OS install creates orphaned programs

[shokan]

I recently installed XP over XP and created a new account in the process. All the old programs remain in Program Files, some with an executable, some not. None of them however show up in All Programs in the Start Menu and none have an install/setup file.

Three questions:

1) For the programs that still have an executable in their files, how do I get the program listed in the new account All Programs in the Start Menu?

2) About the programs, is the only alternative to delete the folder? Add/Remove does not see them.

3) What about the registry entries for these leftover programs in the old account that have no executable; do the registry entries still exist and how do I remove that?

Thanks.

[andsome]

This is no help of course for your problem, but personally, I would NEVER try to install XP on top of an old installation of XP. This worked with 98 and 98 SE, but the best way with XP is a format and reinstall. :D

[Dencandy]

You need to "take ownership" of the old files and you should have copied them to external media or another partition on the hard disk. Microsoft describe how to do it HERE. Although this refers to files where access is denied, the procedure in your case should be the same. It will be a long drawn-out business to get it all working smoothly again.

As andsome says above, the simplest way would be to format & reinstall XP again - in effect, to start all over again. To do that, first back up to external media (or another partition on your hard disk) all the programs and data you want to keep, then reformat and reinstall XP, followed by reinstalling your programs & data. In my view, much simpler than trying to do it the way you are suggesting.