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TechTip: Removing WDSC Version 5.1.2 from Your Workstation

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Usually, iSeries software is pretty straightforward: RSTLICPGM puts the new product on your machine, while DLTLICPGM removes it. The products tend to come in nice, self-contained libraries, and rarely do they leave "crumbs" behind.

This is completely different from the world of Windows programs and especially the evil "system registry." The system registry is a set of semi-permanent values that a product can set at installation time and that you can reasonably assume will stay there. The registry has its very own structure, with folders and subfolders and eventually keys. The names of the folders are pretty standard, usually involving the company that makes the product as well as the product name and sometimes the version. The names of the keys can be quite arbitrary, as can the values.

Many products are good enough to have uninstallers that remove all the appropriate keys. But sometimes those programs fail or are incomplete for one reason or another, so you have to clean the registry manually. (However, remember that products make assumptions regarding the contents of the registry; this is why one is usually warned against making manual changes.) Some products also leave crumbs in the form of files and directories that need to be deleted, and sometimes those crumbs can affect the operation of a new version. Because of this, it is occasionally necessary to manually clean your system when moving from one version of a product to another. WDSC is no exception; under certain conditions, you can uninstall Version 5.1.2 of WDSC from your workstation, yet the WDSC 6.0 installation still fails. If this happens, you may want to try this procedure to manually clean your workstation:

1. First, be sure to use the Add/Remove Programs tool in the Control Panel to remove the product. This is the standard uninstaller and will remove most if not all of the product.

2. Remove leftover system files. These will be located in your Windows system directory, which is either C:WINNT (for Windows 2000) or C:WINDOWS (for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003). IBM's list includes two files: IBMVAHLP.cfg and vpd.properties.

3. Remove leftover directories:

  • C:WDSC
  • C:IBMDEBUG
  • C:Program FilesIBMKCL
  • C:Program FilesIBMWebSphere StudioApplication DeveloperV5.1.2
  • C:Program FilesIBMWebSphere StudioSite DeveloperV5.1.2

4. Finally, remove registry keys. Beware: Modifying or removing the wrong key can severely damage your system! If you're not absolutely comfortable with this, get someone to help you. You can also back up your registry so that if you make a mistake you can attempt to restore the old version. Once you've prepared yourself for the task, the keys IBM recommends you remove are these:

  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREIBMADTS Client Server for AS/400Install
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREIBMIBM Distributed Debugger
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREIBMWebSphere Studio2.1
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREIBMWebSphere StudioRational
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
    Uninstall631a5ad8d2f1a8463d882348eeee9f17
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersion
    Uninstall51a03a8a2cdc08bec95e0eaf9a351acf (Key for WDSc v5.1.2)

Please note that some of the files and folders above are for the Standard Edition of WDSC; some are for the Advanced Edition. If a file does not appear, don't worry about it. Also, if you are installing on a 64-bit Windows system, you might find that the last three directories in step 3 are in a folder named C:Program Files (x86). I think the x86 is used to separate 32-bit programs from 64-bit programs.

Joe Pluta is the founder and chief architect of Pluta Brothers Design, Inc. He has been working in the field since the late 1970s and has made a career of extending the IBM midrange, starting back in the days of the IBM System/3. Joe has used WebSphere extensively, especially as the base for PSC/400, the only product that can move your legacy systems to the Web using simple green-screen commands. Joe is also the author of E-Deployment: The Fastest Path to the Web, Eclipse: Step by Step, and WDSC: Step by Step. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Joe Pluta

Joe Pluta is the founder and chief architect of Pluta Brothers Design, Inc. He has been extending the IBM midrange since the days of the IBM System/3. Joe uses WebSphere extensively, especially as the base for PSC/400, the only product that can move your legacy systems to the Web using simple green-screen commands. He has written several books, including Developing Web 2.0 Applications with EGL for IBM i, E-Deployment: The Fastest Path to the Web, Eclipse: Step by Step, and WDSC: Step by Step. Joe performs onsite mentoring and speaks at user groups around the country. You can reach him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

MC Press books written by Joe Pluta available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

Developing Web 2.0 Applications with EGL for IBM i Developing Web 2.0 Applications with EGL for IBM i
Joe Pluta introduces you to EGL Rich UI and IBM’s Rational Developer for the IBM i platform.
List Price $39.95

Now On Sale

WDSC: Step by Step WDSC: Step by Step
Discover incredibly powerful WDSC with this easy-to-understand yet thorough introduction.
List Price $74.95

Now On Sale
Eclipse: Step by Step Eclipse: Step by Step
Quickly get up to speed and productivity using Eclipse.
List Price $59.00

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