I bought a new computer a few months ago, and today I decided to install one of my old games on it, "Icewind Dale". Not sure when exactly it was made, but I know it's pretty old (not the disk itself, which I bought new this year, the game is old). It brought up the menu and I selected "Install". The game did all the normal install things (the agreeing to stuff that I didn't read, the determining what folder it's going to save stuff in, whether or not I want an icon on my desktop, etc.), and when that was done, started installing. When it was at around 3% done installing, I decided I'd rather not sit and watch the loading bar for seven minutes or so, and minimized the window. After briefly checking a website, I decided to maximize the window again so I could check on it's progress. It was still at 3%, and I noticed that it was Not Responding. Whenever something goes into Not Responding mode, I always just open task manager and hit End Task. It eventually exited out of the window. I went to Computer and clicked the game icon, and it opened the menu, this time however the option "Install" was faded out and I couldn't click it. When I hit "Uninstall", I got some message I can't remember about it not being able to uninstall.
So I did something that I'm assuming was a pretty stupid idea, and just went to Computer > Windows (C:) > Program Files (x86), and found the folder which was created in the install process for all the game's stuff to be stored in. The folder which I assumed contained whatever 3% that was done installing in it, (the folder, by the way, was named something like "Black Isle", after the company that made the game) and I deleted that folder. I had assumed deleting the entire folder, "all of the game's stuff" in my mind, would just make it be as if I had never attempted to install the game at all. So then I clicked on the game's icon again, and it again brought up the menu, with "Install" still faded out and unclickable. I tried hitting "Uninstall" and got the following messages:
Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to your computer?
Program Name: IsUninst.exe
Publisher: Unknown
File Origin: Hard drive on this computer.
(Yes) No
(I click yes)
Confirm File Deletion
Are you sure you want to completely remove the selected application and all its components?
(Yes) No
(I click yes)
(Un)installShield logo briefly appears on screen.
Uninstall
Unable to locate the installation log file 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Black Isle\Icewind Dale\Uninst.isu'. Uninstallation will not continue.
(OK)
I'm assuming when I made the brilliant move of deleting the entire folder of "Black Isle", that the "Uninst.isu" that my computer is looking for went with it. What confused me though is why it wouldn't let me hit install still. I thought I had basically removed all trace that the game was ever even on my computer, but it somehow still knows that I "Installed" it (the failed 3% installation). I looked through a variety of folders, hoping maybe I somehow missed something, but found nothing. I decided to go to Control Panel, Programs/Uninstall a program. I scrolled down and sure enough, Icewind Dale was on the list (attempting to remove it through the control panel results in the same exact thing as using the menu's uninstall option). It should be noted that the icon for it isn't its logo, but rather the same icon that icon-less programs get, or at least programs that I'm assuming don't have an icon (like Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable). It's Publisher, Size, and Version are similarly blank. It's listed as having been installed on today's date (true).
By now you can probably tell that I'm not exactly good with computers. This is the best way I can think to phrase what my not-good-with-computers mind thinks is the problem. While all the files, including the uninstall file, for the game are deleted, the game still thinks it's been installed already because it's still listed as a program by my computer (one that can't be removed) and as such fades out the Install option but unfades the Play and Uninstall options. So far, the only way to solve this that's occurred to me is fairly moronic. My only idea is: Find somewhere where I can illegally download a ten year old game that I have on a disk and download it, in the hopes that it will also come with the Uninst.isu file that I assume I deleted. Then, remake the Black Isle\Icewind Dale folder and put it in there, in the hopes that I can uninstall the game so that I can reinstall the game. I figure this is a pretty convoluted and stupid plan, and I'd rather not have to spend hours searching for somewhere to download this game from just so I can make some far-fetched attempt to uninstall it.
So that's why I came here, in the hopes that someone here will know how to fix this. I had asked someone earlier, and they said something about me "manually installing the game", but I have no idea how to do that. So... anybody have any clue how I can fix this?
So I did something that I'm assuming was a pretty stupid idea, and just went to Computer > Windows (C:) > Program Files (x86), and found the folder which was created in the install process for all the game's stuff to be stored in. The folder which I assumed contained whatever 3% that was done installing in it, (the folder, by the way, was named something like "Black Isle", after the company that made the game) and I deleted that folder. I had assumed deleting the entire folder, "all of the game's stuff" in my mind, would just make it be as if I had never attempted to install the game at all. So then I clicked on the game's icon again, and it again brought up the menu, with "Install" still faded out and unclickable. I tried hitting "Uninstall" and got the following messages:
Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to your computer?
Program Name: IsUninst.exe
Publisher: Unknown
File Origin: Hard drive on this computer.
(Yes) No
(I click yes)
Confirm File Deletion
Are you sure you want to completely remove the selected application and all its components?
(Yes) No
(I click yes)
(Un)installShield logo briefly appears on screen.
Uninstall
Unable to locate the installation log file 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Black Isle\Icewind Dale\Uninst.isu'. Uninstallation will not continue.
(OK)
I'm assuming when I made the brilliant move of deleting the entire folder of "Black Isle", that the "Uninst.isu" that my computer is looking for went with it. What confused me though is why it wouldn't let me hit install still. I thought I had basically removed all trace that the game was ever even on my computer, but it somehow still knows that I "Installed" it (the failed 3% installation). I looked through a variety of folders, hoping maybe I somehow missed something, but found nothing. I decided to go to Control Panel, Programs/Uninstall a program. I scrolled down and sure enough, Icewind Dale was on the list (attempting to remove it through the control panel results in the same exact thing as using the menu's uninstall option). It should be noted that the icon for it isn't its logo, but rather the same icon that icon-less programs get, or at least programs that I'm assuming don't have an icon (like Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable). It's Publisher, Size, and Version are similarly blank. It's listed as having been installed on today's date (true).
By now you can probably tell that I'm not exactly good with computers. This is the best way I can think to phrase what my not-good-with-computers mind thinks is the problem. While all the files, including the uninstall file, for the game are deleted, the game still thinks it's been installed already because it's still listed as a program by my computer (one that can't be removed) and as such fades out the Install option but unfades the Play and Uninstall options. So far, the only way to solve this that's occurred to me is fairly moronic. My only idea is: Find somewhere where I can illegally download a ten year old game that I have on a disk and download it, in the hopes that it will also come with the Uninst.isu file that I assume I deleted. Then, remake the Black Isle\Icewind Dale folder and put it in there, in the hopes that I can uninstall the game so that I can reinstall the game. I figure this is a pretty convoluted and stupid plan, and I'd rather not have to spend hours searching for somewhere to download this game from just so I can make some far-fetched attempt to uninstall it.
So that's why I came here, in the hopes that someone here will know how to fix this. I had asked someone earlier, and they said something about me "manually installing the game", but I have no idea how to do that. So... anybody have any clue how I can fix this?