I can't uninstall OpenOffice.org

[pfries319]

I recently got Microsoft Word, Excell and everything. I need to delete Open Office because it's taking 161MB of space.

I've read the "how to uninstall Open Office" from 2003, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't find the files they referred to. It just doesn't work.
I really need to do this. Someone help!

Thanks, pfries319

Please don't double-post the same question in different areas of the forum. I have removed your other identical thread. See: The Survival guide (TheGurkha, Moderator)

[TheGurkha]

Just go to Add/Remove programs and remove it like you'd remove any other Windows application.

[heman93]

this is how you do it on vista
go to control panel, and then add or remove programs
right click on the open office one and then click change
it will give u the option of repairing, re installing, or uninstalling
click uninstall and you have sucessfully fone it

[pintree3]

Hi

OpenOffice was uninstalled using the Windows Add/Remove programs. The whole process appeared go smoothly as the new window showed a bar and all that stuff showing you the uninstall process.
Later, I noticed that Oo was still in the start menu. How could this be? Out of curiosity I clicked on one of the apps--Writer--thinking it would not open and it being just a dead link, but to my surprise it opened. I went back to Window Add/Remove programs and it is no longer there. Hence although Oo was uninstalled now it is not longer in add/remove therfore, in theory, uninstallable since no other uninstall thing exists on the startmenu --> Oo menu.
Why is it still there uninstalled? and what do I do now to get rid of it?

Thank you

M

[pingju]

There is a possibility: you have more than one installation of OOo on your PC, but only one registry in Add/Remove program, the one installed later. The files of two installations were not save in the same folder. The later installed version did not overwrite the previous version.

To uninstall the files left,
1. Get the folder where they are saved by right click the shortcut you found ->Properties ->Target
2. Browse to the target folder and try to find the file used for uninstall, usually the file name is uninstall, executable.
3. Run the file to see if it could uninstall the files you don't need anymore.

But there is one thing strange to me: did you use the shortcut before? If you did, you might remove a version you never used.

Or you used other shortcut instead, which disappeared after you run the Add/Remove operation?

[tn@BeWo]

If the standard uninstall doesn't work (any more), it seems likely to me that the original .msi, from which it had been installed, has been moved or deleted.
Rory's just taught me, where to find the backups:
In %SystemRoot%\Installer\ (e.g. C:\WINNT\Installer\) you'll find copies of all the .ins files. The file names are encoded and different on different PCs, but for OOo the files carry the product name in their fileinfo/theme property and thus identifying them manually is quite easy (alas, not that easy from a script).
Right-click them to find the uninstall of the msi context menu.

[drawoc]

I'm struggling with the same. I've uninstalled OpenOffice 2.3 and installed 3.x some time ago but the old 2.3 version is hanging in the system like a virus. All programs start the old 2.3 versions for the associated files, I have to manually choose 3.x from context menus if I want that version and so on... A real pain in the ass.

I went through the %SysRoot%\Installer files and can only see the MSI for OpenOffice 3.x there. Not a sign of 2.3. All the program files for 2.3 are in their original installation directory though (even after uninstall). But there's no Uninstall.exe there as far as I can tell.

So I am thinking about wiping all the 2.3 files out and hoping that reinstalling 3.x might fix this. Don't know how else to get rid of this old stuff. Anybody with more ideas?

[TheGurkha]

@drawoc

I'd manually delete the old files, then use Revo uninstaller to uninstall the 3.1 version. Then make sure there is no trace of the user profile left behind, [Tutorial] The OOo user profile, and then re-install the 3.1 version.

[Bill]

If the standard uninstall doesn't work (any more), it seems likely to me that the original .msi, from which it had been installed, has been moved or deleted.
Rory's just taught me, where to find the backups:
In %SystemRoot%\Installer\ (e.g. C:\WINNT\Installer\) you'll find copies of all the .ins files. The file names are encoded and different on different PCs, but for OOo the files carry the product name in their fileinfo/theme property and thus identifying them manually is quite easy (alas, not that easy from a script).
Right-click them to find the uninstall of the msi context menu.

The standard uninstall shouldn't fail just because the original .msi file is missing. The standard uninstall looks first for the .msi file in the C:\WINNT\Installer\ folder to perform the uninstallation. The uninstall looks for the original .msi file which was used to install only if the .msi file in the Installer folder has been deleted, moved or renamed. That's why there's usually no problem if the original file is deleted after installation is complete.

[thomasjk]

Try this utility http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301. Download, install and run it. Point it at the V2.3 listing in the list if its still there then delete the old directories using windows explorer and CCleaner http://www.ccleaner.com/ to clean the registry.

[tn@BeWo]

The standard uninstall shouldn't fail just because the original .msi file is missing.

Sure, but when the standard uninstall is available, the question doesn't arise. So something (and the uninstall registry entry) must have been deleted before.

[drawoc]

Thanks Gurkha... this seems to have resolved my issues so far, got OpenOffice 3.1 reinstalled and 2.3 is finally gone.

[Dazey]

Hello,

Im having the exact same problem.
For the 2 easy solutions that were posted, I had already tried right clicking the program from the uninstall page etc etc.
And every time I tried uninstalling this message poped up, "Please exit OpenOffice.org 3.1 and the OpenOffice.org 3.1 Quickstarter before you continue. If you are using a multi-user system, also make sure that no other user has OpenOffice.org 3.1 open" Im not sure if that helps but I hope it does.

Im really confused because after I deleted the openoffice files and re did the uninstall methods that message still poped up. So I Start>Search> option and typed in OpenOffice.org 3.1 and there wasnt any in sight. also I no one else in my family has any need of openoffice/ isnt sharing anything with my computer.

I have a couple questions regarding the helpful replies on how to fix this...
-what is an OOo file?
-Also in %SystemRoot%\Installer\ (e.g. C:\WINNT\Installer\) do you mean the Cdrive and the folders following that when you click on it? Becuase I looked through all the folders and I couldnt find a single wif of Open Office.

Its as if Openoffice doesnt exist on my computer but its still using up space...

[Hagar Delest]

A quick search like that one should help.

See also that one, found by Bill: Re-installing after accidental deletion of files.

[tum555]

hi people for window 7
step one
- click rigth on program select properties
- click left on Open File Location
- rename folder program
step two
- go to Control Panel\Programs\Programs and Features
- uninstalll finish

[Bill]

Could you explain what you mean by "rename folder program". If you mean rename the folder named "program", then uninstalling won't find and remove the program files.