# Trying to uninstall a game that's been deleted...



## bubbagumper6 (Nov 12, 2008)

Ok so I tried to install Gears of War onto my second hard drive...but for some reason I couldn't find the game exe file to actually launch the game.  No start menu shortcut, no desktop shortcut, wasn't in the first folder of the game so I'm thinking something went wrong...so stupidly I just deleted the game's folder.  Well to make a long story short I can't reinstall the game.  Every time I go to install it, it thinks I want to uninstall it and the uninstaller fails.

I've cleaned the registry with 2 different programs, one of which even deleted the entry for the uninstall programs list.  When I put the disc in before instead of it saying "Install" it would say "Play now" but I got it back to saying "Install" so the disc doesn't think the game is on my computer but obviously windows still does or something like that...any advice?

Also can't run system mechanic because I'm running 64bit Vista.


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## russb (Nov 12, 2008)

Would a system restore do the job.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 12, 2008)

well it might but I just reformatted my computer (which is why I was reinstalling games) so I just reinstalled a bunch of other stuff too...will a restore mess any of that up?


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## russb (Nov 12, 2008)

I think you should wait for someone who knows whats what i dont know about computers.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 12, 2008)

lol ok...


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## jimmymac (Nov 12, 2008)

i assume the configuration files are still on your system and likely in a different place to where the system files would have been. Do a search for anything labelled "gears" and you might find said directory with them in.

Most likely it will be in the documents and settings folder on your main drive, check in there and in my documents to see if theres anything labelled Gears of war


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 12, 2008)

yeah already tried searching...it turns up nothing 

specifically the error says "Description:failed to load DLL: GameuxinstallHelper"


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## Cromewell (Nov 12, 2008)

Does it not have an option to repair the existing install?


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 12, 2008)

no, it has it's own startup screen that says Install, Uninstall, Support, Exit.  (uninstall is grayed out though)

Or after it's installed it says Play, Uninstall, Support, Exit.

If I click install it just comes up with a message asking if I'm sure I want to remove all game data from my computer...if I click yes I get the error.


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## Cromewell (Nov 12, 2008)

I don't like telling people to do this but try using regedit to remove the keys the installer set (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Gears of War\). You should backup your registry first incase you accidently delete the wrong key.

There may be more in other places, you can use the registry key search to find them. Again, be careful not to delete the wrong one.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 12, 2008)

did that already too...I've been combing the registry for anything related to gears of war...

when it first happened the game would come up with the Play or uninstall options but after a lot of registry editing I got it to come up with Install or uninstall options.  So the disc doesn't recognize that it's installed, I guess it's just windows?


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## Cromewell (Nov 13, 2008)

What happens now? You may just have to clean up the old windows installer stuff.


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## PC eye (Nov 13, 2008)

With the main reg values gone you have to start looking under your user name for either the "DocumentsandSettings>user name>Application Data" in XP or "users>user name>App data"(not Application Data; access denied error) in Vista. Removing any main folder there as well as in the Program Files directory should see all files as well as installation logs removed.

I know that one well since following a clean install of Vista lately in order to get any results from two tv tuner cards the Orange Box release of HL2, EP1, EP2 can't be reinstalled! Since no traces of the original installation were left I guess I'll again have to buy another one just to see it on. 

Manual removal of files will take care of any problems in getting off of the system while if the installer is anything like Steam you may not get it fully to go back on if you are required to first log into an account. The OBox release simply comes up without any option to reinstall even while logged in.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 13, 2008)

Cromewell said:


> What happens now? You may just have to clean up the old windows installer stuff.



well like I said, I already tried what you suggested so...no change 



PC eye said:


> With the main reg values gone you have to start looking under your user name for either the "DocumentsandSettings>user name>Application Data" in XP or "users>user name>App data"(not Application Data; access denied error) in Vista. Removing any main folder there as well as in the Program Files directory should see all files as well as installation logs removed.
> 
> I know that one well since following a clean install of Vista lately in order to get any results from two tv tuner cards the Orange Box release of HL2, EP1, EP2 can't be reinstalled! Since no traces of the original installation were left I guess I'll again have to buy another one just to see it on.
> 
> Manual removal of files will take care of any problems in getting off of the system while if the installer is anything like Steam you may not get it fully to go back on if you are required to first log into an account. The OBox release simply comes up without any option to reinstall even while logged in.



pretty sure I already checked the application data but I'm not sure so I'll check and get back to ya


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## PC eye (Nov 13, 2008)

Part of the problem with the installation may be from trying to install it to a second drive instead of the default the installer lists. That would explain the missing files part there. Once you have everything found and removed trying installing into the default directory.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 13, 2008)

PC eye said:


> With the main reg values gone you have to start looking under your user name for either the "DocumentsandSettings>user name>Application Data" in XP or "users>user name>App data"(not Application Data; access denied error) in Vista. Removing any main folder there as well as in the Program Files directory should see all files as well as installation logs removed.
> 
> I know that one well since following a clean install of Vista lately in order to get any results from two tv tuner cards the Orange Box release of HL2, EP1, EP2 can't be reinstalled! Since no traces of the original installation were left I guess I'll again have to buy another one just to see it on.
> 
> Manual removal of files will take care of any problems in getting off of the system while if the installer is anything like Steam you may not get it fully to go back on if you are required to first log into an account. The OBox release simply comes up without any option to reinstall even while logged in.



ok tried it...didn't help



PC eye said:


> Part of the problem with the installation may be from trying to install it to a second drive instead of the default the installer lists. That would explain the missing files part there. Once you have everything found and removed trying installing into the default directory.



well I installed 2 other games right before that to the same drive with no problems...


