That program! I canNOT kill it! (Help please from the computer peeps.)

[snowy ciara]

Okay, so I had a major crash and burn last winter 'round this time and Dell sent me a new tower, since they couldn't decide if the crash was my fault or theirs. Basically, when I got it de-virused and working again, it was discovered that there may have been an issue before I got virused which is what made a simple worm virus very hard to kill. So anyway, I get the new tower with windows xp home and all sorts of stuff. One of the new things was that damn MusicMatch jukebox shit. I tried it, I don't like it. I also have windows media player, which I didn't like before all this happened, but it's okay for dvd's. For music, I went and downloaded Media Monkey and managed to make IT my default music player and not MusicCrap.

The thing is, it doesn't stay dead! This is like the zombie program from Hell! I'll go to play a cd or some tunes from my computer and all the sudden, MusicCrap will take over and start doing it's thing and I have to start swearing and x-ing madly and go through and find the spot where it says "make MusicMatch default player" or go through Media Monkey and find the opposite spot where it says "make Media Monkey my default player" and it's a big hairy deal and I'm tired of it.

And this is not just me, I went to a Usenet group where I sometimes get good computer help and other people have had the same problem, they de-activate MusicCrap and about 90 days later, it rises from the dead and tries to take over whatever software they're currently using. No-one knows how to make it stop. I called the nice Dell folks in India to try to get some help here and they tried to sell me more music software. I insisted that I do NOT want more, I want to get rid of what I do have! I finally hung up, cursing Dell Computers and Bill Gates up to the Nth generation.

The obvious answer is of course, to uninstall the MusicCrap software.

I have not tried this because in the bitching about MusicMatch thread over on Usenet, it's been noted that if you try to use the windows uninstaller software, it will tell you it's getting rid of MusicCrap, but it doesn't. It usually even leaves the icon on the desktop. Even if it removes the icon, the software is still there and it still comes back to haunt you. And it helpfully replaces the icon, too! So the next option is to use a different uninstaller. From user comments over there, there's been limited success with using Advanced Uninstaller Pro (which I do have allready, version 6, if that matters any). The problem most users have had is that after uninstalling MusicCrap, their other players don't work either! This includes both music players and multimedia players. Music doesn't play at all, and movies get picture with no sound. One person speculated that since MusicCrap is the default player on the computer when you uninstall it, you're taking away the components needed to run any program with sound. Which sounds fishy to me, but we passed my computer knowlege thresh-hold about 3 sentences ago. So t hey could be right and I could just be really confused. Another person speculates that IF MusicCrap won't die when uninstalled and it's messing with your other programs when you do uninstall, then the original install was frapped and you need to re-install it to over-write the corrupted files and then un-install it again. I'm really hoping this isn't the case, cause I don't have a backup disk for this crap.

So, does anyone know if there is a permanent way to safely de-activate MusicCrap with or without uninstalling it? At this point, I don't even care about the space it's using on my hard drive (though I expect I will soon, as I'm filling it up fast. I have an additional hard drive on my santa clause list this year!), I just want it fixed so I don't have to screw with it anymore. I'm trying to get the bravery to just bite the bullet, open up Uninstaller Pro go to town, but I'm nervous about doing this cause of all the classwork on my computer. My mom's in town and I've backed up all the important stuff on her laptop but still, I'm a bit leary about killing my system mid semester. I suppose the big question is, if I open a can of whup ass on MusicCrap and kill the system, are any of you willing to help me resurrect it?

 

[Guest]

Okay, so I had a major crash and burn last winter 'round this time and Dell sent me a new tower, since they couldn't decide if the crash was my fault or theirs. Basically, when I got it de-virused and working again, it was discovered that there may have been an issue before I got virused which is what made a simple worm virus very hard to kill. So anyway, I get the new tower with windows xp home and all sorts of stuff. One of the new things was that damn MusicMatch jukebox shit. I tried it, I don't like it. I also have windows media player, which I didn't like before all this happened, but it's okay for dvd's. For music, I went and downloaded Media Monkey and managed to make IT my default music player and not MusicCrap.

The thing is, it doesn't stay dead! This is like the zombie program from Hell! I'll go to play a cd or some tunes from my computer and all the sudden, MusicCrap will take over and start doing it's thing and I have to start swearing and x-ing madly and go through and find the spot where it says "make MusicMatch default player" or go through Media Monkey and find the opposite spot where it says "make Media Monkey my default player" and it's a big hairy deal and I'm tired of it.

