Lingering problems from recent malware removal

Unknown

http://icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?p=668501#post668501

Since Katana's expert help, my system appears to be malware free (I think), at least per my frequent scans. However, I believe some files were damaged in the registry, and I am unable to use a Microsoft OEM application that came with my Dell (Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition). My OS is Windows XP Media Edition 2005 sp2. It appears on my computer, however, I cannot open the components, I cannot uninstall it, I cannot delete it through Add/Remove, and I cannot reinstall it.

I've tried reinstallation, but get error 1308:

Product: Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition -- Error 1308.Source file not found: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\program files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Analog Recorder\Nonoise.xfm. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.

Not sure if this has something to do with product activation, but I'm stumped as to what to do, and I'm spent from combing the Internet to find a solution to a product that MS no longer supports. I'm hoping to get some help with Katana or another of the fine folks here who take the time to help us.

Thank you,

Nigel

kryyst

Try rebooting into safe mode and deleting the directory in program files called "Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition". Then reboot. Get a program called cclearner if you don't already have it and run the registry scan and fix all errors, you usually have to run it a few times until it comes back with no errors found. Then reboot your computer again. Go back into ccleaner and use it's add/remove program tool to try and remove that program now.

You should then be able to reinstall it.

nigebirch

Hi, Kryyst,

Thank you for the quick response.

I already have and often use ccleaner. However, a friend who manages computer systems and networks for a company, told me if I attempt to delete a program by deleting its directory, especially a program that's so huge with many sub-programs and numerous integrations into other microsoft programs and system files, I could really mess things up to the point of requiring OS re-installation, or at the least buggering up one or more of several application installations. Since that seems to be the common consensus in many forums I've perused on the Internet, I'm somewhat apprehensive about deleting this huge directory even with be able to have ccleaner do its thing afterward. I realize I can create a restore point to reverse things, but, again, he so strongly warned me against deleting the directory, I'm scared. Are you certain that doing it this way would not cause problems with other applications?

I don't believe deleting it would nullify Microsoft's product activation requirement, do you?

Incidentally, no activation key came with this program. It was installed by Dell, and I do have a resource (backup) disc with the application; however, in reference to the above (activation), how can I get a reinstalled Microsoft program re-activated?

Thank you, Kryyst,

Nigel

kryyst

The bottom line is that if you can't reinstall the application by deleting that folder and reinstalling it you'll have to do a repair install anyway. Your friend is right in that that folder is tightly integrated into your system and normally just deleting it on a whim would break things. But in your case it's broken already and there is a good chance you'll need to do that repair install of the OS. This is pretty much a last ditch effort.

nigebirch

Thank you for your reply.

Okay ... but how can I re-install when this product came pre-installed on my computer from Dell and there is no CD for it? I did find an install app on the Internet for this, but when I attempted to install it (in hopes that this would give me what I needed to UNinstall it), it asked me for a product key, which I do not have.

I guess maybe a better question might be: When software comes pre-bundled from Dell without individual, supporting software manufacturers' CDs, can a corrupted program be reinstalled from the RESOURCE CD which Dell included (which is marked as being for OS restallation only). In looking over the compacted files on the Dell RESOURCE CD, I do see a PLUS! folder with compacted files of the program's components.

If the answer to the above is yes, is there a general procedure for extracting this particular application; and, if so, is the product key integrated with the re-installation?

Thank you,

Nigel

Btw, Dell was of no help on this. Argh!

kryyst

Ok I'm confused. In your first post you said you tried re-installing it. How did you do it that time?

nigebirch

Sorry for confusing you. I think I'm confusing myself.

Yes, the program came pre-installed (128 MB!). In Explorer I found installation folder/files. I'm attaching a couple of items to show you better what I have. I used one of these, hoping that it would give me the option of uninstalling the application. Unfortunately, it did not. So, I proceeded with reinstalling it over what I had, hoping that this would fix things. It did not. Instead, it just installed more components (alarm clock, dancer, and a few other components) I did not want/need. I found that trying to open any of the components of this big application caused an error message to pop up: "Files required to run this Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition component are missing or corrupted. Reinstall Plus! Digital Media Edition by using the original installation CD, or download it from the Microsoft web site (http://www.microsoft.com/plus/)."

Thus, came the dilemma. The link is a dead end because MS no longer supports this application, and I was not given an option to uninstall it.

It should be mentioned that when I tried uninstalling it (and ended up re-installing it in hopes of uninstalling it ... lol), after installation a window asking me for the product activation key opened. As mentioned, I do not have the PAK as this was pre-installed on the PC at purchase, and no disc backup nor PAK was supplied by Dell. This may be why I get the error window above when I try to open any component of this program.

At this point, all I want to do is get the bloody thing off my PC if this is at all possible. Having exhausted all avenues of finding a solution and attempting to fix things, I finally came here in hopes that someone could help me uninstall what seems to be uninstallable via all conventional means.

I've attached two files in hopes that you will be able to better see the mess.

Thank you,

Nigel

TREE of INSTALL FOLDER in MS Plus! ...

