Programes and features Empty!

Biggins

Here a strange one.
Have a machine that on it is showing the programs and features as empty of all the updates and applications.

Here is a screen grab:


Have tried a systems restore. Made no difference.
Machine is virus/malware/etc free. 4 separate tools used to check (PC Tools Spyware Doctor with Anti-virus, Microsoft Security Essentials, Ad-aware, Malwarebytes).

Have looked for a solution from microsoft.com have got nowhere and going around in endless circles...

Help?

Codpeas

What is seen here is a subset of the entries under the following regkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

In the case of 64-bit OS the following key also comes into play:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

You could start by looking for something odd in those areas. (assuming of course that you dont mind poking around in the registry)

An article that has info on other problems that have been seen in this area but may or may not be helpful:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266668

Biggins

Codpeas wrote: »

What is seen here is a subset of the entries under the following regkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

In the case of 64-bit OS the following key also comes into play:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

You could start by looking for something odd in those areas. (assuming of course that you dont mind poking around in the registry)

An article that has info on other problems that have been seen in this area but may or may not be helpful:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/266668

Thanks for replying.
Looked into those and sadly, they were unable to solve the problem.
Will keep looking and hoping someone can help.

presotrader

had the same on xmas eve. I think it's some sort of bug, I got it after uninstalling a text-to-speech software ( I guess). had to reinstall. did you find any fix? would hate to go through that again...

Capt'n Midnight

I've seen one where one of the apps puts in a page break or something and you have to scroll miles down to see the other apps, try sorting by date / size to see if different

Biggins

presotrader wrote: »

had the same on xmas eve. I think it's some sort of bug, I got it after uninstalling a text-to-speech software ( I guess). had to reinstall. did you find any fix? would hate to go through that again...

I didn't uninstall anything so it confuses the heck out of me.

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

I've seen one where one of the apps puts in a page break or something and you have to scroll miles down to see the other apps, try sorting by date / size to see if different

No page break present or even scroll bars to use.

As yet have come across no fixes. Have tried to install items since and have done so without any problem. They now show up in the box. The previous ones though to today, nope - gone.
Weird!

I also installed a separate app "Your Unin-staller"
That finds the all applications and lists them (thankfully). Guess till I find a proper fix, I will be using that to remove stuff.

woolymammoth

does it list all of the installed updates OK?

Biggins

woolymammoth wrote: »

does it list all of the installed updates OK?

When option selected on the left to show them, only a few of them, screen grab below.

woolymammoth

so i'm gonna assume this is pretty recent. But do you have any idea how recent? Like, did you only notice it the other day? week ago? before that last updates? after it?

Updates can do crazy things sometimes. Try removing it (the most recent) and see what happens. You can always reinstall it later!

Biggins

woolymammoth wrote: »

so i'm gonna assume this is pretty recent. But do you have any idea how recent? Like, did you only notice it the other day? week ago? before that last updates? after it?

Updates can do crazy things sometimes. Try removing it (the most recent) and see what happens. You can always reinstall it later!

Happened in the last 24 hours.
Going to try removing the last update and see if it makes a difference.

Capt'n Midnight

if it's only a recent problem then try system restore , less admin time than trying to figure out a glitch

Biggins

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

if it's only a recent problem then try system restore , less admin time than trying to figure out a glitch

Sadly, I tried that already with no joy.