Solved Click 2 Run Won't Uninstall

[remm]

A neighbor has VISTA on an HP laptop and every time she starts the computer up, the Click 2 Run process takes over and delivers an error, "MS Office Client Virtualization Handler has stopped working" then it goes online to find a solution and can't, and presents a "close program" button, then closes... only to repeat this entire process almost immediately.

Now she has other problems like 2 different versions of Office trials installed, with a Product Key she purchased for one of them (Student Home and Office 2010).

WHAT HAS BEEN TRIED:

1. Tried uninstalling ALL Office products (both Office versions and C2R) so I could reinstall the one she has the product key for, but I cannot uninstall ANY of them because Click 2 Run keeps running in the background and the products just don't uninstall - (though they no longer worked, except for Click 2 Run continuing to deliver its error msg!)

2. Tried Revo uninstaller... same problem.

3. The toolkit MS provides to force the uninstall of Office does not work if C2R is installed.

4. Followed MS's 6-page directions to uninstall the Office products MANUALLY and that didn't work either.... an error came up saying "Go to Control Panel to uninstall Click 2 Run" which doesn't work!

5. Booted into SAFE MODE and still could not uninstall C2R or the Office products!

So does anyone know what the process or service is called that IS "Click 2 Run" so that I can try disabling it specifically? Or is there some other solution aside from upgrading to W7 or re-installing VISTA?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Irene]

This article from MS should help:
Update, repair, or uninstall Office Click-to-Run products - Excel - Office.com

or perhaps this:
Click-to-Run: Switch to using an MSI-based Office edition - Excel - Office.com

 

[remm]

Unfortunately both articles assume C2R can be uninstalled in any one of the normal ways, and it can't. That's the problem. Thanks for your response though.

 

[Irene]

Any help here?:
Unable to uninstall Click2run using MS fixit - Microsoft Answers

 

[karlsnooks]

remm,

First have you checked here:
WIN | type MSCONFIG | ENTER | STARTUP tab

Is there an entry for clicktorun? If yes then uncheck.

WIN = key with Microsoft logo on top.

==========================
============================

If that does not solve the problem,

1. Then download AutoRuns.
2. Run Autoruns as administrator (rt-ciick on autoruns.exe and choose run as administrator)
3. From the top menu bar, FILE | SAVE | Save button
4. Close Autoruns. (resist making changes!)
5. Autoruns.arn will be in your Documents library
6. Zip up that file.
7. Attach the file to you next post.

Here is the link for autoruns:
Autoruns for Windows

 

[remm]

Any help here?:
Unable to uninstall Click2run using MS fixit - Microsoft Answers

Thanks, Irene. That was the charm!

After stopping the Virtualization service (link one) I ran the FitIT tool (link 2) and it uninstalled C2R successfully which was the biggest problem, so that's great and she's happy and so am I.

On the downside it was unable to uninstall the two other Office program trials (Business Trial and a dupe copy of Home & Student, which neither works but still appears in the Programs list and in the Start Menu list)... but on the positive side it left the working copy of Home & Student with product key intact, activated and working.

I know I can go into the registry and remove the two other Office programs from the Programs listing, but am not sure if there are bits and pieces of those programs that should be cleaned up first. I might try going back now and uninstalling those programs manually via previous instructions I found, but I wouldn't want to remove something that belongs to the WORKING copy of Home and Student so.... I don't know... might leave well enough alone. (She really doesn't care...she's just happy C2R is gone and her Excel and Word docs all open now.)

When I tried to uninstall the Office Business and dupe Home trials, I got "error 30277" which means it's messed up, partially uninstalled, and the registry keys are verklempt. I used CCleaner on the reg but still got the same error afterward when trying to completely uninstall those programs. And while related modules (like Access and Publishing) appeared in the Start menu, clicking on them returned errors, of course, b/c the programs are partially uninstalled. Could also try Revo on them now that C2r is gone, I guess. Anyway... like I say, she might not care....

But thanks for that link as it did the trick!!

 

[remm]

@ karlsnooks

Thanks for the offer... Irene's link seems to have gotten rid of C2R, thankfully!

 

[karlsnooks]

remm,
Glad to hear that Irene's solution solved your original problem.

Would you please have the person with the problem start a thread stating the problem

I do not work thru a middle man. Too many problems and misunderstandings.

Have a nice day.
karl

 

[remm]

remm,
Glad to hear that Irene's solution solved your original problem.

Would you please have the person with the problem start a thread stating the problem

I do not work thru a middle man. Too many problems and misunderstandings.

Have a nice day.
karl

I understand but she isn't computer literate in this sense so has never used a forum or would know how to carry out helpful advice. IAC her issue is fixed. Sorry for any inconvenience.

 

[Irene]

Pleased to have been of assistance, remm.