Member Avatar for Tainor

On a netbook I tried to uninstall all of its bloatware, which was like 5 GB or so. After some uninstalled programs, it began to uninstall the rest very slowly and at a certain point all uninstalls would freeze to death forcing me to kill the task and to reboot the PC if I wanted to uninstall something else as the uninstaller said it was already running when it wasn't.

I've searched all around to solve the problem but I have been unable to find a solution. Do I have to reinstall windows installer or what?

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Symptoms point to the Windows Installer state being left “in progress” (a stuck msiexec or a registry marker), which explains why uninstallers either hang or claim an install is already running even after a reboot. The goal is to clear the running process and the Installer’s in-progress flag, then try a clean uninstall.

First try these safe, non-destructive steps:

  • Open Task Manager and end any msiexec.exe, setup.exe or vendor install processes.
  • Restart the Windows Installer service (Services MMC) or from an elevated command prompt run the re-register sequence:
msiexec /unregister
msiexec /regserver

If the problem persists, backup the registry and remove the Installer “in progress” marker. In regedit, export a backup and then delete the key at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\InProgress

Reboot after removing that key. Only delete this if you are sure no installer is actually running.

Do a Clean Boot (msconfig) to disable third-party services/startup items and retry the uninstall; some preinstalled vendor utilities can block MSI operations. Check Event Viewer (Application log, source MsiInstaller) for error codes that point to what’s failing. If you still can’t clear the state, the old Windows Installer CleanUp tool or Microsoft’s Program Install and Uninstall troubleshooter can remove broken installer entries — use them with caution. Keep ’s reboot advice in mind and ’s warning: avoid removing drivers or chipset utilities you don’t recognize (factory image/repair install is safer if critical components are affected).

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Member Avatar for caperjack

uninstaller said it was already running when it wasn't.

have you restarted the netbook

Member Avatar for gerbil

Bloatware. List it. Some companies, like HP, install their own versions of drivers, services. You remove it and discover it was valid, necessary too, even though perhaps bloated with unwanted options and company branding. You possibly removed something that the chipset required.
For some it pays to buy a naked sys and a copy of the M$ bloatware [Windows].

Edited by gerbil because: n/a
Member Avatar for Tainor

I've found a strange message saying that an installation is on halt, even if I reboot the computer. It then prompts me to undo the changes that were made, but freezes no matter what I do.

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