BleepingComputer.com: some .exe won't run

Hi all.

I'd like some help if you can spare some time for a poor soul.
First of all, I'd like to present you in advance with my apologies as English isn't my native language.

As said in the topic, some .exe won't run while others do. For example, the Rxxxxxx.exe drivers from dell work while Axcrypt.exe doesn't, when I double click, I can see the arrow and the hourglass for a split second before the point is just an arrow again but nothing else happens. This also was the case with RAMDef but having searched a bit before asking for help, I've tried the registry merge advised in the topic created by mfem6 about the same problem and now RAMDef runs fine.

It all started with SetPoint, the drivers/software suite for their mice by logitech. I wanted the drivers so I could use tilting the mouse wheel left and right as two extra buttons. I installed it but when I saw the space it took in the ram, I decided against it and uninstalled it thoroughly.
When I say "thoroughly", I mean that I uninstalled SetPoint using CCleaner, I cleaned the registry automatically and then manually by removing the Logitech folders from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software - I would even have removed it from HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18 had I found it there. I also deleted lockstatustray.exe from C:\Windows and I removed from the startup routine any Logitech entry. I don't recall doing something else but I might have. After uninstalling, I changed my mind again, wondering if there was a way to keep the drivers installed but without the software suite and tried to uninstall it again by double clicking the SetPoint620.exe file, to no avail, the arrow turned into an arrow and an hourglass and back again to an arrow without anything launching.

Thinking it had to do only with logitech material, I tried to install a previous version of setpoint, same thing happened. I tried an even earlier one, the 480 which yielded a weird result: the package extracted itself and installation started only to be stopped a few second later by a pop-up window I had never seen.

Windows ® Installer. V 3.01.4001.5512 

msiexec /Option <Paramètre requis> [Paramètre facultatif]

Options d'installation
	</package | /i> <Produit.msi>
		Installe ou configure un produit
	/a <Produit.msi>
		Installation administrative - Installe un produit sur le réseau
	/j<u|m> <Produit.msi> [/t <Liste de transformations>] [/g <ID de langue>]
		Publie un produit - m pour tous les utilisateurs, u pour l'utilisateur actuel
	</uninstall | /x> <Produit.msi | Code produit>
		Désinstalle le produit
Options d'affichage
	/quiet
		Mode silencieux, aucune interaction avec l'utilisateur
	/passive
		Mode automatique - barre de progression uniquement
	/q[n|b|r|f]
		Définit le niveau d'interface utilisateur
		n - Pas d'interface utilisateur
		b - IU de base
		r - IU réduite
		f - IU complète (option par défaut)
	/help
		Affiche des informations
Options de redémarrage
	/norestart
		Ne pas redémarrer à la fin de l'installation
	/promptrestart
		Proposer à l'utilisateur de redémarrer si nécessaire
	/forcerestart
		Toujours redémarrer l'ordinateur après l'installation
Options de journalisation
	/l[i|w|e|a|r|u|c|m|o|p|v|x|+|!|*] <fichier journal>
		i - Messages d'état
		w - Avertissements récupérables
		e - Tous les messages d'erreur
		a - Démarrage des actions
		r - Enregistrements spécifiques à certaines actions
		u - Requêtes de l'utilisateur
		c - Paramètres initiaux de l'interface utilisateur
		m - Mémoire insuffisante ou informations de sortie irrécupérables
		o - Message d'espace disque insuffisant
		p - Propriétés du terminal
		v - Mode documenté
		x - Autres informations de débogage
		+ - Ajouter au fichier journal existant
		! - Forcer l'écriture de chaque ligne dans le journal
		* - Écrire toutes les informations, sauf les options v et x
	/log <Fichier journal>
		Identique à /l* <Fichier journal>
Options MAJ
	/update <Update1.msp>[;Update2.msp]
		Applique les mises à jour
	/uninstall <Guid du code correctif>[;Update2.msp] /package <Product.msi | Code produit>
		Supprimer les mises à jour d'un produit
Options de réparation
	/f[p|e|c|m|s|o|d|a|u|v] <Product.msi | Code produit>
		Réparer un produit
		p - uniquement si un fichier est manquant
		o - si un fichier est manquant ou si une version antérieure est installée (option par défaut)
		e - si un fichier est manquant ou si une version égale ou antérieure est installée
		d - si un fichier est manquant ou si une version différente est installée
		c - si un fichier est manquant ou si la somme de contrôle ne correspond pas à la valeur calculée
		a - force la réinstallation de tous les fichiers
		u - toutes les entrées de Registre requises et spécifiques à l'utilisateur (option par défaut)
		m - toutes les entrées de Registre requises et spécifiques à l'ordinateur (option par défaut)
		s - tous les raccourcis existants (option par défaut)
		v - s'exécute depuis la source et remet en mémoire cache le package local
Définition des propriétés publiques
	[PROPERTY=valeur de la propriété]

Consultez le Kit de développement Windows® Installer pour une aide détaillée
 concernant la syntaxe de la ligne de commande.

Copyright © Microsoft Corporation. Tous droits réservés.
Certaines parties de ce logiciel sont basées sur des documents créés par la société indépendante JPEG Group.