And this is not just me, I went to a Usenet group where I sometimes get good computer help and other people have had the same problem, they de-activate MusicCrap and about 90 days later, it rises from the dead and tries to take over whatever software they're currently using. No-one knows how to make it stop. I called the nice Dell folks in India to try to get some help here and they tried to sell me more music software. I insisted that I do NOT want more, I want to get rid of what I do have! I finally hung up, cursing Dell Computers and Bill Gates up to the Nth generation.

The obvious answer is of course, to uninstall the MusicCrap software.

I have not tried this because in the bitching about MusicMatch thread over on Usenet, it's been noted that if you try to use the windows uninstaller software, it will tell you it's getting rid of MusicCrap, but it doesn't. It usually even leaves the icon on the desktop. Even if it removes the icon, the software is still there and it still comes back to haunt you. And it helpfully replaces the icon, too! So the next option is to use a different uninstaller. From user comments over there, there's been limited success with using Advanced Uninstaller Pro (which I do have allready, version 6, if that matters any). The problem most users have had is that after uninstalling MusicCrap, their other players don't work either! This includes both music players and multimedia players. Music doesn't play at all, and movies get picture with no sound. One person speculated that since MusicCrap is the default player on the computer when you uninstall it, you're taking away the components needed to run any program with sound. Which sounds fishy to me, but we passed my computer knowlege thresh-hold about 3 sentences ago. So t hey could be right and I could just be really confused. Another person speculates that IF MusicCrap won't die when uninstalled and it's messing with your other programs when you do uninstall, then the original install was frapped and you need to re-install it to over-write the corrupted files and then un-install it again. I'm really hoping this isn't the case, cause I don't have a backup disk for this crap.

So, does anyone know if there is a permanent way to safely de-activate MusicCrap with or without uninstalling it? At this point, I don't even care about the space it's using on my hard drive (though I expect I will soon, as I'm filling it up fast. I have an additional hard drive on my santa clause list this year!), I just want it fixed so I don't have to screw with it anymore. I'm trying to get the bravery to just bite the bullet, open up Uninstaller Pro go to town, but I'm nervous about doing this cause of all the classwork on my computer. My mom's in town and I've backed up all the important stuff on her laptop but still, I'm a bit leary about killing my system mid semester. I suppose the big question is, if I open a can of whup ass on MusicCrap and kill the system, are any of you willing to help me resurrect it?

Okee .... Having just bought a new Dell laptop I can sympathise..... *sigh* As well as that whole "all the software you were promised is actually trial versions" angst.
MusicMatch is shite...pure and simple...
It's slow, anoying, and randomly goes to hell....
WHat to do?
First, make something else default player... Usually the easiest is "MediaPlayer"....Just go in and make it default player for everything...(You can change this later...But MediaPlayer actually acts like YOU own the machine)
Then go to the control panel..Select "Add remove programs".... Scroll down to musiccrap and hit the uninstall button...
In other words, let Windows do it.
If it asks you whether to remove now unused shared files......DON"T... I've had to reload systems three times because of this.

WHile you're at it ..... Go over to Grisoft.com and download the free version of AVG antivirus... Their free program works better than ALL the other pay versions I have tried.
Also, a copy of 'SpyBot S&D'. It has the capability to block third party installation of Active X controls.
Also a copy of 'SpywareBlaster'.
All this stuff is free....And it actually WORKS...... They are controllable...And they don't annoy the piss out of you.

Ek.

 

[ShyGuy68]

Doing a google search on uninstall musicmatch I found this:

http://wwws.musicmatch.com/faq/INST014.htm

My suggestion is that you uninstall it using Microsofts uninstaller, and then afterwards go and delete the folders and see what happens.

Since you are using windows xp home, you can make a restore point before doing the uninstall, and if things don't work after the uninstall, you can roll back to before the uninstall.

 

[ShyGuy68]

Okee .... Having just bought a new Dell laptop I can sympathise..... *sigh* As well as that whole "all the software you were promised is actually trial versions" angst.
MusicMatch is shite...pure and simple...
It's slow, anoying, and randomly goes to hell....
WHat to do?
First, make something else default player... Usually the easiest is "MediaPlayer"....Just go in and make it default player for everything...(You can change this later...But MediaPlayer actually acts like YOU own the machine)
Then go to the control panel..Select "Add remove programs".... Scroll down to musiccrap and hit the uninstall button...
In other words, let Windows do it.
If it asks you whether to remove now unused shared files......DON"T... I've had to reload systems three times because of this.

