“Could not Open Install.Log File!” Problem Solved!!

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April 21st, 2009 Permalink

You may have noticed a problem when uninstalling some programs, if you have Ntfs in Windows XP, Vista or 7, you are likely to face this problem. When you try to uninstall ‘em from Add/Remove Programs List, they show a message “Could not Open Install.Log File!”. This problem is generally seen with “Wise Installation Wizard”. [...]

You may have noticed a problem when uninstalling some programs, if you have Ntfs in Windows XP, Vista or 7, you are likely to face this problem. When you try to uninstall ‘em from Add/Remove Programs List, they show a message “Could not Open Install.Log File!”. This problem is generally seen with “Wise Installation Wizard”. I have seen it only with “Wise Installation Wizard”. I don’t know if other installers give rise to same problem.

When you try to uninstall them from
Start Menu>>Programs>>%ProgramName%>>Uninstall
It again gives the same error.

This can be solved and the program can be un-installed without having to remove the directory, shortcuts and registry entries manually, which is really difficult and tiresome. I have found a solution to this problem and sharing with you all.

Procedure:
1. Open the directory where the program is installed. (Eg. For System Mechanic 5, By default, it is C:\Program Files\iolo\System Mechanic 5, if you have installed XP on C:\)
2. You will see a file named “Install.log” in there.
3. Move (cut and paste somewhere else) the “install.log” to say an empty new folder in desktop (first create a new folder and then paste the install.log into it).
4. Now, double click the un-installer (uninstall.exe or unwise.exe)
5. It will ask you to open the installation log. Locate to the “install.log” file on your desktop.
6. Now, uninstall will work fine and you can un-install the program.

Alternate Procedure
You can simply drag the install.log to unwise.exe or uninstall.exe and it should work.

This should solve your problem and the program should be uninstalled.

PS: This was originally posted at Thinkdigit Forums a few years back. Please view older comments in the original post.

Still Can’t uninstall?


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  • dorothy

    ok, I’ve tried for about two hours and I can’t figure out how to upload a screen shot. I can save it to a Word file, but not into Imageshack. (sigh). All i keep getting in images of Imageshack home page. I’m starting to feel a little dumb about now…..

  • admin

    ^Press “Print Screen” key on your keyboard. A screenshot is copied.
    Launch Paint application and Paste it there. Save it.
    Launch imageshack.us. Click Browse and select the file you saved. Then, click on Host it.
    Now, copy and paste a link (direct link) here.

  • Kabir

    sup man,

    Trying to remove Magic ISO. I did all of the steps, but the contents don’t get removed. I was missing the install.log file so I reinstalled magiciso. I then tried to uninstall it, but only the install.log file would disappear after I selected the file.

    So I reinstalled magiciso once again, but this time I made an extra copy of the install.log file: 1 for the new install and 1 to try and remove the original contents. It still won’t uninstall.

  • Kabir

    oh ya, it’s Vista.

  • dorothy

    http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/8919/cantuninstall.png
    Who knew I had the paint option? Hope this works….

  • Ray

    I’m trying to uninstall a program “Smartdraw 07″ and of course the install.log file is missing. Unfortunatley, I no longer have the program. Any recommendations?

  • ben

    I am having the same issue as Cam is.

    When I open the file, I can not find an “INSTALL.LOG” the files are Disciples II Gold Gallean and Rise of the Elves. It is operating on Windows XP. I have also run searches to find install.log files for the programs with no luck. I would really appreciate help.

    Thanks.

  • admin

    @Kabir
    Drag the install.log to uninstall.exe or unwise.exe and see if it works.

    @ben
    try reinstalling it and uninstalling it again.

    @dorothy
    Did you cut and paste the install.log to your Desktop?

  • admin

    @Ray
    Did you check the install.log file in the installed location “Program Files/something”? If it is not there, there’s nothing much we can do. You can however try to reinstall the program by getting the program again.

  • Shannon
  • http://www.katarey.com Rahul Dev Katarey

    Thanks for the tip, its worked for me thanks again….

