Update on having too many Start-Up entries for WinPatrol

onDvine · July 10, 2015, 07:44:41 PM

This is an update (FYI only) on what was discussed here: http://www.landzdown.com/winpatrol-help-information/too-many-winpatrol-plus-entries-in-startup-programs/ and in one other thread about my husband's computer.

WinPatrol is functional in both of our computers, so it doesn't seem worth putting more time into repair efforts that have already failed. Extra entries don't disappear if removal is selected. If one is disabled, ALL are disabled. Dates first detected are inaccurate with one exception. IIRC, there was a problem with the uninstall process, when tried to do clean installs.

Current look of things: the Start Up programs list with the red border is from my Win7/64; now there are 3 WinPatrol entries that supposedly don't exist but won't go away. The list with the gray border is from my husband's Vista.

With the latest version installed, all entries mention the newsletter so the old stuff is being affected by updates.

onDvine · July 10, 2015, 09:13:31 PM

Too late to edit above, but this link goes to a post about my husband's WinPatrol (with screen snapshot showing multiple Scotties in tray which still appear at most boots) and another relevant link in my post directly below it. Again, just FYI to keep the subject sort of alive with a path to follow backwards if ever useful. http://www.landzdown.com/winpatrol-help-information/winpatrol-patch-update-available-33-5-2015-7/msg175940/#msg175940

Thanks. :smiley:

plodr · July 10, 2015, 10:14:50 PM

In the first shot, the first three green scotties are not indicated as running.
When you go to the registry location of Ruiware, do you see all those registry entries?
Perhaps you can clean out the non-running ones which might be earlier versions that did not get cleaned out properly when it updated.

I just looked around and compared yours to mine. Your non-functioning are listed as HKLM. The one that works and my only entry are under HLCU.

So the HKLM entries need to be found and removed - somehow.
I don't have any entries in HKLM for WinPatrol so can't tell you what you might see in there.

I wonder if CCleaner can find the invalid, non-running items in the incorrect location?

onDvine · July 10, 2015, 10:37:53 PM

Thank you very much. :smiley: I don't know how to get to the registry location of Ruiware and am not knowledgeable enough about the registry to make changes in it. I will go back to my husband's computer and see if there is a different result now than previously with those not listed as running by trying to change from within WinPatrol.

onDvine · July 10, 2015, 10:48:01 PM

According to WinPatrol, they're all Running now. Apparently, things have changed since earlier.

Corrine · July 11, 2015, 02:09:05 AM

I only have one instance of WinPatrol.exe showing in WinPatrol Startup Programs, Startup Location: HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

It is a bit strange that FRST shows that there are two entries in ProgramData as well as two InstallMate folders in Program Data:

(Ruiware) C:\Program Files (x86)\Ruiware\WinPatrol\WinPatrol.exe
HKU\S-1-5-21-1438712498-2009052150-3166626906-1001\...\Run: [WinPatrol] => C:\Program Files (x86)\Ruiware\WinPatrol\winpatrol.exe [1244296 2015-06-25] (Ruiware)
2015-06-27 11:37 - 2013-10-23 15:38 - 00000000 ____D C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\WinPatrol
2015-06-27 11:37 - 2013-10-23 15:38 - 00000000 ____D C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\WinPatrol
2015-06-27 11:36 - 2013-01-04 19:04 - 00000000 ____D C:\ProgramData\InstallMate
2015-06-27 11:36 - 2013-01-04 19:04 - 00000000 ____D C:\ProgramData\InstallMate

plodr · July 11, 2015, 04:44:32 AM

If you're not familiar with the registry, don't do anything there.

If it were me, I'd probably use either RevoUninstaller
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/revo_uninstaller.html
or Geek Uninstaller
http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/geekuninstaller.html
to remove it BUT you will have to look over registry entries and you can make a mistake if you check/tick anything not posted in bold and remove from the registry.

A more cautious way with less chance for error but then no guarantee that the bogus registry entries will disappear is to use Add/Remove under Programs and Features.

Then follow that by a reboot and a clean install of WinPatrol.

onDvine · July 11, 2015, 04:59:24 PM

Thank you both. :)

@Corrine - are the entries you listed as being "a bit strange" in your own computer or did you somehow figure out they're in mine? :confused:

@plodr - If I recall correctly, removal using Add/Remove Programs failed previously because a file or folder was inaccessible. Will likely give it another try in the next week or so. Maybe something has changed and I'll have better luck. Since we have functionality, would be a shame to work on it over a weekend!

Corrine · July 11, 2015, 05:58:21 PM

The extras showing in the log were on my Windows 7 laptop.

If I'm recalling correctly, onDvine, you also went through the process of using the WinPatrol Removal Tool. Although I would be more than happy to have you do that and then post FRST logs to see if I can find any leftovers so you can start fresh, I'd prefer to wait to see if Bret wants to troubleshoot the issue first.

onDvine · July 11, 2015, 06:25:52 PM

Quote from: Corrine on July 11, 2015, 05:58:21 PM... If I'm recalling correctly, onDvine, you also went through the process of using the WinPatrol Removal Tool. Although I would be more than happy to have you do that and then post FRST logs to see if I can find any leftovers so you can start fresh, I'd prefer to wait to see if Bret wants to troubleshoot the issue first.

Thank you, Corrine. I did go through that process. Would prefer to wait, too. :goodie:

plodr · July 11, 2015, 11:37:10 PM

Smart move ladies. I always like to think about several possible solutions before I stomp all over a problem.
Sometimes the time spent thinking about how to tackle it, gives me a solution that was better than what my first thoughts were.

I could never work at a computer shop to fix computers. I am too slow and methodical. I don't wipe and reinstall on a whim!

onDvine · August 07, 2015, 11:48:58 PM

Just for fun, wanted to share how many WinPatrol icons were in the tray when my husband booted his computer this afternoon. But no complaints; WinPatrol is working fine, otherwise. Am sticking with v 33.6.2015.1 on both computers for the time being. :smiley:

plodr · August 08, 2015, 01:55:40 PM

Looks like an animal shelter filled with Scotties!

techie · August 08, 2015, 02:03:45 PM

I think your not the only one that has had this happen. Winpatrol has a help site if you want to look at it and information on things to check. I would say you have to many registry entries or a couple of old versions that didn't uninstall.

http://www.winpatrol.com/support/reset.html

I know the newer version has a reset and repair feature.

onDvine · August 08, 2015, 07:36:30 PM

@plodr - Doesn't it? (laughing)

@techie - Thanks for your input. As Corrine mentioned above (and as posted in the links, IIRC), we've tried various methods including the WinPatrol Removal Tool...pretty much everything relevant in the link you so kindly posted.

The installed version, though not the newest, has Maintenance and Reset Tools but can't seem to eliminate my husband's extra Scotties. There aren't always that many...sometimes it's just one, two, or three plus the gray square indicating one instance of WinPatrol needs permission to open so it can be closed. ;)