- My version of XP is in French -

The pop-up had an "Ok" button which I clicked. Another few seconds later and another pop-up was telling me that installation failed and that I should retry having closed any other applications such as an anti-virus or whatnot. I wasn't running anything of the kind at that time.


Anybody help?

Well...System manufacturer and model?

Have you tried a repair install of XP?

You are running an outdated version of the Windows Installer...4.5 is the version you should be using.

Louis

Hi back.

First of all, I'd like to thank you for helping me.

To answer your questions:

It's a notebook by dell, XPS m1330 - I can't believe I had forgotten to mention such basic info....
Haven't tried to repair install. Won't that rewrite the whole registry?
I've updated the installer, thanks for the tip.

So far, no change.

I am quite sure it's just an issue of registry key not being present anymore. Do you think I should install SetPoint on another computer running XP Pro SP3 as well and get the entries I've deleted from there to copy them on the m1330?

Well...I'm not familiar with either Set Point or Dell systems nor laptops...I was suggesting what I would do based on the systems I have had over the years, as a basic effort to determine what might be wrong and which I can easily overcome.

<<I cleaned the registry automatically and then manually...>>


Bleeping Computer DOES NOT recommend the use of registry cleaners/optimizers for several reasons:

• Registry cleaners are extremely powerful applications that can damage the registry by using aggressive cleaning routines and cause your computer to become unbootable.
  
  The Windows registry is a central repository (database) for storing configuration data, user settings and machine-dependent settings, and options for the operating system. It contains information and settings for all hardware, software, users, and preferences. Whenever a user makes changes to settings, file associations, system policies, or installed software, the changes are reflected and stored in this repository. The registry is a crucial component because it is where Windows "remembers" all this information, how it works together, how Windows boots the system and what files it uses when it does. The registry is also a vulnerable subsystem, in that relatively small changes done incorrectly can render the system inoperable. For a more detailed explanation, read Understanding The Registry.
  
  
• Not all registry cleaners are created equal. There are a number of them available but they do not all work entirely the same way. Each vendor uses different criteria as to what constitutes a "bad entry". One cleaner may find entries on your system that will not cause problems when removed, another may not find the same entries, and still another may want to remove entries required for a program to work.
  
  
• Not all registry cleaners create a backup of the registry before making changes. If the changes prevent the system from booting up, then there is no backup available to restore it in order to regain functionality. A backup of the registry is essential BEFORE making any changes to the registry.
  
  
• Improperly removing registry entries can hamper malware disinfection and make the removal process more difficult if your computer becomes infected. For example, removing malware related registry entries before the infection is properly identified can contribute to system instability and even make the malware undetectable to removal tools.
  
  
• The usefulness of cleaning the registry is highly overrated and can be dangerous. In most cases, using a cleaner to remove obsolete, invalid, and erroneous entries does not affect system performance but it can result in "unpredictable results".

Unless you have a particular problem that requires a registry edit to correct it, I would suggest you leave the registry alone. Using registry cleaning tools unnecessarily or incorrectly could lead to disastrous effects on your operating system such as preventing it from ever starting again. For routine use, the benefits to your computer are negligible while the potential risks are great.

• Ed Bott's Webog: Why I don't use registry cleaners
  
• Do I need a Registry Cleaner?

I believe that in situations where users experience various problems with a system after using registry cleaners...a repair install is one of the methods of ensuring that key system files are in place and undamaged. By removing the O/S itself from the list of suspects, then I can continue to try to eliminate other suspects.

Louis

Wow.... I was certain I had replied to this.

I was saying, I use CCleaner, been using it for two years, never in a mindless way, always checking what items are proposed for deleting and backing up in case of doubt. As well, the setpoint.exe could still be ran after I used CCleaner but not once I had deleted manually the aforementionned entries. On top of this, I uninstalled the other .exe that wouldn't run, Axcrypt, and reinstalled a previous version, which ran smoothly. Shall I manually restore the entries I had manually deleted?

However, I will follow your sound advice and refrain from using CCleaner until this problem is entirely solved. Again, thank you for your help.

I can't advise on backtracking anything that you have done...since I don't know exactly what that might have been.

The general suggestions I have provided are the best that I can do regarding a system I don't have in front of me.

Louis

If you don't use a registry cleaner (The only one I use is CCleaner) windows will get all packed with useless registry's my friends PC was a tri-core desktop with 2GB's of RAM and it was so slow it took internet explorer about 17 seconds to open and everything was very unstable too he would transfer data to like a MP3 and it would sometimes stop responding but that all ended when he used CC on it so ya cleaning it can possibly delete something important but it keeps the PC up to speed (if everything else is optimized)

And as for your problem pplouf I would just put in your XP disk and repair the OS and no it does not redo the registry I accidently repaired my PC and I thought I was going to lose data, programs, settings but no it barely changed anything it even kept my desktop the same and everything still works perfectly and it actually fixed some problems too but if that does not work just back up your data and re-install XP

This post has been edited by NuckenFutz: 27 December 2010 - 03:16 AM