Windows 7 - Uninstall and Remove Software in Safe Mode

After following this tutorial, you will be able to uninstall and remove softwares when you started your Windows PC in Safe Mode.

If you have installed software on your computer and for any reason it gives you issues, the best thing to do is to uninstall it. But what happen if such a piece of software keeps restarting your Windows operating system or worst, disables certain services so that you won’t be able to performs some important operation anymore ? In this case Windows will help you with a special feature called Safe Mode. Basically, in Safe Mode you will be able to troubleshoot your computer in order to fix issues. However, if you need to uninstall and remove some software, you have to know that this kind of “limited state” Mode has the Windows Installer Service completely disabled. Let’s see how to turn it on and uninstall everything; even in the Safe Mode configuration.

Windows Installation Service is responsible for the installation and uninstallation procedure. If you try to access it in Safe Mode you will get the following message: “The Windows Installer Service could not be accessed. This can occur if the Windows Installer is not correctly installed. Contact your Support Personnel for assistance”. The following tutorial will teach you how to turn the Windows Installation Service in Safe Mode:



Step 1

Click the Start button. In the Search field, type regedit and press Enter.

Right click over the regedit.exe that comes into search list; select “Run as Administrator“. Accept the security Prompt. Registry Editor will open.



Step 2

Locate the following registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Minimal\

Right-click on the Mininal key and from the menu select New – Key:

Now name the new key MSIService and change the value to Service by double-clicking it:

If you are in the Safe Mode with Network Mode, repeat the above steps for the following registry key: HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot\Network\


Step 3

The newly created MSIService will make available the Windows Installation Service in Safe Mode. However, I want to remind you that it is necessary to turn the new service on.

To do it, exit regedit, click Start and in the Search field type: services.msc and right click over the “services.msc” that comes into search list; select “Run as Administrator”. Accept the security Prompt.

From the list, locate Windows Installer. Right-click it and select Start:

Note: If the procedure to turn on Windows Installer does not work try this one:

1. Click Start.

2. In the search field, type cmd. Do not press Enter.

3. Right click the Command DOS icon and click the Run it as Administrator link.

4. In the command prompt, type net start msiserver.


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Original source: The Customize Windows