Video Screencast Help
Search Video Help Close Back
to help
New in the Rewards Catalog: Vouchers for "Symantec Technical Specialist" and "Symantec Certified Specialist" exams.

Patch can not be uninstalled

Updated: 22 May 2010 | 1 comment
trailway's picture
0 0 Votes
Login to vote

I created a patch and indicated that it should be uninstallable.  I know that option was set because I checked it in Orca.

Even so, after I install the patch I am unable to uninstall it.  When I click on the update in Control Panel it does not allow me to uninstall it (though I can uninstall other patches).

I did read Windows Installer MSDN article which indicated that any additions to any one of a set of Tables (~35) would also prevent the patch from being uninstallable.  However when I reviewed these tables in Orca (by opening the original msi and then applying the patch) I do not see new (but I do see changed) entries in the listed tables.

Is there any straight-forward way to determine the reason why the patch cannot be uninstalled?

Comments

EdT's picture
14
Apr
2009
0 Votes 0
Login to vote

Have you looked in the help file MSI.CHM?

The topic "Uninstallable Patches" gives a very comprehensive list of scenarios where patches will become uninstallable.
If this is insufficient, it may be worth trying a modified patch file that does not make any changes to the notified tables and see if that makes a difference to the uninstallability

If your issue has been solved, please use the "Mark as Solution" link on the most relevant thread.