5 replies to this topic

[scorpio]

Hi

I have followed the Roxio Knowledgebase article on uninstalling EMC9 and have got as far as HKEY-LOCAL-MACHINE sub folder Software where there are a number of entries referring to Roxio and Sonic.  I have tried to delete these entries but my computer will not let me do it.  I have also tried System Restore back to the date before I installed EMC9 but again the computer will not let me go back to that date.  Can someone give me some advice as I would like to re-install but am getting increasingly nervous about doing so.  Some of the entries in the Registry refer to EMC8 but I have never had that one my computer so how have I got those?

Hope someone can advise me.

Many thanks.

[BonzaiDuck]

scorpio, on Dec 18 2006, 04:01 AM, said:

Hi

I have followed the Roxio Knowledgebase article on uninstalling EMC9 and have got as far as HKEY-LOCAL-MACHINE sub folder Software where there are a number of entries referring to Roxio and Sonic.  I have tried to delete these entries but my computer will not let me do it.  I have also tried System Restore back to the date before I installed EMC9 but again the computer will not let me go back to that date.  Can someone give me some advice as I would like to re-install but am getting increasingly nervous about doing so.  Some of the entries in the Registry refer to EMC8 but I have never had that one my computer so how have I got those?

Hope someone can advise me.

Many thanks.

Editing the registry is always a pain, and also a risk.  It might be worth your while to obtain a paperback manual on windows registry, but you may not have enough time.  And also-- I'm no registry expert.

Symantec software is notorious for leaving remnants in the registry, and when I changed firewall-AV suites, I HAD to remove all the Symantec registry entries I can find.  It causes stress, because one worries about whether the wrong item was deleted.

What I suggest is that you obtain IOLO Software's System Mechanic 6, PC Tools' Registry Mechanic, or a similar utility.  People will tell you to stay away from this product or that product.  I've used Norton Systemworks, deciding that it was bloated and lame.  System Mechanic is a good "Swiss Army" knife of maintenance functions.  Some customer reviews at reseller sites explained that it "killed their PC," but they wanted it to do everything automatically and didn't know how to use it.  Registry Mechanic will only clean up your registry, back up the registry and compact it.

SM6 and SM7 will conflict with SYmantec/Norton Internet Security's LiveUpdate feature.  There is a startup background service called SM System Analyzer, which can be turned off in the Startup tab of msconfig.  You would then go to the LiveUpdate repair site for SYmantec and run the repair program.

If you subsequently use SM6 or SM7, be sure to reboot the system so that you restore it to an "SM System Analyzer-turned-off" state.

Otherwise, SM's registry repair and optimization should help.  You can even use SM to remove programs that are installed but not registered in "Add Remove Program Applications" under Control Panel.  I've used it to surgically remove a buggy installation of Netscape, Roxio, and other things.

Just be careful with it.  I can say this:  After tuning up my system with SM6-Pro, my TrackMania formula-racing game ran so fast and responded so well, that my reflexes couldn't keep up -- all this for SM's removing programs that were hogging clock-cycles.  On a favorite racing track, I had beat the software company's own maximum record of 1 minute, 3 seconds and 3/10ths of a second before I tuned up the system.  Now, the highest I can score is 1 minute, 7 seconds.  Yet the game really runs and responds quickly now.  But this is logical -- if the game was slowed down by things hogging clock-cycles, a tuned-up system and a game like this would respond better, but your scores would be lower.

You have a choice for removing startup programs with SM.  I've never had it remove things that were "needed" -- but only startups that were "unnecessary."  It will knock Roxio Drag-to-Disc out of startups, but DtoD will run when you want it to.  Same with the Media Manager hogging clock cycles.

Edited by BonzaiDuck, 18 December 2006 - 06:28 PM.

[fynne]

If you want a free registry cleaner try www.ccleaner.com.

[scorpio]

BonzaiDuck, on Dec 18 2006, 05:58 PM, said:

Editing the registry is always a pain, and also a risk.  It might be worth your while to obtain a paperback manual on windows registry, but you may not have enough time.  And also-- I'm no registry expert.

Symantec software is notorious for leaving remnants in the registry, and when I changed firewall-AV suites, I HAD to remove all the Symantec registry entries I can find.  It causes stress, because one worries about whether the wrong item was deleted.

What I suggest is that you obtain IOLO Software's System Mechanic 6, PC Tools' Registry Mechanic, or a similar utility.  People will tell you to stay away from this product or that product.  I've used Norton Systemworks, deciding that it was bloated and lame.  System Mechanic is a good "Swiss Army" knife of maintenance functions.  Some customer reviews at reseller sites explained that it "killed their PC," but they wanted it to do everything automatically and didn't know how to use it.  Registry Mechanic will only clean up your registry, back up the registry and compact it.

