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General discussion

Problems Uninstalling Locate My Laptop

Jun 27, 2011 11:20AM PDT

I installed Locatemylaptop and it never worked so I uninstalled through their website per their uninstall instructions. Now every time I boot up I get a pop-up from "Online Safety Pal" asking if I want to uninstall LML. By the way, Online Safety Pal's website doesn't work. It doesn't show up in Add Remove Programs. The program doesn't show up in Revo uninstaller as well. Does anyone have suggestions on how to uninstall and stop pop ups?
Thanks.

Discussion is locked

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Which OS?
Jun 27, 2011 9:03PM PDT

If you are talking Windows, (I assume because you mention Revo Uninstaller), then head over to the System Configuration Editor and check through the Startup list of entries to see if there is anything listed for either LMT or OSP. If so, remove the tick.

Mark

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Windows XP _ Uninstall Locate My Laptop
Jun 30, 2011 4:42AM PDT

Hi Mark, neither of those were listed. Now I am getting a window requesting that I register the software with Locate My Laptop. I have already registered and have tried to uninstall per their website. Users can't seem to get if off their computers once installed and their help support won't respond. Any other ideas?

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This looks like
Jun 30, 2011 9:44PM PDT

it is going to be hard work!

I saw from the web site's FAQ that you need to uninstall this through their own server, but I have also seen reports that it does not work, and one report that asks if the web site is out of business. That makes removal more difficult.

Start an elimination process;

1] Check XP's Services Console, (Start > Run, type in services.msc and click OK). Look for anything that suggests it belongs to this. If you find anything, disable the service.

2] Open the Task Manager, (right click the Taskbar, select Task Manager), then the Processes tab, and look down the list for anything that might be associated. You may need to check processes in Google.

3] Try a utility called Process Explorer to drill down deep into what the processes are using, and track to where this app has left traces.

4] Open the Registry Editor, (Start > Run, type in regedit and click OK), and drill down to the "Run" Keys, and delete any key/value relating to this app. The keys you need to check are;

1. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

4. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce

5. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices

6. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServicesOnce

7. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce\Setup

Keys 1-4 are run each time a new user logs in.

Keys 5-6 are run in the background when the logon dialog box first appears,or at this stage of the boot process if there is no logon. These keys are for background services such as remote registry service and are run only once per boot.

Key 7 is run as part of Setup's first-boot activities, or after you use the Add/Remove Programs Wizard.

BEWARE - I won't be held responsible for any changes you may make to the registry which causes more problems. Changing the registry is at your own risk and incorrect changes can kill the OS dead. Make sure you understand how to use the registry, and how to recover from any corruption. The link below may help.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

Mark

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Uninstall Locate My Laptop
Jul 2, 2011 3:44AM PDT

Thanks for everyones help...Mark, I ran Process Explorer and it found 2 entries under company name Locate My Laptop: LTDU.exe and DUTRAY.exe but when I click on kill process/close handle it can't kill them. They keep running. Is there another way to remove them?

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If they are Processes
Jul 2, 2011 6:50AM PDT

then look for corresponding Services in the Services Console.

Did you try Autoruns yet?

Mark

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Uninstall Locate My Laptop
Jul 2, 2011 8:15AM PDT

Nothing in Services Console that I can see and I ran Autoruns and saw nothing there as well...

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Interesting
Jul 2, 2011 8:36AM PDT

What does Process Explorer say about both DUTRAY.exe and LTDU.exe?

I haven't used Process Explorer for some years now so I confess I would struggle to tell you how to use it to investigate further, so you're on your own there.

Googling both these two find some strange results. LTDU.exe just finds me this of any interest;
http://systemexplorer.net/db/ltdu.exe.html

And DUTRAY.exe in Google finds me a whole raft of links which I won't touch with a barge pole, because my WOT, (Web of Trust), browser security plugin marks most of them as red for warning. However, the same site I linked to above has it;
http://systemexplorer.net/db/dutray.exe.html

Both of those are recognised as having to do with Locatemylaptop, but little else. However they do give the location for both as %SYSDIR%\LML

That path is either Windows\System or Windows\System32 in XP, so head over to those folders and look for a sub-folder named LML and see what else is there.

I still prefer the Process Explorer as it should be able to zoom in to find out more about these processes.

If you're up to it, have a look at the registry entries I noted above, and see if you can find any entries that look like they come from Locatemylaptop,

Mark

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Found Solution
Jul 2, 2011 10:32AM PDT

Mark, I found it in Windows System 32...a folder with an uninstall app. I clicked it to uninstall and it auto rebooted. Then I checked Process Explorer and it was gone. Thanks for all of your help. How do we get the word out on this piece of crap software to others? I use Prey Project now and it has worked perfectly.

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That's brilliant!
Jul 2, 2011 8:29PM PDT

Great work rwlewis and well done. That was hard work wasn't it.

Your question is a good one, but with no easy answer. This discussion will now be listed in Google and other search engines of course, and if anyone searches for details about this software they may come across this.

Did you download this software direct from http://www.locatemylaptop.com/ or did you download it elsewhere, say from CNET's Download.com? I could find Locatemylaptop at Download.com but if you downloaded it from some other web site, it is possible you could leave a review.

Anyway,. glad you got it sorted, and thanks for reporting back.

Mark

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Locate My Laptop Download
Jul 3, 2011 1:17AM PDT

Hi Mark, good question. I download directly from Locate My Laptop. Over the past few years this is the only software program (that I can remember) that I have downloaded to one of my 5 computers from other than CNET. Lesson learned. Best regards and thanks again.

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remove locatemylaptop
Mar 8, 2012 7:02PM PST

Hi. I can't find it in the reg part, where did rwlewis1560 find it?

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In a folder
Mar 8, 2012 7:17PM PST

No manual registry changes were needed.

It was found in a folder in C:\Windows\System32.

Look for a folder called LML or LocateMyLaptop.

Mark

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Perhaps a better solution
Jun 30, 2011 9:54PM PDT

I haven't used it myself, but have seen others recommend Autoruns for Windows.

If you decide to give that a go, I would use the "Download" option in that web page, and not the "Run Autoruns now from Live.Sysinternals.com" option.

It may be less intrusive, and will be less of a danger, than a registry search.

Mark