Reported Uninstall Not Removing IrfanView Folders

[baumgrenze]

I am running Win7/Pro x64.

On 4/16/16 I downloaded the x64 version of IrfanView (4.42) from CNET and began having problems. I engaged in a long dialog with Bhikkhu Pesala.

Today I reinstalled both versions from Bhikkhu's website. I first tried running the uninstall files from Windows Explorer and discovered that the program folders were still in their expected places. I reinstalled again and used Control Panel. The program files were still in their places. For the x64 version when I tried again I got an error message that allowed me to delete the entry in Control Panel and the Programs Folder no longer has a reference to IrfanView. There are no more entries in Control Panel.

The x32 version is still there with all its parts in Windows Explorer. When I try to run the uninstall file I find there it tells me that it is from an 'unknown source.' This sounds suspicious to me. I viewed the file in ZTreeWin and 'gathered and copied' the last few lines of code that have 'identifiable information.' Does this look OK? Should I look elsewhere in the file?

Here is the captured code:

006D44 _úúú_úúú_úúú_úúúúúúúúúúúúúúú_úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú úúp%úúúúúúúú úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú(úúúúúúú~%úúúú4úúúVúSú_úVúEúRú SúIúOúNú_úIúNúFúOúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú
006DD8 úúúúúúúúúúúú?úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú(úúúúúSútú rúiúnúgúFúiúlúeúIúnúfúoúúúúúúúúú0úcú0ú7ú0ú4úbú0úúú úúúúúúCúoúmúmúeúnútúsúúúRúúúúúCúoúmúpúaúnúyúNúaú
006E6C múeúúúúúIúrúfúaúnú úSúkúiúlújúaúnú,ú úIúrúfúaúnúVúiúeúwúúúúúTúúúúúFúiúlúeúDúeúsúcúrúiúp útúiúoúnúúúúúIúrúfúaúnúVúiúeúwú úUúnúiúnúsútúaúlúlúeúrúúú6úúú
006F00 úúFúiúlúeúVúeúrúsúiúoúnúúúúú1ú,ú ú2ú,ú ú5ú,ú ú0úúúúú:úúúúúIúnútúeúrúnúaúlúNúaúmúeúúúiúvú_úuúnúi únúsútúaúlúlúúúúúzú+úúúLúeúgúaúlúCúoúpúyúrúiúgúhút úúú
006F94 Cúoúpúyúrúiúgúhútú úúú ú2ú0ú1ú5ú úbúyú úIúrúfúaúnú úSúkúiúlújúaúnú,ú úAúuúsútúrúiúaúúúúú(úúúúúLúeúgúaúlúTúrúaúdúeúmúaúr úkúsúúúúúJúúúúúOúrúiúgúiúnúaú
007028 lúFúiúlúeúnúaúmúeúúúiúvú_úuúnúiúnúsútúaúlúlú.úeúxú eúúúúú úúúúúPúrúiúvúaútúeúBúuúiúlúdúúúLúúúúúPúrúoúdúuúcút úNúaúmúeúúúúúIúrúfúaúnúVúiúeúwú úUúnúiúnú
0070BC sútúaúlúlúeúrúúú:úúúúúPúrúoúdúuúcútúVúeúrúsúiúoúnú úú1ú,ú ú2ú,ú ú5ú,ú ú0úúúúú úúúúúSúpúeúcúiúaúlúBúuúiúlúdúúúDúúúúúVúaúrúFúiúlúe úIúnúfúoúúúúú$úúúúúTú
007150 rúaúnúsúlúaútúiúoúnúúúúúúúúú`)úú<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>úú<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" manifest
0071E4 Version="1.0">úú<assemblyIdentityúú version="1.0.0.0"úú processorArchitecture="*"úú name="IrfanView"úú type="win32"úú/>úú<description>Ir
007278 fanView - Universal picture viewer</description>úú<trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">úú <security>úú <requestedPrivileges>úú
00730C <requestedExecutionLevel level="highestAvailable"/>úú </requestedPrivileges>úú </security>úú</trustInfo>úú<dependency>úú <depend
0073A0 entAssembly>úú <assemblyIdentityúú type="win32"úú name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"úú version="6.0.0.
007434 0"úú processorArchitecture="*"úú publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"úú language="*"úú />úú </dependentAssem
0074C8 bly>úú</dependency>úú<asmv3:application xmlns:asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">úú <asmv3:windowsSettingsúú xmlns="http://schemas.
00755C microsoft.com/SMI/2005/WindowsSettings">úú <dpiAware>true</dpiAware>úú </asmv3:windowsSettings>úú </asmv3:application>úú</assembly>úúúúúúúú
0075F0 úúúúúúúúú^úúd^úúúúúúúúúúúúúúú^úú_^úúúúúúúúúúúúúúú^ úú^^úúúúúúúúúúúúúúú^úú_^úúúúúúúúúúúúúúú^úú~^úúúúúú úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú^úúú^úúú^úúú_úúú_úú$_úúúúúú2_úú
007684 úúúú@_úúúúúúN_úúúúúú\_úúúúúúKERNEL32.DLLúADVAPI32. dllúole32.dllúSHELL32.dllúUSER32.dllúúLoadLibraryA úúGetProcAddressúúVirtualProtectúúVirtualAllocúú
007718 VirtualFreeúúúExitProcessúúúRegCloseKeyúúúCoInitia lizeúúSHGetMallocúúúMessageBoxAúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú
0077AC úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú úúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúúú
I've attached a Screen Dump of my History limited to 'irfan' and relevant dates. I believe all the links are what they purport to be. Could I have gotten something unwanted from CNET? I don't find anything bad with malwarebytes and/or Avast scans.

