Remove Boxstarter desktop shortcut at uninstall and document uninstall process

[bcurran3]

What You Are Seeing?

After uninstalling boxstarter and modules the start menu icon hasn't been deleted and boxstarter is still in the path.

What is Expected?

Boxstarter to remove these items during uninstall.

How Did You Get This To Happen? (Steps to Reproduce)

choco uninstall:
Boxstarter.Bootstrapper
Boxstarter.Chocolatey
Boxstarter.Common
Boxstarter.HyperV
Boxstarter.WinConfig

[zgf138]

How to uninstall in win10?

[pauby]

@zgf138 Boxstarter is just a PowerShell module and is uninstalled depending on how you installed it - either using the normal method for working with PowerShell modules (Install-Module / Uninstall-Module) or using Chocolatey choco uninstall.

The best place for questions is Gitter.

[ilyhryh]

the same
@pauby could you be more specific?

[pauby]

@ilyagrigoryev If you installed it via Chocolatey then run:

'BoxStarter.Common', 'boxstarter', 'boxstarter.chocolatey', 'boxstarter.bootstrapper', 'Boxstarter.HyperV', 'BoxStarter.WinConfig', 'Boxstarter.Azure', 'Boxstarter.TestRunner', 'Boxstarter.WindowsUpdate' | % { choco uninstall $_ -y }

Or if you installed the modules use get-module boxstarter* -li | uninstall-module it should remove the PowerShell modules.

If there are any shortcuts you will have to remove them separately.

[stacktracer]

I'm struggling with this as well. For context, I ended up here by running the Node.js MSI installer -- it installed boxstarter and chocolatey (among other things), then failed and aborted, and now I'm trying to undo the mess it left.

I ran choco uninstall for each boxstarter package. Each one printed a failure message -- at first because dependent packages were still installed, and then when I tried again, because none of the packages were found. So did they uninstall or not? I can't tell. They don't show up in choco list --local-only, but C:\ProgramData\Boxstarter and its subdirs are all still there in the filesystem.

I then ran the suggested PowerShell module commands, but got errors from uninstall-module, and as before C:\ProgramData\Boxstarter and its subdirs are still around:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-module boxstarter* -li


    Directory: C:\ProgramData\Boxstarter


ModuleType Version    Name                                ExportedCommands
---------- -------    ----                                ----------------
Script     2.12.0     Boxstarter.Bootstrapper             {Enter-BoxstarterLogable, Get-BoxstarterTempDir, Invoke-Reboot, Stop-TimedSection...}
Script     2.12.0     Boxstarter.Chocolatey               {Set-BoxstarterShare, Get-PackageRoot, Register-ChocolateyInterception, Invoke-ChocolateyBoxstarte...
Script     2.12.0     Boxstarter.Common                   {Get-HttpResource, Remove-BoxstarterTask, Get-IsRemote, Enter-BoxstarterLogable...}
Script     2.12.0     Boxstarter.HyperV                   {Enable-BoxstarterVHD, Enable-BoxstarterVM, Get-HttpResource, Remove-BoxstarterTask...}
Script     2.12.0     Boxstarter.WinConfig                {Disable-GameBarTips, Disable-MicrosoftUpdate, Enable-RemoteDesktop, Set-StartScreenOptions...}


PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> get-module boxstarter* -li | uninstall-module
PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and module names 'Boxstarter.Bootstrapper'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\1.0.0.1\PSModule.psm1:2194 char:21
+ ...        $null = PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...ninstallPackage:UninstallPackage) [Uninstall-Package], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.UninstallPackage

PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and module names 'Boxstarter.Chocolatey'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\1.0.0.1\PSModule.psm1:2194 char:21
+ ...        $null = PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...ninstallPackage:UninstallPackage) [Uninstall-Package], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.UninstallPackage

PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and module names 'Boxstarter.Common'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\1.0.0.1\PSModule.psm1:2194 char:21
+ ...        $null = PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...ninstallPackage:UninstallPackage) [Uninstall-Package], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.UninstallPackage

PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and module names 'Boxstarter.HyperV'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\1.0.0.1\PSModule.psm1:2194 char:21
+ ...        $null = PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...ninstallPackage:UninstallPackage) [Uninstall-Package], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.UninstallPackage

PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package : No match was found for the specified search criteria and module names 'Boxstarter.WinConfig'.
At C:\Program Files\WindowsPowerShell\Modules\PowerShellGet\1.0.0.1\PSModule.psm1:2194 char:21
+ ...        $null = PackageManagement\Uninstall-Package @PSBoundParameters
+                    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (Microsoft.Power...ninstallPackage:UninstallPackage) [Uninstall-Package], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NoMatchFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.PackageManagement.Cmdlets.UninstallPackage

[pauby]

@stacktracer What OS are you running on? What is the output of Get-PackageProvider

[tuaminen]

@stacktracer What OS are you running on? What is the output of Get-PackageProvider

Hi, I also installed Node.js 10 with native support, and ran into problems with my Windows 10. After installing Node.js, Skype and Store no longer function.

So I am now trying to revert everything, and I get the same error as stacktracer above mentions.

My OS is Windows 10 Home N, x64, version 1803 Build 17134.407.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Get-PackageProvider

Name                     Version          DynamicOptions
----                     -------          --------------
msi                      3.0.0.0          AdditionalArguments
msu                      3.0.0.0
PowerShellGet            1.0.0.1          PackageManagementProvider, Type, Scope, AllowClobber, SkipPublisherCheck, ...
Programs                 3.0.0.0          IncludeWindowsInstaller, IncludeSystemComponent

Any help is welcome!

[stacktracer]

Win10 Enterprise, 64-bit, Version 1803 Build 17134.407

PS C:\Users\mike> Get-PackageProvider | out-string -width 300

Name                     Version          DynamicOptions                                                                                                                                                                                                     
----                     -------          --------------                                                                                                                                                                                                     
msi                      3.0.0.0          AdditionalArguments
msu                      3.0.0.0
PowerShellGet            1.0.0.1          PackageManagementProvider, Type, Scope, AllowClobber, SkipPublisherCheck, InstallUpdate, NoPathUpdate, Filter, Tag, Includes, DscResource, RoleCapability, Command, PublishLocation, ScriptSourceLocation, ScriptPublishLocation
Programs                 3.0.0.0          IncludeWindowsInstaller, IncludeSystemComponent

[swissarm]

Hi, I have the same problem,

Here is what I did,

1. Go to C:\Program Data
2. You will see Boxstarter & Chocolatey Folder
3. Delete both of them

If there is still left overs when you searching through windows menu, so just right click the icon, and open file location, delete the shorcut. Restart your computer.

[AdmiringWorm]

@swissarm you probably still have a couple of left-overs from chocolatey.
Two environment variables called: ChocolateyInstall and ChocolateyLastPathUpdate, as well as having the path to where chocolatey was installed to in the PATH environment variable. (Same with the path to boxstarter directory, in PATH)

Oh, and don't forget the PSModulePath environment variable which also have the boxstarter directory added to it.

[swissarm]

@AdmiringWorm you are right there are still a couple of left-overs from it. I will remove it later.
The most important thing for me here is the boxstarter auto update won't working because I have already remove the main folder.
Thank a lot man !

[Zeus64]

same for me, my system is just a mess now :( :( :(

[bcurran3]

I would suggest reinstalling Chocolatey and then Boxstarter if you're trying to make them both work again.

Chocolatey can be re-installed over itself over and over and over again without worries.

[Zeus64]

no i don't want to install, i want to uninstall. my system is now completely unstable/broken after trying to uninstall Chocolatey and boxstarter :(

[bcurran3]

Can you let us know some of the symptoms and maybe we can help.
I really can't see how removing either of these could cause what you describe.
Personally, chocolatey would be the last program I would ever want to uninstall!

[anupamsr]

Basically Boxstarter folder isn't removed from ProgramData. Deleting the whole folder fixed the problem with unnecessary modules in powershell. After which I deleted the shortcuts.

[funky81]

no i don't want to install, i want to uninstall. my system is now completely unstable/broken after trying to uninstall Chocolatey and boxstarter :(

Similiar like @Zeus64 , what i want to do just install npm..then I go to this mess
My Windows 10 so unstable right now with disk usage always 100%

[pauby]

My Windows 10 so unstable right now with disk usage always 100%

@Zeus64 I'm surprised that Chocolatey / Boxstarter are pegging your CPU at 100%. What is task manager saying?