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install
==============================================================
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\COMMON DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:55 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\DRIVERS DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:47 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\INF DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:47 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\IOSUBSYS DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:47 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\PET4MM2FOLDER DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:47 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\PROGRAM FILES DIR 2/3/2009 12:28:51 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\SHARED MUSIC DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:47 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\SYSTEM32 DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:48 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\WMPSKINSFOLDER DIR 1/10/2008 1:01:54 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\px.dll 434176 6/16/2003 1:02:00 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\pxdrv.dll 274432 5/30/2003 1:00:00 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\pxmas.dll 139264 6/16/2003 1:02:00 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\pxwave.dll 397312 6/16/2003 1:02:00 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\pxwma.dll 86016 6/16/2003 1:02:00 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\VXBLOCK.dll 28672 5/2/2003 1:00:00 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\PlusSetup.exe 87040 7/24/2003 12:04:32 AM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Setup.exe 79872 8/6/2003 4:00:30 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Readme.htm 35865 7/23/2003 11:40:48 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Support.htm 11300 7/23/2003 11:40:48 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Autorun.inf 59 7/23/2003 11:40:18 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition.msi 1520128 8/6/2003 3:59:48 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition Privacy Statement.rtf 35256 7/23/2003 11:40:48 PM
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition.rtf 94983 7/23/2003 11:40:48 PM

kryyst

Now one other trick you could try if it's just that one file(s) that's missing is go create a file called nonoise.xfm and place it in the folder it's looking for. Often when you are trying to uninstall a program all it does is go through it's index of files it's installed and then deletes them. They don't always check to make sure that the file is valid as long as there is a file there by that name.


If that doesn't work though i you delete that program folder it will remove the software. Also check in pogram files\common files to see if there is a plus folder there as well. Removing it may cause some program instability. But it'd just be registry links and ccleaner should fix most of those up. Also anything dependent on those plus files will error out and give you a message and then they in turn can be removed. Plus is an addon pack and normally it should be able to be uninstalled through add/remove so deleting the programs file and then possible spot deletes after that will remove it.

Most of the features in Plus have been replaced by other microsoft programs as that links mentions.

nigebirch

Part of your last post:

"Now one other trick you could try if it's just that one file(s) that's missing is go create a file called nonoise.xfm and place it in the folder it's looking for. Often when you are trying to uninstall a program all it does is go through it's index of files it's installed and then deletes them. They don't always check to make sure that the file is valid as long as there is a file there by that name."

In lieu of deleting several applications, along with the Microsoft Plus! folder in Explorer, I'd think I'd like to start with your first suggestion. However, I'm confused on how to do this.

Are you saying that getting the "files required to run this program .... are missing or corrupt" message refers to a single file in each case? In other words, this program has many sub folders, each having its own executable file. I get this same 'error' message regardless of which component's executable I click, okay? For example, if I click on the executable in the folder for Alarm Clock, I get that error message; if I click on the executable in the folder for the Dancers application, I get this same error message; if I click on on the executable in the folder Analog Audio, I get it; same for Photostory; etc., etc. So, am I correct in assuming you are indicating that each of these 'error' messages is the result of one missing or corrupt file? If so, how could I know which file is missing/corrupt? And if, indeed, it is only one particular file, and I create the "trick" file you suggested, how can I know where where to place this created file (i.e., quote you, "place it in the folder it's looking for")?

Thank you,

Nigel

P.S. Are you familiar with Glary Utilities? It seems to give a more thorough explanation of the problematic or dead-end registry entries it finds vs. cclceaner.

kryyst

I'm not familiar with Glary Utilities but if I have some time I'll look into it.

What I'm saying for the rest is that when you install software it builds an index file of all the files it installs and registry entries. When you then use add/remove programs to remove those files it reads through that index and removes the files it has in the list.

So if you go to uninstall a program and it says file xxx.yyy is missing and then fails it sometimes works to just put some file there with that name. Just go to that directory and copy another file and rename it to the missing file. Then run the uninstaller again.

So for example when you tried to uninstall the program and you got the error message

Product: Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition -- Error 1308.Source file not found: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Install\program files\Microsoft Plus! Digital Media Edition\Analog Recorder\Nonoise.xfm. Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.

Go to that folder and just copy some other file there to nonoise.xfm this trick will only work for removing the software. It won't allow you to run the software.

nigebirch

The file Nonoise.xfm is in the folder C:\Microsoft Plus!\Digital Media Edition\PlusDME11.cab, file type XFM. Even with all files showing in Explorer (including OS files), that file is not visible. I used search c: to find it, and the only location is that in bold. I have no way of getting to it.

Yes, the error message stated this file was a/the problem, but it is not a file that is displayed.

Thank you

kryyst

If you have the cab's that's even better. You can extract files from that cab file by double clicking on it in windows explorer then just drag that nonoise.xfm to the right place. You may even be able to manually replace just the missing files in this manner to actually fix the program.

nigebirch

Thank you for your help. Actually, when I really got into it after my last post, I found that trying to reinstall it with that reinstall app I found on MS's web site somewhere informed me that there were several (probably 30 different) missing files. Some components had 10 or more missing files. Nonoise.xfm was just one of thos 30-some.

To cut to the short, I continued reading and perusing the Internet today, and on one of MS's community forums, I found a post by someone suggesting a program called Revo. I'm going to post the link here, but not sure it will show. However, it can easily be found in a search. It uninstalls the uninstallable. I took the chance, downloaded it, and what a super program. It has a very clear and straight-forward interface, and it removed everything, including registry entries I wouldn't have even dreamed were related to this bloody program. So, Kryyst, it's gone, and I'm a happy camper!

Again, thank you immensely for your help.

I guess you can archive this thread if you want.

Here's that link:

http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html

Kindest regards,

Nigel

kryyst

Glad you got it sorted out. Nice tool, I'll have to add it to my warchest.

nigebirch

Be sure to check out Glary Utilities, too. It's quite a program with a clear, clean interface, its fast, and it contains a number of useful utilities for PC optimization, plus.

http://www.glaryutilities.com/gu.html

The best to you ...

Nigel