe the big image problem MicroSoft is having as far as bugs and quality control is a matter of people expecting more from computers as they get ever more integrated in our lives. If 5% of a new model of HD-DVD player wouldn't eject the DVD, there would be a recall. When PCs were novelties it was OK for them to be "quirky". That time has passed. MicroSoft, and much of the software world in general, need to step up and produce goods with real craftsmanship, not patched together. Yes I know modern software is all terribly complex, but if it's too hard to do well, go into a different line of work.
We are all just people.
This isn't a Microsoft problem.
It is stupid application problem.
If the application screws up the uninstall - something that hasn't really changed since 1995 - then the publisher should be the one blamed and complained to.
Microsoft built a framework. If the application doesn't follow it and requires you to "reinstall to uninstall" or some such nonsense it is hardly a Microsoft problem.
Of course this all assumes you have enough staff to have someones primary job being testing updates. Most places unfortunately have just enough IT staff to keep things running. Sure things will occasionally break but and someone will have to work overtime. Sure a good sysadmin should delay patch releases for a few days in case any big news comes out. But thats the about the most you can expect for the average business.
The problem with software is the license crap. The part that makes it impossible to return it as defect, even if it contains thousands of critical bugs. We need more consumer protection there. Just like any other items, if it has more than a low number of non-critical problems, one should be able to return any software for a full refund.
Pass that as a law, include that no license, EULA or any other agreement can void that right, and within record time, software quality would go up.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Except if you're a small ma and pa shop then the end user is the IT staff.
The world isn't always as black and white as we might like it to be.
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife