Manual uninstall of CFP 2.x

[Guest]

[Komodoismalware]

ok so i did all those things, and found out by doing them that i was running comodoFW PRO which i had forgotten before...but nontheless am still denied acess from files when i rebooted...i'm beginning to think there is no solution to this mess...i dunno, but you've been very timely in answering my questions all day and i thank you for that.

[Little Mac]

Do you have any other security applications running?  If so, disable them from running and go back into Windows.  In other words, you're not just temporarily disabling them (where they would start up again when you reboot); you want to disable Services (just like you did for CFP) and the Startups from MSConfig, so that they won't run when you reboot.

What I think has happened is that something conflicted when you tried to install CFP in the first place, and it's been downhill ever since.  There is no good reason for uninstalling CFP to block access to files, and you should have had something other than just to remove the link as an uninstall option.  All that, of course, doesn't matter at this point, but that's what I think has occurred.

Anyway, try killing off (or even uninstalling) other security applications, and then see where you get.

LM

[Komodoismalware]

no, nothing else running at the moment as far as security apps goes except windows firewall, windows liveonecare was working before but im pretty sure its an antivirus the uses windows firewall and it was uninstalled a while ago and before the problems started.
i did take a look to see if anything else was running and causing a conflict before when i was poking around in services etc. but nothing else was in there that would conflict as far as firewalls goes and im not even running an AV or antispyware as we speak, trying to minimalize the chance of anything like that happening because ive seen what 2 firewalls do to a PC before...i disagree with your avatar because man...i am LOST only thing i think i could do now is go rambo on my registry or clean install windows and lose 100's if gigs of data

[Komodoismalware]

gonna double check to make sure nothing else  is turned on again one more time but i really doubt it alot, but like  u said before i could get an external drive and move files out it's just not an easy option for me in my current situation.

[Komodoismalware]

just looked through everything and everything firewall related is off or diabled, so i think that means i'm just screwed over by installing this in the first place...the wired this is the only executable that works is internet explorer or i'd never be in these forums in the first place.

My only suggestion to the developers is before they call something a professional release, make sure it uninstalls professionally and does more then screw you professionally when you try to. I've been tring to figure this out all day with no luck and if i dont go out and buy an external HD i'll still have major data loss as the result of your software

i've been able to remove trojan horses with better luck then this, I removed it from the registry but i'm still locked out of executing anything except iexplore on admin account. it's a great firwall but i think they don't want someone to ever uninstall it or something is the only catch to using it absolutely free, oh and that it's set to send suspicious files to the devs. by default on install...noticed that too.  GOOD LUCK TO ANYONE WHO GETS IN THE SAME MESS I DID!

[fidmas]

Thanks for the info Little Mack.  Sorry for the delay but I just got back and I thought I"d get an email notification of a response to my post.  All forums are different. :-(

I'm in the wrong place?  Where should I be posting?

Are you saying there *is* an "Uninstall" link on the "Start > All Programs" menu, or an Uninstall option in the program interface itself?

Are you saying to Install from Safe Mode, Uninstall from Safe Mode, or both?

Are you saying to kill all AVG processes before installing or uninstalling?

This would probably be no big deal if I had done it once, but I can't afford to get into Komodoismalware's situation.  I'm currently trying to build an XP Virtual Machine that I can play with without worrying about destroying.

Thanks again.

[Little Mac]

Thanks for the info Little Mack.  Sorry for the delay but I just got back and I thought I"d get an email notification of a response to my post.  All forums are different.

fidmas, you can turn on email notifications in your Profile; they're not on by default.

You're not necessarily in the wrong place for posting.  Just depends on which version of the firewall you have "sitting" there waiting to play with, as this thread is about v2.x, as compared to v3 (which is the current "toy").  Both are supported, but v3 is a lot smoother, more powerful, less footprint, has an incredible HIPS engine, and so on.  Unless you're on a w2k machine, I'd recommend v3 over v2.4.

Start/All Programs/Comodo/Firewall/Uninstall... that's a link to the built-in uninstaller.  It can also be accessed in the Comodo Firewall folder of the Program Files folder.  There is no uninstall option built into the interface itself (of either version).

If you are going with v2.4, Install in SafeMode, and when/if you do so, Uninstall in SafeMode.  So, both.  If it's v3, it's been recommended not to use SafeMode due to low-level system access; I've not had any issues with v3 installing/uninstalling in normal Windows.

Anytime you are installing or uninstalling, it's a good idea to kill any active security applications, for the duration of the process.  This is especially true when you're installing/uninstalling other security applications.  It didn't  use to be this way, but as the programs become more complex, users demand/want more features, and the apps have to defend against more complex threats, they have to embed themselves quite thoroughly into the system.  Keeping stuff running during install processes is just asking for trouble.

Hope that answers your questions.  If not, keep asking.

