Adding Windows Components into Add/Remove Programs

[Unwin]

Hi all i have some trick for you . So lets start....

Not a fan of MSN Messenger? Don't want Windows Media Player on your system?

But if you'll go to Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, by default none of Windows XP's built in programs are visible.


But if you want you can make them visible its just tricky but some what easy also so to make visible windows XP's built in programs follow the following some steps:

• Go to the drive where XP is installed lets say it is C:\
  
  
• open the file C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf in Notepad. You should see a section of the file something like this:

[Components]
NtComponents=ntoc.dll,NtOcSetupProc,,4
WBEM=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,wbemoc.inf,hide,7
Display=desk.cpl,DisplayOcSetupProc,,7
Fax=fxsocm.dll,FaxOcmSetupProc,fxsocm.inf,,7
NetOC=netoc.dll,NetOcSetupProc,netoc.inf,,7
iis=iis.dll,OcEntry,iis.inf,,7
com=comsetup.dll,OcEntry,comnt5.inf,hide,7
dtc=msdtcstp.dll,OcEntry,dtcnt5.inf,hide,7
IndexSrv_System = setupqry.dll,IndexSrv,setupqry.inf,,7
TerminalServer=TsOc.dll, HydraOc, TsOc.inf,hide,2
msmq=msmqocm.dll,MsmqOcm,msmqocm.inf,,6
ims=imsinsnt.dll,OcEntry,ims.inf,,7
fp_extensions=fp40ext.dll,FrontPage4Extensions,fp40ext.inf,,7
AutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,au.inf,hide,7
msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7
RootAutoUpdate=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,rootau.inf,,7
IEAccess=ocgen.dll,OcEntry,ieaccess.inf,,7

• This is a list of all components installed at the moment. I've taken the example of MSN Messenger - the program entry called 'msmsgs', third-last line. You can see the word 'hide' highlighted (hide is the string which tells Windows not to display the component in the Add/Remove Programs list).
  
  
• Fix this up by simply deleting the word 'hide' like so:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,hide,7

• To this:

msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs.inf,,7

• Now, after restarting, you should be able to see MSN Messenger in the Add/Remove Programs list.

Imp: If you want to be able to quickly view and remove all components, simply open the sysoc.inf file and do a global find and replace for the word ",hide" and replace it with a single comma ",".

[Rupert]

Good trick man but i am thinking is it safe to edit C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf won't it cause any further harm ?

[Quentin]

Is this C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf file is made for this purpose only?

[MurTuza]

Good trick man but i am thinking is it safe to edit C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf won't it cause any further harm ?

Yes if you think so then better is backup sysoc.inf file and try this trick if it'll cause any more difference to your system the again replace it with backup.

[Unwin]

Is this C:\Windows\inf\sysoc.inf file is made for this purpose only?

Yes it made for this purpose only as the MurTuza has suggested take the backup first if you have any doubts but i have successfully performed this trick.