[Zeus64]

@pauby cpu is not 100% but my system is now just a mess! this chocolatey / Boxtarter are really not professionally made :( I will also complain with nodeJS team as it's them who install it (and of course let all this mess in the system when we uninstall NodeJS). really not serious!

[pauby]

My Windows 10 so unstable right now with disk usage always 100%

@Zeus64 Apologies. Your disk is at 100% - what is causing this? What does Task Manager tell you?

this chocolatey / Boxtarter are really not professionally made :(

That's not helping us help you. Bear in mind the NodeJs installer does ask you two / three times whether you want to install Chocolatey and Boxstarter so you did have the opportunity to not proceed.

And you've still not actually told us what is wrong - 'is a mess' tells us nothing. You've posted several messages now about your system being in a 'mess'. People have responded to you but you don't appear to be taking the advice - at least you're not telling us anything different so I'm assuming you've not taken it as you don't appear to be moving forward.

Have you followed the instructions to remove Chocolatey and Boxstarter? No, then please do so. Yes, then please tell us exactly what you have done and anything else you have done. @funky81 this is also a request for you.

[Zeus64]

@pauby : I agree with you, but I m so must disgusted that I lost my clean system that I miss my "diplomatic" behavior :( I sorry for that !

I first uninstall NodeJS, then I see that many stuff are still in my system like Chocolatey, Boxstarter, visual studio stuff,some dll also in the windows directory. So I try to uninstall manually Chocolatey and Boxstarter in the way they will also delete all the mess with dll/visual studio they put everywhere in my system. I do some command like "chocolatey uninstall packageName" and boom now nothing work well in my system. Even photoshop refuse to start now :(

Really I was not aware that it's could be so dangerous to install NodeJS :(

[DoCode]

So guys, I'm with @Zeus64...
I'm also think tools like boxstarter and chocolatey, which install so many things with scripting methodics (like UAC on, off, reboot, KB's here an there and no clear uninstall), should NOT be installed with frameworks like NodeJS.

[pauby]

@Zeus64

You haven't answered my previous questions. We cannot help you if you do not given us the information we ask for.

"chocolatey uninstall packageName"

That again doesn't help. Which package did you uninstall? Why did you uninstall it (were you told to, did you guess, etc.)?

Even photoshop refuse to start now :(

What error are you getting with this?

Really I was not aware that it's could be so dangerous to install NodeJS :(

As I said before you were given two opportunities not to install Chocolatey and Boxstarter with NodeJs. I absolutely appreciate this doesn't help you but what I am personally annoyed about is the amount of time we have spent troubleshooting issues with the NodeJs installer and we have to let anybody else know in this thread about that.

I've said several times, and again I know I'm labouring the point, but you need to follow the advice in this thread to remove Chocolatey and Boxtstarter. You need to stop trying to fix it yourself as it's clear, with all due respect, that you are not familiar with them.

However the damage you said has been done I cannot see either of those doing.

[pauby]

@DoCode I actually agree with you. However you will need to take that up with the NodeJs team. We were not aware they were using it until issues started being raised in here. See nodejs/node#23838

However this issue is not around this. It's around uninstalling leftovers.

[DoCode]

@pauby sorry for the breakdown here.

[stacktracer]

@pauby I really appreciate your help and your patience. It sounds like this situation -- which is obviously not your fault -- is frustrating for a number of people, and I'm sure your end of it is pretty thankless. Keep up the good work!

[ferventcoder]

So guys, I'm with @Zeus64...
I'm also think tools like boxstarter and chocolatey, which install so many things with scripting methodics (like UAC on, off, reboot, KB's here an there and no clear uninstall), should NOT be installed with frameworks like NodeJS.

@DoCode let me fix that for you based purely on the things you mentioned in your examples: s/and chocolatey/

I'm also think tools like boxstarter and chocolatey, which install so many things with scripting methodics (like UAC on, off, reboot, KB's here an there and no clear uninstall), should NOT be installed with frameworks like NodeJS.

And I agree with @pauby's comments above as well on this.

