Knowledge Base

This article covers procedures for cleaning up after an incomplete uninstall of a VMware ACE 1.x package on an end user's computer. If you need information on cleaning up after an incomplete uninstall of VMware ACE Manager 1.x on an administrator's computer, or an uninstall of any ACE 2.x installation, see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1308.

VMware products may not install on Windows hosts if the installer detects certain other VMware products on the computer.

Sometimes registry keys that should be removed during uninstallation of a product are left behind. This can happen if, for example, the host computer hangs or resets while you are uninstalling the previous product. When the installer finds these registry keys, it interprets their presence as an indication that the previous product is still installed.

If the uninstaller is still available, reboot and run it again. Be sure to run it when you are logged on as a member of the Administrators group.

If the uninstaller is not available, or if it does not run successfully, you can clean up after an incomplete uninstall on a Windows host by downloading and running VMware_Install_Cleaner.exe attached below. Be sure to run it when you are logged on as a member of the Administrators group.

Caution: This procedure involves modifying the registry. Incorrect changes to the registry can leave your system unstable or unable to run. Always back up the registry before editing it, and exercise caution in making changes to the registry. VMware takes no responsibility for problems that may arise.

The VMware installation cleaner utility removes the registry entries used to register the VMware ACE application's installation.

After running the installation cleaner, you should be able to remove the rest of the VMware ACE package using the Add/Remove Programs control panel.

Note: Only the registry entries relevant to the VMware ACE application's installation are removed by the cleaner utility. The application files, services and drivers remain. To ensure that all traces of the application are removed, you should reinstall the application to the same location, then uninstall through the Add/Remove Programs control panel.

If this procedure is unsuccessful, you may find a utility provided by Microsoft helpful. You can find instructions and a link to the utility in Microsoft knowledge base article 290301 at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;290301.