What are the registry keys that detects an installed application?

Question

This application is not working right now, and i want to remove it, to install another one. The problem is that the uninstall/repair is not working because he's not able to find the service to remove(i don't know what the user did to end up in this state where the service has been removed, as well as the service installstate file could not be found). Anyway i'm stuck now. either i have to perform some excrutiating install of this service, so the uninstall of the application works(though i'm sure i'll encounter more problems linking the service to the application), or i find the keys detecting the apps, and remove them, so i can reinstall the application(after that, a futur uninstall will clean the registry entries, and continue normally) Or i format the pc.

So if anyone can tell me where these registry keys are(so the application setup project doesn't detect the previous version, as well as add remove programs) now i removed the entry of the application under the following entry HKLM\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\uninstall and it's still not working anyone?

Answer 1

I would try running the Windows Installer Cleanup Utility against the application, and see if that clears it.

Answer 2

Well the question wasn't only about my problem, actually i fixed it by installing the service (with the same name at least, not the same version) again, and running the old uninstall.

But the main question remains: Anyone who knows about where does the appwiz.cpl search to get his information, from the registry or hard files? And i guess no answer

cheers all