Cannot play/uninstall/reinstall Oblivion

[AnArcticAnt]

Okay, starting from the very beginning. A couple of months ago I downloaded the Unique Landscapes compilation and tried to install it. When the game kept crashing after unsuccessful installation of the mod, I figured "screw it" and left the game for a couple of months. However, last Friday I decided to try and play the game again. I made a new user on my computer (following problems with MSN Messenger which have been resolved) and made a fresh start on the game - started a new character without mods and everything. Everything seemed to work fine. So, I figured I'd reactivate a couple of mods again. Here comes the real turnabout, and first important part of it all - when trying to start the game with OBSE... it crashes. Gets to the short introduction video that shows Bethesda Softworks, then crashes. (Note that on the first playing, no mods, new character, new user and everything, I started the game from the normal Oblivion Launcher). So, I leave for a couple of days. Today, when I came back, I try again - still can't open the game via OBSE/OBMM launcher without crashing. I try to download OBSE v18... didn't help. Redownloaded v17... didn't work either. I try to open the game via the original Oblivion Launcher again... imagine that, both with and without mods, it crashes.

 

So, at this point I figure "hey, I'll just reinstall the game!", open the Oblivion Launcher, and hit the "Uninstall". I get a message on the screen saying "the Oblivion Launcher could not find the Uninstall program. Run the setup.exe on the Oblivion install disc to uninstall". Funny thing - I search my computer, and this setup.exe file is nowhere to be found. So I try to work around this little snag, I go into the "Add/Remove Programs" thingy, and try to remove Oblivion from there. Nothing happens, that's the only way to explain it. I click to remove it, what looks like a new window pops up for less than a millisecond, then disappears as if nothing has happened. Here's where I do the really stupid thing... I try to remove the files manually. I don't know if it made things worse, but it certainly didn't make them better, as nothing seems to have changed. (I don't even seem to have gotten rid of any files doing that). So, what all of this story boils down to is: how can I go about to uninstall Oblivion?

 

If you have more questions, just ask, but please, help me.

 

EDIT: Sorry for not responding (as if anyone will ever look at this again this late...) but that guide did the trick. Thanks, LHammonds!

 

And Jenrai, don't worry - I don't do piracy. I mean okay, occasionally I may hit the rum and ravage the seas, but don't worry.

Edited April 9, 2010 by TheNiceNightmare

[LHammonds]

See if this helps: http://s1.zetaboards.com/TheStormRavenLibrary/topic/1446421/1/

[Jenrai]

First off - Were you running a no-disk crack? Just out of curiosity. Pet hate. Don't do it. For a start they're pirate software and for a second they alter the .exe's, causing exactly this kind of problem.

 

In future, only ever uninstall/reinstall with THE DISK. Seriously. Thats what its there for. Its not just copyright protection. Its to protect your computer as much as it is to protect Beths profits. If you don't use the disk's installer program, installshield (tm, microshaft, blah dee bloomin dah) won't start, and it'll leave all sorts of crapola on your system, most critically any broken registry entries. If you then try to reinstall the game, to any location, on the same computer, you'll still have said crushed registry entries; so reinstalling won't actually fix anything... on the contrary, its much, much more likely to make things worse, both for the game itself and for your computer on the whole.

 

If you're sure you tracked down all the Obi files (or at least moved them from the default locations and renamed the folders so your computer doesn't 'think' they are there any more) get and run CCleaner... homepage here ... its a free and rather bloomin handy clutter killer that should not only clear the Obi entries from your registry, it'll also free up HDD space that you didn't know you had, and wipe out any other miffed up registry stuff... you might even see a bit of a performance boost.

Run it. Reboot your system. Run it again. Just to be on the safe side. Then try reinstalling Oblivion & your mods.

Good luck. :)

 

Jenrai