    Rahul Dev Katarey

  • http://www.poop.poop Poop

    Many thanks man!

  • thanks!!!

    finally, that effin program was driving me nuts.
    Many thanks

  • http://www.petsuppliesbirds.com Pete

    Genius! Eureka!

  • haseeb

    i tried alot through add/remove prog to uninstall speedbit software but it says an error could not find file install.log file i did try to find the place where it is actually installed but nothing is working.. what to do now?

    • Apzaza8

      i had this problem too until well…the simple solution is to go to C driver–> program files–> and to just delete the program file,after when you go to start–>control panel–> add or remove program, to uninstall the program it will be much easier :) )

  • l;eajf

    Thank you very much! It works fine! Thank you millions.

  • Dale

    Thanks! You are the bomb!

  • gracel

    im having the same problem but the thing is I don’t have the install.log file anymore. my sister deleted it, how can i uninstall??? pls help me!

  • http://dede.eCa.sh/TC Dede Young

    Thank YOU so very much for posting this info on your site!!!
    I made the mistake of deleting duplicate files when doing a Registry Clean one day and it wiped out ALL of my .dll files. I guess each program has it’s own little .dll file and the other programs won’t share their .dll files :)
    I had a lot of games that came with my computer that I wanted to get rid of but each program needs it’s own .dll file…..You just don’t find those little puppies anywhere. Thanks so much for the help, I now have a computer rid of games :)
    Bless Your BIG Heart!
    Dede

  • http://www.google.nl Daniel

    Hey, thanks a lot! Works like a charm. Thanks a lot for this :D .

  • Heather and anthony

    thank you so much me and my father were trying to figure out how to get the new vzaccess for internet from his blackberry for about 2 1/2 hours this works like a charm. :)

  • http://www.replaceyoursalary.com Alan Mater

    I followed your steps trying to uninstall Camtasia 3 from my computer. For whatever reason nothing works. I tried both procedures and still get the “unable to open INSTALL.LOG file” error. I’m running XP. Any ideas?

    Thanks!

  • admin

    Hi Alan,
    Please provide details of your problem.

    Was the installation successful?
    Is “install.log” file present in the program directory?
    What happens when you move it to another folder? Does the uninstall (or unwise) program ask for the location of the install.log?
    Any other errors you get?
    Did you try to reinstall the application?

    Regards
    _khAttAm_

  • Aimee D

    this did not work for me as there was no intall.log in what i am trying to uninstall which is yahoo.. i’ve been having trouble since i loaded a registry fixer and am afraid i must have deleted a certain registry that was not suppose to be deleted.. now when i try and open yahoo since i cannot uninstall it.. it doesn’t work. Any suggestions as to what I may have done or need to do now?

    • admin

      Hi Aimee,
      Trying to install the same version of Yahoo! again and trying to reinstall might help. if the Yahoo Messenger you have installed is an older version, find the appropriate version here: http://www.oldversion.com/Yahoo-Messenger.html

      Regards
      _khAttAm_

      • Courtney

        You are a life saver. I was able to find the version that I currently had installed and reinstalled it. Now My messenger is working properly again. Thank you!

  • http://www.replaceyoursalary.com Alan Mater

    Yes, the installation was successful. I’ve been using the program for years.

    The install.log file is present in the program directory. When I moved it to the desktop (cut and paste) and attempted to uninstall again, it never asked me to locate the file. It just still gave me the normal “unable to open install.log file.”

    That’s the only error I get. I’ve reinstalled the program over top of the existing install, and still nothing.

    Would you know of anything else I can try? Thanks!

  • admin

    Alan,
    Do you have multiple users at your PC with admin rights? If so, try switching users and uninstall.
    I have no other idea.

    Regards
    _khAttAm_

  • derek

    yoooooooooooo…….thank u sooooo much man…thank u got,,, was gonna beat the breaks off this pc in a min so…thanks and my laptop says thank u too

  • mathew

    thnk u so much …

    very very thnks.. u really helped me…

    hmm… muaah…

  • Amr Selim

    Perfect , I did not think that the solution was a simple as moving the file to another location. Makes you wonder why the developer had missed that bug anyway.