LM

[Little Mac]

just looked through everything and everything firewall related is off or diabled, so i think that means i'm just screwed over by installing this in the first place...the wired this is the only executable that works is internet explorer or i'd never be in these forums in the first place.

Sorry for the slow response this time.  I've been quite tied up with work and haven't been online since Tuesday afternoon.

To tackle the registry, you can look for these entries:

HKCU/Software/CFP
HKCU/Software/ComodoGroup/CFP
HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Uninstall
HKLM/System/Software/Comodo
HKU/S-1-5-21-.../Software/CFP
HKU/S-1-5-21-.../Software/ComodoGroup/CFP

The "S-1-5-21-..." may be a different number on your system, but it's still in HKU.

There are also some Legacy keys:

HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet001/Enum/Root/Legacy_CmdAgent
HKLM/System/CurrentControlSet001/Services/Cmdagent

You'll have these for each of the "CurrentControlSet..." group.  To delete Legacy keys, you'll need to right-click the key, go to Permissions, and grant yourself full control.  Then you can delete them.

I recommend (for general purposes) creating a backup of your registry prior to editing, just in case you inadvertently hose something.  When you open the registry, click File/Export, and save the backup to an easy-to-find location.  After you know you didn't break anything, you can delete it.

There is a free application called CopyWipe by terabyte unlimited which is very useful in situations like this.  If you have access to another computer where you can burn a CD, I recommend you download CopyWipe for DOS, and use it to create a bootable disk or CD (for CD, you'll need to be able to burn an ISO file - for which you can use another freeware, imgburn).  You will boot with this and can copy your entire hard drive to another source (such as external USB, another internal HD, possibly even multiple CDs).  At any rate, this does not copy into some container file like a typical "imaging" program like Ghost would do; it actually copies the raw data, so you have your original file structure.  This way, if you do end up having to reinstall Windows, you know you have all your files.

Once again, I'm very sorry this has been such a mess for you.  This is not the normal situation, and while I don't know what went wrong, I am confident that something very much out of the ordinary did indeed go wrong.  I realize that after going through all this, there's not much chance of you trying CFP again.  Regardless of what firewall you use, when your system is back to proper function, please be aware that you can use CopyWipe to create a "clone" to another HD - you may keep that on hand (and redo at whatever regular intervals you like) to have a bootable backup of your system in known good state.  Their manual has more info on doing this, and their Support has confirmed the functionality.

I'm hoping that the registry removals will resolve your issues.  If you're able to use IE to access the internet, though, it makes me question whether CFP is actually at the heart of the matter.  Not saying it's not, but that's another big oddity.

LM

[fidmas]

fidmas, you can turn on email notifications in your Profile; they're not on by default.

You're not necessarily in the wrong place for posting.  Just depends on which version of the firewall you have "sitting" there waiting to play with, as this thread is about v2.x, as compared to v3 (which is the current "toy").  Both are supported, but v3 is a lot smoother, more powerful, less footprint, has an incredible HIPS engine, and so on.  Unless you're on a w2k machine, I'd recommend v3 over v2.4.

Start/All Programs/Comodo/Firewall/Uninstall... that's a link to the built-in uninstaller.  It can also be accessed in the Comodo Firewall folder of the Program Files folder.  There is no uninstall option built into the interface itself (of either version).

If you are going with v2.4, Install in SafeMode, and when/if you do so, Uninstall in SafeMode.  So, both.  If it's v3, it's been recommended not to use SafeMode due to low-level system access; I've not had any issues with v3 installing/uninstalling in normal Windows.

Anytime you are installing or uninstalling, it's a good idea to kill any active security applications, for the duration of the process.  This is especially true when you're installing/uninstalling other security applications.  It didn't  use to be this way, but as the programs become more complex, users demand/want more features, and the apps have to defend against more complex threats, they have to embed themselves quite thoroughly into the system.  Keeping stuff running during install processes is just asking for trouble.

Hope that answers your questions.  If not, keep asking.

LM

Thanks a lot.  I think that answeres about everything. :-)  I should get an XP Sp2 Virtual PC built today and be able to play.

Thanks again.

[rivermaya]

apologize, but I think I really regret to heve comodo installed on my pc
and I can't uninstall it, I did manual uninstall and use add/remove program
but both made i can't connect to internet, the connection can't go through (dunno why, even my Isp support ask to removed comodo)

this connection fixed if I reinstal again comodo, so I just stuck with this
much my software program (like automated pinging websites) won't work if Comodo on my pc, although I disable the anti spam, although I'm not set it to Outlook (but in Netscape ---> I didn't have netscape-- this is just for comodo not detect my email program), but everytime I add new email account on Outlook, comodo still detect it and I must fill a boring form.

please help to uninstall it from my pc

[buttoni]

I have purposely held off installing CFP 3.0, having read all the threads about bugs and problems since its release.  I am again thinking I may try to install it now.  I have printed out your tutorial/installation steps and am devouring them this week.  Reading this 6 page thread has left me a bit confused, however.