SM6 and SM7 will conflict with SYmantec/Norton Internet Security's LiveUpdate feature.  There is a startup background service called SM System Analyzer, which can be turned off in the Startup tab of msconfig.  You would then go to the LiveUpdate repair site for SYmantec and run the repair program.

If you subsequently use SM6 or SM7, be sure to reboot the system so that you restore it to an "SM System Analyzer-turned-off" state.

Otherwise, SM's registry repair and optimization should help.  You can even use SM to remove programs that are installed but not registered in "Add Remove Program Applications" under Control Panel.  I've used it to surgically remove a buggy installation of Netscape, Roxio, and other things.

Just be careful with it.  I can say this:  After tuning up my system with SM6-Pro, my TrackMania formula-racing game ran so fast and responded so well, that my reflexes couldn't keep up -- all this for SM's removing programs that were hogging clock-cycles.  On a favorite racing track, I had beat the software company's own maximum record of 1 minute, 3 seconds and 3/10ths of a second before I tuned up the system.  Now, the highest I can score is 1 minute, 7 seconds.  Yet the game really runs and responds quickly now.  But this is logical -- if the game was slowed down by things hogging clock-cycles, a tuned-up system and a game like this would respond better, but your scores would be lower.

You have a choice for removing startup programs with SM.  I've never had it remove things that were "needed" -- but only startups that were "unnecessary."  It will knock Roxio Drag-to-Disc out of startups, but DtoD will run when you want it to.  Same with the Media Manager hogging clock cycles.

BonzaiDuck, on Dec 18 2006, 05:58 PM, said:

Editing the registry is always a pain, and also a risk.  It might be worth your while to obtain a paperback manual on windows registry, but you may not have enough time.  And also-- I'm no registry expert.

Symantec software is notorious for leaving remnants in the registry, and when I changed firewall-AV suites, I HAD to remove all the Symantec registry entries I can find.  It causes stress, because one worries about whether the wrong item was deleted.

What I suggest is that you obtain IOLO Software's System Mechanic 6, PC Tools' Registry Mechanic, or a similar utility.  People will tell you to stay away from this product or that product.  I've used Norton Systemworks, deciding that it was bloated and lame.  System Mechanic is a good "Swiss Army" knife of maintenance functions.  Some customer reviews at reseller sites explained that it "killed their PC," but they wanted it to do everything automatically and didn't know how to use it.  Registry Mechanic will only clean up your registry, back up the registry and compact it.

SM6 and SM7 will conflict with SYmantec/Norton Internet Security's LiveUpdate feature.  There is a startup background service called SM System Analyzer, which can be turned off in the Startup tab of msconfig.  You would then go to the LiveUpdate repair site for SYmantec and run the repair program.

If you subsequently use SM6 or SM7, be sure to reboot the system so that you restore it to an "SM System Analyzer-turned-off" state.

Otherwise, SM's registry repair and optimization should help.  You can even use SM to remove programs that are installed but not registered in "Add Remove Program Applications" under Control Panel.  I've used it to surgically remove a buggy installation of Netscape, Roxio, and other things.

Just be careful with it.  I can say this:  After tuning up my system with SM6-Pro, my TrackMania formula-racing game ran so fast and responded so well, that my reflexes couldn't keep up -- all this for SM's removing programs that were hogging clock-cycles.  On a favorite racing track, I had beat the software company's own maximum record of 1 minute, 3 seconds and 3/10ths of a second before I tuned up the system.  Now, the highest I can score is 1 minute, 7 seconds.  Yet the game really runs and responds quickly now.  But this is logical -- if the game was slowed down by things hogging clock-cycles, a tuned-up system and a game like this would respond better, but your scores would be lower.

You have a choice for removing startup programs with SM.  I've never had it remove things that were "needed" -- but only startups that were "unnecessary."  It will knock Roxio Drag-to-Disc out of startups, but DtoD will run when you want it to.  Same with the Media Manager hogging clock cycles.

BonzaiDuck, on Dec 18 2006, 05:58 PM, said:

Editing the registry is always a pain, and also a risk.  It might be worth your while to obtain a paperback manual on windows registry, but you may not have enough time.  And also-- I'm no registry expert.

Symantec software is notorious for leaving remnants in the registry, and when I changed firewall-AV suites, I HAD to remove all the Symantec registry entries I can find.  It causes stress, because one worries about whether the wrong item was deleted.