  • http://www.nothing.com Liu, H

    Thank you man.. worked perfectly

  • Amrithraj

    Thanks..It worked for me

  • Haywood

    Wow, thanks for shortening my misery man. the problem was driving me crazy. PicaView lagged my system like crazy and it wasn’t easy going thru the file browser to get to the folder but I did it!

  • Cold

    You are a magician!
    Thanks!

  • Xanvik

    Thx very helpful!!!

  • Shogetsu

    thanks!!!!! ^^

  • http://www.best-registrycleaner.net Best Registry Cleaner

    Thanks for the tip, its worked for me thanks again….

  • Headah Freaq

    I still cannot do it! please help!!

    • Apzaza8

      i had this problem too until well…the simple solution is to go to C driver–> program files–> and to just delete the program file,after when you go to start–>control panel–> add or remove program, to uninstall the program it will be much easier :) )

    • Hayden12

      unistall from program files on your c drive double click unistall in the dymo label folder thats located in program files it will come up looking for the the log file then browse to your desktop were the log file is located then it will start to unistalling the program.

  • Arun

    u r GENIUS MANNNNNNNNNNN

  • igod

    thank u

  • Darlindo

    Thank you mate! :D

  • Nirmraj1409

    i tried alot through add/remove prog to uninstall speedbit software but it says an error could not find file install.log file i did try to find the place where it is actually installed but nothing is working.. what to do now?
    Flag

    • Apzaza8

      i had this problem too until well…the simple solution is to go to C driver–> program files–> and to just delete the program file,after when you go to start–>control panel–> add or remove program, to uninstall the program it will be much easier :) )

      • WICKEDWAYZ777

        YOU ARE AMAZING BEEN TRYING TO GET RID OF THAT STUPID THING FOR A MONTH TY TY TY LOVE ITALIAN PRINCESS

      • Janakadiaz

        @ Apzaza8.I got it done.Removed the the DEVIL successfully.Thanks Dear.Thanks a lot.

        • Apzaza8

          your welcome  dear my plesure:) :) ^_^

  • Mariaju

    não consigo desintalar uma pen de internet,pois dá-e a seguinte mensagem “could not open install.log file. Tentei a solução dada em ir ao directório onde o programa está instalado, mas não encontro. E encontro-me num impasse. Como devo fazer?

  • Yuunis

    i finally uninstalled that thing…thanks bro/sister

  • Ismael_arroyo

    This worked great for me. Thanks

  • Obnoxious_D

    i still cant do it… pleaseeeeee helppppppppppppppp

    • http://www.khattam.info _khAttAm_

      Did you try reinstalling the same program and removing it again?

    • Apzaza8

      i had this problem too until well…the simple solution is to go to C driver–> program files–> and to just delete the program file,after when you go to start–>control panel–> add or remove program, to uninstall the program it will be much easier :) )

  • Paybank2000

    WHEW!! Thanks so much! It worked!

  • http://associatedcontentnetwork.com Sandeep

    works very well its a very golden info really save my day thx man :)

  • Asharali999

    thankssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss itsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss workinggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg

  • Frank

    Did not find any uninstall info for Smartdraw VP and recieved message “Could not Open Install.Log File” when using Add/Remove.
    Tried the second procedure but it didn’t work.
    Unistalled Smartdraw VP using the first procedure.  I dragged the INSTAL.LOG to a new folder on the desktop.
    Thank you for taking the time to post this information.

    • Apzaza8

      i had this problem too until well…the simple solution is to go to C driver–> program files–> and to just delete the program file,after when you go to start–>control panel–> add or remove program, to uninstall the program it will be much easier :) )

    • Apzaza8

      i had this problem too until well…the simple solution is to go to C driver–> program files–> and to just delete the program file,after when you go to start–>control panel–> add or remove program, to uninstall the program it will be much easier :) )

  • Wangit_2010

    you solved my problem…thanks

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