WHile you're at it ..... Go over to Grisoft.com and download the free version of AVG antivirus... Their free program works better than ALL the other pay versions I have tried.
Also, a copy of 'SpyBot S&D'. It has the capability to block third party installation of Active X controls.
Also a copy of 'SpywareBlaster'.
All this stuff is free....And it actually WORKS...... They are controllable...And they don't annoy the piss out of you.

Ek.

I would also add adaware from lavasoft to that list.

 

[Guest]

P.S>

P.S.
When you kill something, and suddenly something else doesn't work...It has uninstalled a shared file.
Sometimes this collateral damage can be amazingly random...I.E. Why I have had to do reloads on systems...
Whis is also why I still use the windows uninstaller....In spite the fact that there are more draconian uninstaller programs available....
It is "slightly" less prone to grenading everything around the prog. you are ditching.

EK

 

[snowy ciara]

First off gentlemen, I thank you. Bill Gates would thank you if he knew what I was planning.....

I have xp set to make a back up every morning, so I already have a restore point. I do have adaware and spybot, but I hadn't heard of AVG. My McAffee is still valid too, but in a few months, I'm going to be asking for advice on what to get in place of it as I just checked out the renewal price!

I'm going to try it with windows first, so if you don't see me for a while, I killed it. In lieu of flowers, please send chocolate.

 

[snowy ciara]

Allrighty then! It won't uninstall with windows uninstaller or the pro version. I've tried with both and it's still there. GRRRRR... I'm gonna win, this is gettin' personal!

 

[graceanne]

Allrighty then! It won't uninstall with windows uninstaller or the pro version. I've tried with both and it's still there. GRRRRR... I'm gonna win, this is gettin' personal!

Try hijack this. I had that, and first I used hijack this, (Oh I had to be offline.) and then I ran Adaware. Then I went into my programs and deleted it. Then I restarted my computer.

Oh, and you can get hijack this here:

http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3155.html

And a 'key' to understanding what hijack this is telling you is at:

http://www.pchell.com/support/hijackthistutorial.shtml

 

[Kajira Callista]

Allrighty then! It won't uninstall with windows uninstaller or the pro version. I've tried with both and it's still there. GRRRRR... I'm gonna win, this is gettin' personal!

i dont know too much about this stuff but if you check msconfig im betting you are going to find it in your startup which means it is running like in the background or something. uncheck it and then try removing it?

 

[AngelicAssassin]

My suggestion is that you uninstall it using Microsofts uninstaller, and then afterwards go and delete the folders and see what happens.

Then find a safe registry cleaner and go after the remnants as well. Most allow for a save of the current registry prior to tinkering.

Me? i go after the fucker with regedit like Sherman did marching through Georgia. i've taken on a corporate version of NAV and come out alive and wiser. i also have no qualms about burning it all to the ground, but then i have non-oem slipstreamed version of XP Pro SP2.

As for MM, i've never had the problem. Then again, i've got Zone Alarm tuned so tight i get asked if the random fly is allowed to fart in the room. Kidding aside, i noticed MM started it's happy horseshit in version 8~9. Leave it to a marketing dweeb to fuck up a decent program.

 

[snowy ciara]

I WON I WON I WON! Take that Bill Gates and Dell! If I was mobile, I'd be doin' some major dancin' on yer face!

Okay, calming down now....

I made a new system restore thingie, Googled MusicCrap and re-installled it. I un-installed it using Windows, and once again it didn't work. So I used the Advanced Unistaller, which got most of it. So I did a search thing looking for any leftover files or folders, and when I tried to delete those, it said that the crapola was still installed. I called mariposa who consulted with D and he said to hit the system restore and he'd send her over with a tougher un-installer thingie and a registry cleaner. I forgot already which un-installer we used but it nuked the system. Then we ran RegVac, Adaware, Spybot and McAfee.

Everything works now the way it's supposed to! This is so weird....

Thank you for your suggestions/assistance ladies and gents.

 

[david_42]

Linus Torvalds, thank you once again!