Question

windows xp add/remove programs list won't populate

Asked by: mrmyth

Windows XP.

When I go to add/remove programs from the control panel, I get the window and it says "Please wait while the list is being populated..." and it never does.

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Asked On
2008-12-13 at 22:52:28ID23983060
Tags

microsoft

,

windows

,

xp

,

add/remove programs list won't populate

Topics

General Computer Systems

,

Windows XP Operating System

Participating Experts
3
Points
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Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: ThekiddotusPosted on 2008-12-13 at 23:00:11ID: 23166858

Well try in safe mode. When your computer is booting up in the Bios mode.
Press F8 Every like 2 seconds to you see in dos a menu come up and select safe mode.
once that boots up try going to add remove programs again.

If that does not work either try a system restore to a point you did not have this problem.

If you can not do that cause you disabled system restore and you can get to add remove programs in safe mode.
Then you will have to rebuild windows try windows recovery with Windows Disk.

 

by: bignewfPosted on 2008-12-13 at 23:09:10ID: 23166878

have you tried rebooting machine into safe mode and retry? Or just try to boot into safe mode, then reboot normall and try again?

 

by: bignewfPosted on 2008-12-13 at 23:10:11ID: 23166881

sorry about my post, I did not see comment by thekiddotus who suggested same

 

by: bignewfPosted on 2008-12-13 at 23:14:05ID: 23166902

have you tried running sfc/scannow?
have you run anti-spyware software?
otherwise, suggestions by kiddotus should be course of action, including repairing windows

 

by: dstewartjrPosted on 2008-12-14 at 01:29:00ID: 23167109

try this:

Start>Run>regsvr32 appwiz.cpl [enter]

If that doesn't work,  one of the most common causes for
Add/Remove Programs being blank is that a recent install/uninstall
routine may have wiped out the contents of the entire "Uninstall"
registry key here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall

Each sub-key stores the Display Name, UninstallString information for a
program that you installed. Open Regedit.exe and navigate to the above
key. Check if the "Uninstall" key is empty (contains no sub-keys). In
that case, your best best is to rollback the system state using System
Restore.

 

by: dstewartjrPosted on 2008-12-14 at 01:31:46ID: 23167115

you also try some of the troubleshooting here:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1229032&page=1

 

by: dstewartjrPosted on 2008-12-14 at 01:38:55ID: 23167128

just found this solution:

Copy the following text into a text file in Notepad:

-----------------------------------------------------

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.htc]
"Content Type"="text/x-component"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hta]
@="htafile"
"Content Type"="application/hta"

-----------------------------------------------------

Rename the text file AddRemoveFix(or whatever).reg
Ignore the caution message about renaming files.

 

by: mrmythPosted on 2008-12-14 at 13:20:41ID: 23169368

Thanks for the reg fix.

Turns out the answer was in the previous link
http://forums.techguy.org/windows-nt-2000-xp/669051-add-remove-programs-hangs-please.html

I had a 500 GB hard drive attached and it was scanning that too for programs and just taking a super-long time.

Thanks for your help!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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