Question #1  Will the V2.4 built-in uninstaller located in Start, All Programs, Comodo, Firewall, Uninstall remove all traces of CFP cleanly for me, provided I 1) first shut down Avast AV and Counterspy AS and 2) do the uninstall in Safe Mode? (meaning this thread is for people who had unusual circumstances or who did not do everything according to Hoyle  ).........

......Or is Pandlouk saying all V2.4 users must use the "special" uninstall.zip file at the top of this thread, as well as do all the other services terminations, registry edits & steps mentioned on the first two pages of this thread to accomplish a clean enough uninstall of V 2.4 to be able to install CFP V3?   

Question #2 (Assuming I get to a point where I can install CFP V 3.0  ) I assume I will have to permanently turn off the HOSTS monitor in CounterSpy 2.5 to avoid conflicts with Defense+?  Will I also need to permanently turn off all CounterSpy Registry monitors? (FYI five of its 13 monitors watch for registry changes: Winlogon, INI File Mapping, System Startup, Policies and Shell Options).  Or would perhaps a better course of action be to let CounterSpy be the babysitter here and not install Defense+ AT ALL!  I look forward to your learned input on that thought.

Question #3:  Are there any other known conflicts between CFP 3.0 and Counterspy 2.5?  or Avast 4.7 Home Edition?  (These are my only programs at startup besides what Windows XP opens on its own). 

Thank you for any clarification you can provide so that I may not crash my machine upgrading to the latest CFP 3.0.

[Soyabeaner]

HI buttoni

1) About 96% of programs have non-perfect/thorough built-in uninstallers, and CFP is not an exception in that large group (just an estimated figure from me).  Still, the remnants in the registry are trivial provided everything else is running regularly.  If you decided to closed down your security programs first (AND disconnect from the net before that ), that might be helpful in the uninstall process.  You don't have to nor I do recommend uninstalling in Safe Mode.  This thread is indeed intended for those with weird cases (including those who don't uninstall CFP properly).  I've never experienced diastrous uninstall stories like some have reported.  Yes, I do recognize some legacy registry keys related to CFP do exist, but they're created by XP and those can be deleted by right-clicking and granting Full Control.  I believe this has been stated many times in the forum, but I'll include here just in case you do encounter if you manually scan your registry.

2) I don't have CounterSpy, so my comment on it is limited.  I doubt CounterSpy has a full HIPS (called Defense+) like CFP 3.  With CFP 3, advanced users (I'm not one ) can customize to encompass those registry changes and then some.

3) Don't know about CounterSpy, but there are many members here that use Avast with CFP 3 without issues.

*) I would suggest that you perform some kind of system snapshot or restoral backup prior to installing serious security programs like CFP 3.  I personally use Zsoft Uninstaller, which records the file and registry system before a program is installed, and then compares it with after it's installed.  This ensure nearly 100% clean removal afterwards.  The only thing that ZU or similar uninstallers will miss are most likely new rules or settings that CFP 3 creates as time elapses and as you use it more, but these should be covered by the built-in uninstaller. 

[buttoni]

Thanks so much for the quick reply, Soya.    I, too, know that most uninstallers leave remnants.  Have not had uninstall problems to date with the built-in CFP uninstaller (I think I've used it twice now, shutting down realtime apps first).  Of course, there's always the "manual clean-up" of folders and registry after any uninstall.  I'll remember to go after Legacy entries, too.  Am going to go ahead and give the upgrade a try this week using the built-in uninstaller (when I get up my nerve).  Keep your fingers crossed for me I don't experience any of the horror stories I've read about on the forum.      Thanks again for your clarification and I'll post a short reply stating how it went form me.

[buttoni]

Well, I just did the uninstall of Comodo 2.4 with the built-in uninstaller and the install of Comodo 3.0 "according to Hoyle" and everything went smoothly and "as advertised" in the tutorial guide.    The system only froze up one time. It was after the install finished, reboot and I defined my LAN & then went in to load my inbound/outbound global rules.  I forgot to reboot,  so the system just said "Hold on here" and totally froze.  Had to cold power off!  Once rebooted w/o error messages, Comodo showing all systems up and running, Avast and Counterspy both "at peace", I decided to go for broke and log onto the internet.  Absolutely no problems since.    Opened every applications to let Defense+ get its education.  All seems just fine.  I worried for nothing.  We'll see if the magic continues.   Thanks again for the encouragement I needed to go on and DO IT!

WOW!!!!!! only 10-12 MB ram!  New GUI was very intuitive, and when it wasn't, the help screens cleared up any confusion.  Been exploring and so far, I'm super impressed. So far, no conflicts with Counterspy or Avast.

[Soyabeaner]

Well done .  Depending on your curiosity level, it can have a huge learning curve.

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