[BhagiLimbu]

I wonder if you have similary issue as I'm facing now. After remove boxstarter and chocolatey from:

1. C:\ProgramData
2. Delete environment variables
3. Remove from powershall : PSModulePath

The boxstarter script still trying to run (trigger) from somewhere after restart PC on complete windows desktop initialization. I've attached here screen capture for your reference. Appreciate, if you could share your experience to resolve this issue.

[pauby]

@BhagiLimbu What that error is saying is that it can't find that file at that location. How did you get to that (did you just install NodeJs and do nothing else)?

My first question would be does the file exist at that location? Are any parts of the path there? Is your system drive C:?

Second question is did you remove anything?

[fenchu]

Could someone please explain the rationale why this showed up as an option when installing nodejs 10.13.0 LTS (Long Term Support is for stable reliable). If you are a nodejs developer you're probably better off using pm2 and shell.js. for managing and starting stopping services (and it is linux compatible also). I saw the warning, but do not see why this have anything to do with nodejs at all. Is it sponsored?

[pauby]

@fenchu The answers to all your questions are in the messages above. Please take some time to go through them. If you have any questions after that they would likely be better answered by the NodeJs team.

Note that this is a thread regarding uninstalling the leftovers from Boxstarter.

[venxik]

@BhagiLimbu i was facing the same problem with you and what i did was open task manager, go to startup tab, there should be file named with boxstarter, click right, go to file location and delete it

[BhagiLimbu]

@pauby thanks for quick response. Yes I install with NodeJs and follow the instruction of @swissarm to uninstall from PC. Finally, I manage resolve issue as mention by @v3nxik (many thanks).

[funky81]

One problem left for me is that Windows Update still disabled. How to enable it back?

[20k]

I also can't figure out how to reenable windows update as I can't find any obvious settings in the group policy editor, does anyone have a fix? I installed this thinking it'd be helpful but it seems to have borked my system

[bcurran3]

@funky81 @20k, maybe this will help:

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/powershell/2009/01/31/managing-windows-update-from-powershell/

[20k]

I tried reinstalling windows through windows system restore and the damage to windows update has managed to survive it. This is legitimately incredible, I'm amazed that the this is still being distributed in its current state as it looks like I might need to completely wipe windows to fix my pc because of a simple npm update. That link has not helped

[pauby]

@20k Have you tried any of the other options suggested?

Another suggestion is . (Join-Path -Path $env:ProgramData -ChildPath 'boxstarter\boxstarter.bootstrapper\start-updateservices.ps1'); start-updateservices

[BhagiLimbu]

@20k Does your windows update back? I have same problem, my windows update is disable. I click manually on "Check Of Updates" button several it does not work.

[Garfonso]

I was lead here from #268. Which is sad, because #268 adressed one clear issue and this issue is something quite different and not very related.

Also information in this issue is incomplete. I had to write choco uninstall boxstarter. Only then I could select to uninstall all boxstartert stuff. After that there are still python and other stuff that boxstarter installed without asking me in the system.
Also the main issue is not resolved, https://boxstarter.org/WhyBoxstarter is still missing an explanation how to get rid of boxstarter.

Also after you got rid of boxstarter, there still is chocolatery on the system. But there is good news here, that project seems more mature and does not need to lock in its users. There is information on how to uninstall that here: https://chocolatey.org/docs/uninstallation

Sadly you closed the other issues. It still is the top match from google for boxstarter uninstall. So I would add this information in the original issue (or better: create an unistall doc page ASAP and make sure it gets top rank in google).
Also, if you create a desktop Icon, it is completely non understandable why you do not create one for uninstallation, at least in startmenu.

[Garfonso]

I have to add to my last post:
choco uninstall boxstarter does not work at all. Boxstarter is still there and doing strange stuff.

Background: As you might see I am a bit pissed. Reason: I was forced by a different software to log into my administrator account by a different software. Then a cmd windows popped up running some stuff from boxstarter and rebooting my laptop without asking or any notice. After logging in again a new cmd window opened again. And it still does and wants to install even more stuff.... even after running the proposed "uninstall" which is not working at all.

So please fix uninstall and add some easy to follow documentation on how to get rid of this stuff.
Also I do not know at all on how boxstarter got on my system in the beginning...

