error with Adobe CS3, neither uninstalling nor installing

hey folks..

weird problem happened overnight..no idea what went wrong. but wenever i try launching any adobe program (indesign , illustrator) it says - " you can not use this program, you must uninstall and then re install this program."

btw photoshop n acrobat s been working.

now the problem is - i CAN NOT uninstall this anyhow. from control panel /add remove program it is not uninstalling. doesnt happen anything after i chose the option.

and while running the installer it asks me to complete the other installer before attempting to install CS3..

very confusing..

even tuneup utilities uninstaller couldnt help..

please help guys..

 

just thinking.... have you recently been installing adobe updates?

If you have, maybe the autorun at startup was disabled somehow.... to complete the installation....

But even if...that should then start automatically....

 

hmm.. not actually.. i hated adobe updates. (almost all of them come for acrobat) so shifted to Foxit.. so,no updates installing.. and the installer says - adobe install already running.

it does not let me even uninstall crap(read adobe..i m angry) from my PC..this is insane..

 

Give Revo Unistaller a try - has worked on some uncooperative programs for me in the past.
http://www.revouninstaller.com/

 

Delete the folder adobe folder from program files and run ccleaner to clean registry entries.

 

tried..deleted all..but could not delete the main adobe folder..acrobat is creating problem..says - adistres.dll, access is denied.. only acrobat (few files of it) is not deleting from program files.. :|

i think i would wait till i run revo.. :|

anyother suggestion.. ccleaner uninsall also cudnt uninstall.. so i deleted the entry.. (did i screw it up further..?? )

 

more fun..

deleted all but those few .dll files of acrobat.. now i rightclick on any file / folder anywhere in my comp..acrobat starts installing itself.. n from a total of 6mb files it makes itself a full acrobat professional worth 650mbs(in program folder)

very confusing..i m totally lost..

 

I know this doesn't help but - start frm scratch (if you can)

 

hehehe.. now i wonder what to do..nyway..starting the scratch means what..? is it like there s something which wud uninstall/repair(i wonder how after what all i have done) adobe..?

ll give a try to revo..

 

Starting from scratch means OS recovery/clean instal...

You could try removing adobe completely though, if you have a disc with the software that is (not like the 2 programmes Sony supplied with the SZ in europe, just an installer on the HDD).

 

One other option is JV16 Power Tools - Have used to rid my system of a pesky software item that was supposed to prevent malware and actually was it instead. Very powerful tho - careful as is just as easy to screw up something as fix it. Use the "System Tools" tab, Software Uninstaller icon - It will even list the .exe files for programs you have in folders but not installed. Do use the back-up feature it defaults to to recover if something does not work.
They have a 30 day trial - believe is fully functional. I've used their products for several years - excellent quality.
http://www.macecraft.com/jv16powertools2009/

 

hey man.. tried this also.. this error report comes.. :|

Failed to remove "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat 8.0\Acrobat"! Windows core returned the following error: "Access is denied."

revo also didnt do any magic

don not tell me to format the system please .. very confusing

Oh.! btw, did i tell u guys that in adobe folder only acrobat is lying down as a dic-k-tator..cant delete the folder,does not show in uninstall program file anymore..
very weird..

 

Boot into safe mode - see if you can delete the files/folders that way. then use CCleaner or the JV16 registry cleaner once re-boot.