add remove programs window, windows setup is blank or empty

[Dennis]

When I go to windows setup window in add/remove programs,
nothing is listed. It is blank. I beleive one of the
windows updates may be the culprit, but I don't know which
one or how to get the windows setup options back.

Any ideas anyone?

[Alan Edwards]

All Installed Programs May Not Be Displayed in the Add/Remove Programs
Tool
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=240348

I have fixed several of these recently for others.
The problem will occur in these two situations:

1. The uninstall keyname for an application is greater than 63
characters.
Solution: Rename the keyname.
e.g. this is invalid
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Uninstall\12345678901234567890123456789 01234567890123456789012345678901234]

2. The DisplayName for the key is greater than 63 characters.
Solution: Shorten DisplayName
e.g. this is invalid
"DisplayName"="12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 12345678901234"

If you need a second opinion, export the key to a text file and email
it to me.

*** Note that the invalid entry that can cause this is not necessarily
connected with the ones missing so you must check all entries.

.....Alan
-
Alan Edwards MS MVP W95/98 Systems

In microsoft.public.windowsme.setup, "Dennis"
> wrote:

>When I go to windows setup window in add/remove programs,
>nothing is listed. It is blank. I beleive one of the
>windows updates may be the culprit, but I don't know which
>one or how to get the windows setup options back.
>
>Any ideas anyone?