Software installation and uninstallation is a complex process and even a single corrupted file such as .exe or .dll can make the whole process redundant. If something like that happens, the only things that you are most likely to come across will be alien-looking error messages, popping up on your screen. One of the most common error messages that you might come across is the “cannot open install log file” error, which pops up on your screen when you are uninstalling some software program on your computer. This error is displayed when the installation wizard fails to find the requisite registry information related to the software uninstall. This in turn happens either due to a corrupted installation or the accidental deletion of critical program files, necessary for carrying out the uninstall process.

Error messages such as “cannot open install log file” can be quite irritating and since they can easily affect your computer’s overall performance, you need to get rid of them as soon as possible. The easiest way of doing this is to reinstall the software that might be giving out the error message. If you do this, chances are high that the missing uninstall information will become available in the registry, allowing the completion of the uninstall process.

The above method does the job most of the times, but if you are still getting the same “cannot open install log file” error message even after reinstalling the software, then you might have to start looking for other available solutions. I would recommend that you check the software’s compatibility with your operating system and other installed programs. You might also have to scan your computer for malicious software codes such as viruses and worms, some of which can easily corrupt critical uninstallation files. Implement the above suggested methods in the same order and soon you will be able to eliminate “cannot open install log file” type of error messages.

Get a Free Online Diagnostic Scan with RegCure PC Optimizer (Download Takes 2 Mins)

No Comments »

Norton free antivirus is certainly quite effective when it comes to detecting viruses, worms, Trojans and other malicious software codes, but just like any other high-quality product, it too has certain shortcomings. The most common complaint is that Norton slows down the system, so much so that it becomes quite difficult to carry out even the simplest of tasks on your computer. This problem however can be ignored because more often than not the problem is due to the system configuration and not necessarily due to Norton.

In case, you are not too sure as to what exactly is making your system slow down, I would recommend that you delete Norton and see if it makes any difference. If deleting Norton does make a difference to your computer’s speed, then you can keep it that way, but in case you don’t see any significant improvements, I would suggest that you reinstall Norton and keep using it.

The other most common complaint is that Norton disrupts the ‘Automatic Update’ function in Windows based PCs. There is still no reliable evidence that can comprehensively prove this, but since there are just too many people claiming this, you can bet that there is certainly something wrong somewhere. To check for yourself, you just have to delete Norton, restart your computer and see if you are able to get the Automatic Updates. It’s always better to perform your own checks rather than blindly follow what others might be saying or recommending.

To completely delete Norton from your system, you just have to click on Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs > Norton and press on the Change/Remove button. After restarting your computer, you then just have to check whether the targeted problem got resolved on not. If not, then there is no reason as to why you should not reinstall Norton and keep using it for protecting your computer.

No Comments »

“Error 1612. The installation source for this product is not available”

This is an error which you may receive when you try to install duplicate copies of standalone Microsoft products. The main affected applications are as follows:

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft FrontPage
• Microsoft Publisher

The error usually occurs – but isn’t restricted to - the 2002 versions of the products. You will typically receive the error when trying to install SP1 of Microsoft Office XP. It stems from having more than one copy of the designated programs installed on the system. This sounds like a silly thing to be suffering from, but when you consider how Microsoft loves to sell its programs in bundles, it isn’t such a rare issue after all.

Thankfully, Microsoft has released a fix which deals with the clash and cleans up your system files. The fix is known as the Microsoft Windows Installer CleanUp Utility.

To download this small utility, you will need to go to the Microsoft website. There’s plenty of information and support to get you up and running, and the application is easy to use.

Once you’ve installed the utility, go to Start. Click across to Programs and locate Windows Install Clean Up.

You will see a list of all the Microsoft programs that you have installed on the operating system. Click on each of the programs, check the box and click Remove.

Each program comes with a slightly different removal procedure, but none of them should be too complicated to follow. Pay attention to the instructions and complete the uninstall process. Finally press exit to close the utility.

Assuming that you received the error while attempting to install Microsoft Office XP SP1, you should now be able to complete that particular setup. Once Office has been updated, you can safely track back and reinstall the standalone applications which were causing the 1612 error.

There are some instances where you may be receiving the 1612 error WITHOUT the mentioned programs being installed on the system. While they might not be present in the operational sense, some uninstalled software can leave behind files and registry entries which later cause problems.

This is a natural problem for PCs which have been used for months on end without a regular system clean-up. Have you noticed how the performance begins to drop, even after you’ve uninstalled all of the extra programs to leave yourself with the default configuration?

This is because most uninstall procedures leave behind traces of files, and unnecessary entries to the Windows registry. While they might not cause too many noticeable errors, it’s possible that such traces could lead to a 1612 error when you don’t actually have the Microsoft programs installed at the current time.

