No Support for "Uninstalling" a Windows Installer Patch (249072)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
This article was previously published under Q249072

SYMPTOMS

After you patching a Windows Installer installation, it is not possible to uninstall the patch. The only workaround is to uninstall and reinstall the program without the patch.

CAUSE

When a package is deployed with a patch installed, the original MSI database is merged with the patch database to create a new "patched" MSI file. This means that removing the patch would involve replacing all changed information in the "patched" package with the original information, and removing any additional information added by the patch.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/9/2002
Keywords:kbAppDev kbAppPub kbprb w2000apppubl w2000apps KB249072
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.