What I suggest is that you obtain IOLO Software's System Mechanic 6, PC Tools' Registry Mechanic, or a similar utility.  People will tell you to stay away from this product or that product.  I've used Norton Systemworks, deciding that it was bloated and lame.  System Mechanic is a good "Swiss Army" knife of maintenance functions.  Some customer reviews at reseller sites explained that it "killed their PC," but they wanted it to do everything automatically and didn't know how to use it.  Registry Mechanic will only clean up your registry, back up the registry and compact it.

SM6 and SM7 will conflict with SYmantec/Norton Internet Security's LiveUpdate feature.  There is a startup background service called SM System Analyzer, which can be turned off in the Startup tab of msconfig.  You would then go to the LiveUpdate repair site for SYmantec and run the repair program.

If you subsequently use SM6 or SM7, be sure to reboot the system so that you restore it to an "SM System Analyzer-turned-off" state.

Otherwise, SM's registry repair and optimization should help.  You can even use SM to remove programs that are installed but not registered in "Add Remove Program Applications" under Control Panel.  I've used it to surgically remove a buggy installation of Netscape, Roxio, and other things.

Just be careful with it.  I can say this:  After tuning up my system with SM6-Pro, my TrackMania formula-racing game ran so fast and responded so well, that my reflexes couldn't keep up -- all this for SM's removing programs that were hogging clock-cycles.  On a favorite racing track, I had beat the software company's own maximum record of 1 minute, 3 seconds and 3/10ths of a second before I tuned up the system.  Now, the highest I can score is 1 minute, 7 seconds.  Yet the game really runs and responds quickly now.  But this is logical -- if the game was slowed down by things hogging clock-cycles, a tuned-up system and a game like this would respond better, but your scores would be lower.

You have a choice for removing startup programs with SM.  I've never had it remove things that were "needed" -- but only startups that were "unnecessary."  It will knock Roxio Drag-to-Disc out of startups, but DtoD will run when you want it to.  Same with the Media Manager hogging clock cycles.

Hi

Many thanks for your reply. Not sure I understood it all though but thanks.

Also thanks to the person who suggested CCleaner, I already have this but it has not deleted the registry entries that I mentioned, but it did a good job on all the Roxio files.

[BonzaiDuck]

scorpio, on Dec 19 2006, 07:21 AM, said:

Hi

Many thanks for your reply. Not sure I understood it all though but thanks.

Also thanks to the person who suggested CCleaner, I already have this but it has not deleted the registry entries that I mentioned, but it did a good job on all the Roxio files.

You will be taking your system's health in your own hands if you do manual edits.

Registry cleaners STILL leave "stuff" behind.  My lengthy explanation about Symantec's software is a case in point, and I faced it yesterday.  

You might try opening regedit and run a search for all entries containing "Roxio" or "Sonic."  Make a written record of where they are -- I think these things will mostly occur under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and SOFTWARE.  Back up your existing registry first -- I even suggest you put it on removable media.  You should be able to delete every software key associated with Roxio or Sonic -- provided there is no other Roxio software installed except that for EMC9.  Then, X your fingers, restart the system (and pray), and watch the event logs.  THEN -- run a registry cleanup tool again, and also delete all the roxio or sonic folders under "Documents and Settings" and "Programs" on your boot drive.  Some of these folders will be in "Application Data" or under "Local Settings->Application Data" -- possibly in "Common" and some other directories.

I issue a total disclaimer here of responsibility for your system's stability, and everyone is warned about working with the registry without some familiarity with it.  I discovered yesterday that one of my machines still had "symantec LiveUpdate" trying to find a web-connection after I rebooted from uninstalling Norton Internet Security, and I was  . . . . well, I lost my temper -- and my patience.  Otherwise, I would not have started working with the registry so quickly.  I just deleted every reference to "Symantec" or "LiveUpdate" that I could find.

The system rebooted easily, and the event-logs were all in the blue.  One would figure that every software key for any particular product could be deleted if it didn't contain information about some other -- unrelated product.  In my case, there were still references to Symantec's "Netdetect" component in strings that included "other stuff" not related to Symantec, so I left those things alone.

There seem to be no networking problems, and no other problems with the system.

Also -- when you start looking through the registry for matches, you may eventually find keys that refer to "registration data" for a Roxio or Sonic component, and other things that might affect your ability to install the product cleanly a second or subsequent time.  Obviously, you want to delete those items as well.

Sorry for the length of this, and I could obviously see you were peeved at my earlier message for  . . .  .all the hot air.

[gi7omy]

Be careful when deleting all Roxio references - the built in CD software in XP is also Roxio based. I don't know if it says so in the registry (I didn't check) but there's a danger it may be

Edited by gi7omy, 19 December 2006 - 06:31 PM.