What should I do next?

thanks,

baumgrenze

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

When I try to run the uninstall file I find there it tells me that it is from an 'unknown source.' This sounds suspicious to me.

I also got that the first time I ran iv_uninstall.exe from C:\Program Files (x86)\. It's a common message, and may be just because the program is an old version and not digitally signed, or not with the latest certificates.

I ran it and like you, I found that the folder contents were still there. I ran it again and the folder was cleared, apart from a few files from test versions.

The iv_ uninstall.exe from C:\Program Files\ didn't show the unknown source error, but also did not clear the folder until I ran it a second time.

I then reinstalled both versions from the downloads on my web page, and the plugins. Everything is back to normal now.

Run malwarebytes just to make sure you don't have anything nasty lurking anywhere.

[baumgrenze]

Bhikkhu,

Just tried again.

Start>iv_uninstall

This only finds a Word document I created today with the text "iv_uninstall" in it.

Windows Explorer

I navigate to Program Files (x86) and then to IrfanView (where I find what looks like an installation)

I click on the iv_uninstall and I am asked if I approve (UAC)
I say yes.
Windows says IrfanView folder not found.

I click on i_view32.exe and the program runs!



If the program executable runs, the program in still installed. The uninstaller cannot find it?

Catch22 Mr. Yosarian?

thanks

baumgrenze

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I ran it, and it found the program OK.

[baumgrenze]

Bhikkhu,

I do not question what you experience.

I do report what I experience.

This is the current status of my Win7/Pro x64 machine.

There is an entry for IrfanView in Windows Explorer>Program Files (x86).

I can launch and run IrfanView 32bit if I double click on the file, 'i_view32.exe', in the complete list of installed files.

If I enter 'i_view32.exe' in the search box at the bottom of the Start menu the system reports 'No items match your search.'

There is no entry for IrfanView in Control Panel>Programs and Features. I cannot remove IrfanView using this tool.

I would like to remove this instance of IrfanView 4.42 x32 from my system so that I can reinstall it in a clean fashion. I know enough about 21st century Windows systems to know that just deleting the files I find in Windows Explorer will not accomplish this task. I've seen suggestions that it may make the problem worse and harder to solve.

Perhaps this is not a repeatable IrfanView 'bug.' If it is not, perhaps this is the wrong place for this discussion.

None of this moves me forward.

thanks

baumgrenze

[baumgrenze]

INI file

Here is the contents of the i_view32.ini file. Could anything be wrong here?

C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\i_view32

[Others]
INI_Folder=%APPDATA%\IrfanView
[Language]
DLL=ENGLISH
Lang=English
[Toolbar]
Skin=Grosberg_24.png
Size=24

I see this reference:

INI_Folder=%APPDATA%\IrfanView

How do I check to make sure that this file exists and is where it belongs?

thanks

baumgrenze