Uninstall Windows Programs in Knoppix

[andreasr2d2]

Is there a way to uninstall Windows programs through Knoppix? I have a fatal system error which, I think, was due to the installation of ProTools LE 8. Apparently, it's not compatible with my system although being listed on the manufacturer's website. I first want to boot into Knoppix to backup my files and then try to repair the problem through there. Is there a way to uninstall ProTools through Knoppix by using Wine or CrossOver to run the uninstaller? I know I can delete ProTools' files on the hard drive, but I don't think that would be much help. If this doesn't work, I'll just try to do a repair installation with the XP CD. Thank you in advance for your help.

[Harry Kuhman]

It is not safe to write to a NTFS partition with Knoppix.

Addedto that, when Windows installs something it almost always makes entries to the "registery", a Windows database in Microsoft's own format that Knoppix does not deal with. Microsoft is generous with their warnings that you don't want to corrupt the registery or it may ruin the Windows install.

Knoppix can be used to recover key data before doing a Windows "reinstall".

[andreasr2d2]

Wouldn't the uninstaller remove entries to the registry? When you say it's not safe, is there possibility that it will work or that will damage the actual hard drive or data on it (bad sectors)?

[Harry Kuhman]

An uninstaller, which typically runs under Windows, not Linux, might remove the correct registery information, but I have seen serious problems caused by uninstallers (due to the complex mess that Windows DLLs are). After one uninstall I completely lost access to the Internet. The reason turned out to be that the installed program updated one DLL and added another DLL. The updated DLL needed the new DLL. When I ran the uninstaller (very shortly after uninstalling, with no other system changes in between) it removed the new DLL that had not been on my system before, but left the updated DLL that now required the DLL that got removed. Moral: it is easy to get screwed with Microsoft based software.

When I say it is not safe, I mean that many many people over the years have reported completely making a partition inaccessible (or getting the wrong data back from any file access). As it is, you likely can still read your data with Knoppix, if you insist on trying to write to a NTFS partition you might not be able to.

In the interest of fairness, I'll add that there are some who claim that it it safe to write to NTFS, and others who claim that it is safe to do if you manage to replace the normal disk driver in Knoppix with a different special one (which I have never done and don't think it is a wise thing for new users to try while they are already worried about recovering data). My advise is to get the backups that you likely now wish you had made, and then reinstall Windows and your applications.

[OErjan]

there is a distinct possibility writing to the NTFS file system trashes it, the filesystem, not the disk physicaly.
NTFS can be read just fine but the write has been less than 100%, mainly due to Microsoft doing weird things to the file system. in XP and Vista it is even common that it self-destructs.

if it was me I would back up what I can (using knoppix and DVD burner) and reinstall, sadly it is likely the fastest route to a working system.
you DO have backups of things like mail, important documments and images/films, bookmarks...?
also you have al the needed disks for instalation, like drivers, antivirus, installation codes for different programs...
i certainly hope you do, if not you have a HARD lesson ahead.

also you have NO network access during installations, it is more acceptable AFTER you have anti virus and firewall in place and updated, if you allow network access before that it is a good way to get misc malware from start.

[Harry Kuhman]

Another simple suggestion would be to try to boot that Windows system in "safe mode" (Microsoft oxymoron) and see if that runs (smack the F8 key relentlessly during the boot). If You can run in safe mode and undo the damage either by uninstalling or by backing up to a recovery point (I would suggest trying the second option), you might save a lot of grief.

[Clinton]

Why don't you ghost your hard disk, try all the repair/recover stuff on the ghost itself and when you get a fully working system ghost that back to the original hard disk? Haivng a ghost of the damaged installation allows for testing of multiple approaches, including the (dangerous) experiment of letting Knoppix write to your NTFS.

[Capricorny]

Why don't you ghost your hard disk, try all the repair/recover stuff on the ghost itself and when you get a fully working system ghost that back to the original hard disk? Haivng a ghost of the damaged installation allows for testing of multiple approaches, including the (dangerous) experiment of letting Knoppix write to your NTFS.
Sounds like a very good idea to me.
There are different opinions about the safety of writing to NTFS, but so many seem to be happy with it now that it could be worthwhile to try in such a safe setting. Maybe Wine could also turn out to be useful, as the OP suggested, but such experimentation should not in any case be carried out with the original disk.

(Personal note: To me this in another reason to run Windows in a virtual machime under Linux.. "Uninstalling" then simply is reverting to last version of the virtual machine, a file that is routionely backed up. Works very nice under Knoppix.)

[qhubekela]

Using GParted in Knoppix 6.2 to resize my NTFS partition caused Windows to stop working. GParted gave a message to the effect that the volume is smaller than the partition. Anyway, I am not blaming Knoppix at all.

The sad thing is that I couldn't mount the drive in Knoppix as well, even manually from the terminal. I had been playing with DSL-N before trying out Knoppix, and I was able to mount the drive and back up my user files, then re-installed Windows. ( By the way, this is my work laptop, otherwise I would just have foregone Windows completely :) )

I am happy with Knoppix/Linux. As for NTFS, better have a backup elsewhere before writing to it from Linux.