So all in all, the original issue is not fixed at all, athough your github issues does state otherwise. What is discussed in this issue is something completely different and might be interesting after the original issues was adressed (which is not the case). Also I can not see in this discussion any information about how to get rid of "dependencies" like divers python interpreters that boxstarter threw on my system (and is throwing again and again everytime the administrator account logs in).

[pauby]

@Garfonso Let's clear this up.

Issue is still, information in this issue is incomplete. I had to write choco uninstall boxstarter. Only then I could select to uninstall all boxstartert stuff.

The request to ask you to uninstall Boxstarter is here

After that there are still python and other stuff that boxstarter installed without asking me in the system.

Two points here:

1. If you installed Boxstarter yourself then it doesn't install Python. So that's a no.
2. If you installed NodeJs and got Boxstarter installed then you were asked two / three times to confirm. NodeJs does install Python2.

Also the main issue is not resolved, boxstarter.org/WhyBoxstarter is still missing an explanation how to get rid of boxstarter.

That's not the main issue of this GitHub issue. If you want to suggest that be added then please raise an issue for an enhancement. We would also welcome any help putting that together so pull requests are welcome.

Also after you got rid of boxstarter, there still is chocolatery on the system.

There is. Boxstarter installs Chocolatey. That is documented in the first sentence of the link you provided](https://boxstarter.org/WhyBoxstarter).

But there is good news here, that project seems more mature and does not need to lock in its users.

Can you confirm where and how Boxstarter locks in it's users?

Sadly you closed the other issues.

I didn't close the other issue. I locked it to stop additional messages being added to it as it was closed in 2017.

It still is the top match from google for boxstarter uninstall. So I would add this information in the original issue (or better: create an unistall doc page ASAP and make sure it gets top rank in google).

The other issue that you said ranks highly is linked to this one in the very last comment after yours and the one before it. I'm not sure how clearer we could be.

As I suggested earlier if you want to open an issue for this we'd be happy to accept pull requests.

Also, if you create a desktop Icon, it is completely non understandable why you do not create one for uninstallation, at least in startmenu.

I agree. That's why we fixed it.

UPDATE. Created #378 to document uninstall process.

[pauby]

@Garfonso

I have to add to my last post:
choco uninstall boxstarter does not work at all. Boxstarter is still there and doing strange stuff.

It won't. You need to follow the steps in this thread. Please read it.

So please fix uninstall and add some easy to follow documentation on how to get rid of this stuff.

Please see my previous message.

Also I do not know at all on how boxstarter got on my system in the beginning...

You installed NodeJs (I assume?) and agreed for it to be installed.

The rest of your questions are answered elsewhere in this thread.

[Garfonso]

@pauby
Ok, I know did understand the necessary steps (for me this was a bit obscure, because I am not very familiar with PowerShell Syntax). And I now get what Boxstarter does.
For me the whole issue was a bit more suprising than probably for other people, because the boxstarter script did not (or only partly) run, when I installed nodejs, which was about a month ago but only today. I think the reason for that is that I mostly work using a non-priviledge user account. Boxstarter started, as soon as I today logged into the administrator account. That probably is an issue in the node.js installer? (which was 10.13.0) Or is it by design and can not be fixed? It seems that after a reboot, I have to log into the administrator account again (which I normally don't) in order to continue the boxstarter script. So all the stuff that node.js wanted to have installed did not get installed at all until today.

[pauby]

@Garfonso I understand and appreciate the issues you have had. It is as frustrating for you as it is for us (believe me!). There have been several issues raised here for this and we are trying our best to keep them restricted to a few issue threads.

Boxstarter and Chocolatey require an Administrator account (this is by design as they make changes to the system that requires those privileges) so what you have said (with regards to logging into the Administrator account) makes sense. Having a non-privileged account for day to day use also makes sense as to why you didn't notice this before now.

I'm glad you got it resolved and it was as simple as logging into the Administrator account. Unfortunately others have not been so lucky.

As @gep13 pointed out the use of Boxstarter to bootstrap NodeJs has been removed in the latest version.

[pauby]

The original issue has been fixed in PR #372

[joshuayoes]

For future people still struggling with this, I had success searching boxstarter using windows finder search and deleting all the instances associated with it.

[tiagorangel1]

For future people still struggling with this, I had success searching boxstarter using windows finder search and deleting all the instances associated with it.

The problem is that Windows Explorer's search is very, very slow.