WinXP add/remove programs gap

kb1ghc · 07-18-2004, 05:52 PM

In the Add/Remove programs menu, some programs have a LARGE space under the name of the program. I've noticed it's any program without an Icon.

It's really weird, and it makes that menu very annoying to use. Does anyone know how to fix it?

**Praetor** · 07-18-2004, 10:25 PM

Remove the entries via PowerTools: http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...ertoySetup.exe

Blind_Arrow · 07-20-2004, 08:34 AM

u must have visited soem place, that has installed scripts into your system, and they randomly install crap from internet.

**Praetor** · 07-20-2004, 09:55 AM

Yeah that too... make sure you have a run-through with antispyware tools

kb1ghc · 07-20-2004, 10:22 PM

no no no, i'm paranoid about spyware and stuff, i run Mozilla Firefox, and it check msconfig almost every day.

plus, it's just one program with a large gap, it's like the description of the program is 100 lines long

**Praetor** · 07-20-2004, 11:09 PM

Well if you do your normal antispyware sweeps you should be ok, just remove the entry via PowerTools

kb1ghc · 07-20-2004, 11:39 PM

there isn't anything on powertoys to do that

**Praetor** · 07-21-2004, 07:01 AM

Strange I thought there was. Odd. There is the option available in AdvancedXP Tweak

Krokodil Gena · 10-23-2004, 04:36 PM

Open run(from the start menu)/regedit

go to these keys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall

Often times it seems an empty key is to blame, so have a quick look through them, and see if anything looks odd.

Failing this, backup this portion of the registry (make sure you are backing up all of the keys in uninstall, not just the keys for a single program! Open the exported file in notepad to reassure yourself)

It's going to be the key for the last program listed before the gap - delete it, run add/remove programs and see if the gap has gone. restore the registry, because you don't want to delete all the references in add/remove to that program, now do you?

---
If it's not that key closest to the gap do the following:
Delete half of the keys - run add remove programs, see if the space has gone. If not, run the .reg file you made earlier to restore the registry, now delete the other half of the keys - there, the gap is gone when you re-run add remove programs. Restore the registry.

Repeat this - Deleting keys and running add remove programs , restoring the registry, until you have narrowed it down to the culprit.
---

Now that you know which key is cranky delete all the uninmportant sub-keys - contact number / url etc etc. It seems the crapper the program, the more keys people fill in! Really useless shareware programmers seem to go crazy filling in the keys...

I don't know the rationale behind this - one time I deleted a description and the gap went. Another I deleted an (incorrect? - I didn't check) path to an icon, and that did the trick.

Anyway, make sure your backup is good, and then it's a question of deleting and narrowing it down until the ill key is identified.

easy!

Graeme

07-18-2004, 05:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
kb1ghc Silver Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 220	WinXP add/remove programs gap In the Add/Remove programs menu, some programs have a LARGE space under the name of the program. I've noticed it's any program without an Icon. It's really weird, and it makes that menu very annoying to use. Does anyone know how to fix it?

07-18-2004, 10:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,946	Remove the entries via PowerTools: http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...ertoySetup.exe __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI

07-20-2004, 08:34 AM	#3 (permalink)
Blind_Arrow Bronze Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: London - UK Age: 31 Posts: 75	u must have visited soem place, that has installed scripts into your system, and they randomly install crap from internet. __________________ Intel P-4 3.2GHz 800FSB HT 4 X 512MB PC3200 DDR Kingstons Asus P4C800-E Deluxe ATi Radeon 9800XT 256MB Creative Audigy 2 ZS Creative Inspire 5.1 5700 Digital WD Raptor 10K RPM 36.6GB S-ATA Seagate Baracuda 120GB S-ATA Viewsonic P211 21.3" TFT Triple Boot with: Windows XP Professional SP1a Windows 2000 Professional SP4 SuSE Linux Professional 9.0

07-20-2004, 09:55 AM	#4 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,946	Yeah that too... make sure you have a run-through with antispyware tools __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI

07-20-2004, 11:09 PM	#6 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,946	Well if you do your normal antispyware sweeps you should be ok, just remove the entry via PowerTools __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI

07-20-2004, 10:22 PM	#5 (permalink)
kb1ghc Silver Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 220	no no no, i'm paranoid about spyware and stuff, i run Mozilla Firefox, and it check msconfig almost every day. plus, it's just one program with a large gap, it's like the description of the program is 100 lines long

07-20-2004, 11:39 PM	#7 (permalink)
kb1ghc Silver Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 220	there isn't anything on powertoys to do that

07-21-2004, 07:01 AM	#8 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,946	Strange I thought there was. Odd. There is the option available in AdvancedXP Tweak __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI

10-23-2004, 04:36 PM	#9 (permalink)
Krokodil Gena New Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 3	Here's what to do Open run(from the start menu)/regedit go to these keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall Often times it seems an empty key is to blame, so have a quick look through them, and see if anything looks odd. Failing this, backup this portion of the registry (make sure you are backing up all of the keys in uninstall, not just the keys for a single program! Open the exported file in notepad to reassure yourself) It's going to be the key for the last program listed before the gap - delete it, run add/remove programs and see if the gap has gone. restore the registry, because you don't want to delete all the references in add/remove to that program, now do you? --- If it's not that key closest to the gap do the following: Delete half of the keys - run add remove programs, see if the space has gone. If not, run the .reg file you made earlier to restore the registry, now delete the other half of the keys - there, the gap is gone when you re-run add remove programs. Restore the registry. Repeat this - Deleting keys and running add remove programs , restoring the registry, until you have narrowed it down to the culprit. --- Now that you know which key is cranky delete all the uninmportant sub-keys - contact number / url etc etc. It seems the crapper the program, the more keys people fill in! Really useless shareware programmers seem to go crazy filling in the keys... I don't know the rationale behind this - one time I deleted a description and the gap went. Another I deleted an (incorrect? - I didn't check) path to an icon, and that did the trick. Anyway, make sure your backup is good, and then it's a question of deleting and narrowing it down until the ill key is identified. easy! Graeme Last edited by Krokodil Gena; 10-23-2004 at 04:40 PM.

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