Program removal problem

[terrypin]

I have a program on my PPC called eReader from Peanut Press. It's a Palm ebook reader I recently inadvertently installed somehow. But I can't find any mention of it either on PPC Remove Programs, or on PC in AS Add/Remove list. Nor is there a program installed on my PC.

I seem to have no choice but to find all its files with Resco Explorer, and delete them. And maybe then find and delete any residual registry references to it.

But how does this happen? How can a program get installed and leave no uninstallation option of any sort?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.

[Menneisyys]

I have a program on my PPC called eReader from Peanut Press. It's a Palm ebook reader I recently inadvertently installed somehow. But I can't find any mention of it either on PPC Remove Programs, or on PC in AS Add/Remove list. Nor is there a program installed on my PC.

I seem to have no choice but to find all its files with Resco Explorer, and delete them. And maybe then find and delete any residual registry references to it.

But how does this happen? How can a program get installed and leave no uninstallation option of any sort?

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.

Unfortunately, as it's not using ActiveSync's own installer, it doesn't create a \Windows\<name>.unload file and doesn't register itself in the registry either (except for one key, but it's not enough for the uninstaller to find it). This is why it doesn't show up in the Uninstall program-list.

Uninstalling it is very easy, however: just delete the contents of \Program Files\Peanut Press\ and \Windows\Start Menu\Programs\eReader.lnk. Also, delete the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Palm registry entry.

EDIT:
1. although it installs itself into main memory (no matter where you instruct it), you can move the contents of \Program Files\Peanut Press\ anywhere.

2. forced VGA mode won't work - the menu / text char sizes become extremely big. DLL renaming tricks (described in connection with Netfront 3.1) don't work either.

[terrypin]

Thank you. (And for the follow-up detail.)

After posting my original query, I had a recommendation elsewhere that it was a good reader, so I'm considering leaving it installed, at least if it causes no obvious problems. (Designed for Palm PDAs? If so, I'd have expected trouble on a WM2003 PPC?)

But is the program somehow integrated with a commercial book source? I confess I had little time to study it properly, but it appeared to be saying I had no ebooks. Its file open dialogue (Book>Open) seems alien in appearance - no folders to browse!

There appear to be so many proprietary types of ebook that I wonder if reading on PPCs/PDAs will ever really take off in a big way...

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.

[Menneisyys]

Originally posted by terrypin
Designed for Palm PDAs? If so, I'd have expected trouble on a WM2003 PPC?

It's multi-platform, also with a WM port.

Originally posted by terrypin
But is the program somehow integrated with a commercial book source? I confess I had little time to study it properly, but it appeared to be saying I had no ebooks. Its file open dialogue (Book>Open) seems alien in appearance - no folders to browse!

Yeah, put everything in [optional storage media]\My Documents\Peanut Press. BTW, it's not a problem it can't browse directories - neither can, for example, Mobipocket Reader.

Originally posted by terrypin
There appear to be so many proprietary types of ebook that I wonder if reading on PPCs/PDAs will ever really take off in a big way...


There're indeed quite a few readers for the PPC, but most use the same formats: HTML (ZIP), LIT (MS Reader), Palm DOC (tons of readers), Mobi XDOC (Mobipocket), Tome Raider (.TR, this is mostly for dictionaries and has the fastest access, according to my benchmarks) etc.

[ctmagnus]

iirc, you uninstall it by the same method you install it: By using the exe on the desktop to copy/remove all necessary files to/from the device.

I rebuilt my iPaq over the last few days and programs that need to be installed this way include eReader, Microsoft Activation (if you use MS reader and don't simply restore the files from a previous activation), TextMaker and PlanMaker.

[Menneisyys]

iirc, you uninstall it by the same method you install it: By using the exe on the desktop to copy/remove all necessary files to/from the device.

You're right - you need to press the otherwise pretty misleadingly named (it's referring to the PR Diagnostic Tools, so few people would think at once that it also installs/removes the main program, not just some add-on) "Other Options" button. From inside, just press the Remove Reader button.

[terrypin]

Thanks - I sure wouldn't have thought of looking there for an Uninstall facility!

As mentioned earlier, I'll leave it installed anyway for now.

The first option offered on running setup.exe on the PC seems equally misleading, 'Install Book', which is described as:
'Install Book and Reader
Installs a new or previously installed book on
your Windows CE device. Automatically installs
or updates the eReader.'

... as if eReader was a secondary matter.

If I choose to install a book, I get an empty window, with no advice on how to populate it. The reader itself may indeed prove to be attractive, but can't say I'm impressed with the interface for a potential user with little time to spare.

--
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Using iPAQ 2210 with WM2003.