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## PC eye (Nov 13, 2008)

The problem is with certain games that won't go on well when trying a custom install onto  a second drive. The idea here is simply see if the game will see a full working installation with the "C:\Program Files\default folder" OS drive type restriction that some see or if this is the first install being a 64bit editiion of Vista it's simply not capable with it or with the new version in general. 

Some softwares/games simply won't go on any edition of Vista due to the installer being written for XP and Vista being a newer version of Windows. If you had it on before but on the C primary drive go with that idea again to see if you get it on again.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 13, 2008)

well thats fine and I will try that but I can't do anything right now...if you didn't understand my first post I can't install it anywhere right now...


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## PC eye (Nov 13, 2008)

Something is still tucked away on one of the drives stalling you there. Since you attempted a custom installed to a second hard drive not generally advised since too problems can appear you'll have to search there as well as the MS folders on the primary for any traces. 

Hopefully you are not now running into any memory problems that tend to hamper installers if any faults developed. Another thing to try is going to the support if any for that game for information on removal. They may have a set of steps to take in order to see it off completely where you can try a fresh install.http://www.gamesforwindows.com/en-US/Support/Pages/default.aspx


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## Cromewell (Nov 13, 2008)

> well like I said, I already tried what you suggested so...no change


Well you said you had install and uninstall options now right? Well which one are you picking and what does it do/say when you pick it?


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 13, 2008)

it doesn't matter which one i pick.  

If I pick uninstall it trys to uninstall and fails.

If I pick install, it just goes right to the uninstall and fails.


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## PC eye (Nov 13, 2008)

That's the trouble with some of these must log in online installers. After a clean install of Windows lately the Orange Box edition of Half Life 2, EP1, EP2 is supposed to see the "reonstall" option once you proceed to the next screen after entering the product key. no go! I only get the duplicate cd error instead while the account is still immediately logged onto.

The sad part there is you may have see a totaly drive wipe just to get it on and working again with all traces removed the hard way! I don't think you want that. Submitting a support request to the manufacturer would be one thought at this point instead of constantly getting nowhere with it.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 13, 2008)

well it's not an online install game...i think has more to do with some hidden registry value or something somewhere that I can't find


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## Cromewell (Nov 13, 2008)

With no error messages at all?

Try running this: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 13, 2008)

i told you what the error message was...

by "fails" i mean it throws up that error


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## PC eye (Nov 13, 2008)

Do you still setup an account that logs in online while the game files are still on the drive? I was referring to multiplayer there since a look at one of the Gears of War for Windows pages sees that in the description. http://www.gamesforwindows.com/en-US/Games/Pages/GearsofWarforWindows.aspx

Hidden in another registry hive as well as what I was referring to earlier about looking under your admin user name in the App Data and other sub folders for anything found in those like installation logs. With the newer games seen in the last few years the installer will tuck the particular product information out of view making things awkward when seeing a glitch either when reinstalling or as you are running into the first time installation doesn't finish leaving traces behind. I would try the Windows cleaner utility Cromewell is pointing out. Why not?


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 14, 2008)

tried that program but gears wasn't listed.  There was a listing that said something about Games for Windows so I took that one out but it still doesn't work.

Double checked the app data deleting a lot of stuff...didn't work


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## PC eye (Nov 14, 2008)

Have you restarted the system through all this? Once you remove any registry keys that still leaves anything loaded into active ram running. To see any changes there go into effect a system restart will first see the active processes unloaded and not return on startup.


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## bubbagumper6 (Nov 14, 2008)

yep i've restarted


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## PC eye (Nov 14, 2008)

I've seen this type of problem with video, sound, and even tv tuner cards where you may have to restart a few times with each try to finally get somewhere. I think the main problem there however is not having seen the uninstall completed and trying to install the game still thinking the removal needs to be seen.

This is typical of many installers for a variety of things like antivirus programs too where you first have to see the complete removal where the installer has a record of that before a fresh will go on. The installer is lacking that uninstall log explaining the problems you are running into there.


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## RockmasteR (Dec 24, 2008)

Hello, I registered to this forums because I saw your thread, and I had the same problem like you, I was unable to install GOW, instead the setup asks me if I want to remove the game.
I solved my problem, and I'll help you solve it.
Download and install this freeware : Revo Uninstaller
if the link didn't work just go to download.com search for Revo uninstaller and download it.
install it, and open it, Gears of war must be there, it was there for me, right click on it and uninstall it, the uninstall will fail, click next, it'll show you the registry and leftovers of the game, select all and delete all of them.
now try to run the game again.
this solution worked for me...
if that didn't work for you, I suggest you format your HDD and install a fresh copy of windows, it always solve these problems, but I hope you won't take that long and painful road.
Good Luck


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## bubbagumper6 (Dec 24, 2008)

nope not listed there...


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