To get around this issue, we would suggest that you run two cleaning utilities. The first being a standard Windows cleaner, to get rid of loose odds and ends. The second being a more detailed Windows registry utility. Ridding the registry of redundant files will clear up a lot of errors and performance related issues, including – you guessed it – the 1612 error.

Get a Free Online Diagnostic Scan with RegCure PC Optimizer (Download Takes 2 Mins)

No Comments »

So you are plugging away on your computer one day and your Norton Antivirus pops up telling you that you need to pay them for a subscription again as yours has expired and you are no longer getting updates. That is fine and dandy if you want to fork over the forty dollars to get it, but if you are like more and more people out there, you have decided that it is time to switch over to a company the provides free antivirus solutions for home users. Now the question is, now do you fully uninstall the Norton Antivirus from your computer?

There is one problem that people encounter when trying to uninstall Norton Antivirus. That program really digs itself deep into your system! There is, however, a process that you can follow to ensure that you get it out of there.

You are going to want to start off by navigating to the Start menu and then selecting Control Panel. Once you have the Control Panel window displayed on your monitor, navigate to the Add/Remove Programs by double clicking on the icon. Once you are presented with the list of programs installed on your computer, find the Norton Antivirus program and then click the button to Remove All. Follow the prompts to complete this and reboot your computer when you are asked to do so.

That was simple! Or was it? Norton is still hiding all over your system and there are a few more things you are going to have to do to get it all.

Start by navigating to the Start menu again and then selecting My Computer and Program Files. Browse through this folder and delete any Symantec folders you find. After you have completed this go to the Common Files folder near the top of the Program files list and delete each Symantec folder that you find in there. Once this has been completed, reboot your computer again.

Once your computer comes back up to the desktop, you will need to go to Start, Search, All Files and Folders and More Advanced Options. In here you will need to check all the search options except for the one to make your search case sensitive. Now, enter Norton in the search field and delete all Norton folders that appear in the search results window. Once again, you will need to reboot your computer. After the reboot has completed, follow the exact same steps, but this time use Symantec in your search.

The final thing that you are going to need to do is to go into your Windows registry and delete the entries in there that are associated to Norton Antivirus. In order to do this go to the Start, Run menu again and type in regedit. Hit the OK button and you will now be presented with the Windows registry of your computer. Expand the HKEY_CURRENT_USER and then expand Software. Go through the list presented until you find Symantec. Right click on it and delete it.

Now you will need to expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then expand Software. Also delete the Symantec from this list and then reboot your computer.

Once your computer is loaded up again, you will need to go back into the Windows registry and expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then expand Windows and CurrentVersion. In this list delete all of the Symantec entries that you see and then reboot your computer one last time. This should have removed all traces of Norton Antivirus from your system.

If you are a person that is not quite comfortable with completing such a procedure, you can also find a Norton Removal Tool that is available for download from the Symantec website. This tool can remove Norton 2006, 2005, 2004 and 2003 products from your computer. You will need to make sure that you are using the Internet Explorer browser on your computer however as the tool will not run in other Internet browsers.

In order to do this you need to go here. Once you are on this webpage, expand the Uninstall Norton AntiVirus using the SymNRT removal utility and then click on the Run It Now button. Be sure that when you get any prompts you select Run, Yes, OK or Next. If your Internet browser has a little yellow bar at the top of it, be sure that you click on it and select Install ActiveX control. During the uninstall process, your computer may be rebooted more than once and you may be asked to repeat some steps after each reboot. Just keep going and you will have uninstalled Norton Antivirus from your computer in no time!

Get a Free Online Diagnostic Scan with RegCure PC Optimizer (Download Takes 2 Mins)

No Comments »

So, you have had your new computer for a few months now, and haven’t given much thought to all of those preloaded applications that were included with it. You felt confident that everything was perfect. And then it happens. Your McAfee Security Center tells you that the three month trial period has ended and it is time to pay up if you wish to continue receiving updates!Chances are you don’t want to pay for this program, especially since you have heard about the numerous good quality antivirus programs that are available on the internet for free, provided you are a home user. If this is the case, you are going to need to figure out how to uninstall the McAfee SecurityCenter so that you do not get annoying messages anymore indicating that your trial has expired. This can be a little bit tricky, so we are going to explain how this is done.When you decide that it is time to uninstall McAfee SecurityCenter, there are many other McAfee programs that are affected or involved in the process. They include programs such as McAfee VirusScan, McAfee Personal Firewall Plus, McAfee Privacy Service, McAfee SpamKiller, McAfee Wireless Network Security, McAfee SiteAdvisor, McAfee Data Backup, McAfee Network Manager, McAfee Easy Network and McAfee AntiSpyware. This procedure also only covers the instructions for Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows XP Professional and Microsoft Windows XP Home. It may be different on other versions of the Windows operating system.

No Comments »