Hide Codec Packs and DSPs as updates in XP...

[toNka64]

It always drove me nuts how every single codec pack was listed in my Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel (I know I'm anal).
I wish they would be hidden like updates are.
Then I figured out how to do this using the registry.
Have a look at what I'm talking about.


After applying my registry tweak it looks like this:

Ah, nice and clean.
No extra clutter.


If I click on the "Show Updates" then it looks like this:


!!!CAUTION!!!
Editting your registry can damage your OS.
Don't touch this idea unless you know what you are doing.
Note: the DIR are machine specific, if you use the default install DIR it should be the same.
Here's the reg code if anyone wants to use it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp FLAC Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp FLAC Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp FLAC Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp Monkeys Audio Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp Monkeys Audio Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp Monkeys Audio Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp Mp2 and BwfMp2 codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp Mp2 and BwfMp2 codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp Mp2 and BwfMp2 codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp mp3 (Fraunhofer IIS) Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp mp3 (Fraunhofer IIS) Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp mp3 (Fraunhofer IIS) Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp Music Converter]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp Music Converter.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp Ogg Vorbis Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp Ogg Vorbis Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp Ogg Vorbis Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp Ogg Vorbis Lancer Encoder]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp Ogg Vorbis Lancer Encoder"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp Ogg Vorbis Lancer Encoder.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp WavPack Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp WavPack Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp WavPack Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp Windows Media Audio 10 Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp Windows Media Audio 10 Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp Windows Media Audio 10 Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\dBpoweramp [Calculate Audio CRC] Codec]
"DisplayName"="dBpoweramp [Calculate Audio CRC] Codec"
"UninstallString"="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall.exe\" <uninstall>C:\\WINDOWS\\system32\\SpoonUninstall-dBpoweramp [Calculate Audio CRC] Codec.dat"
"InstallTo"="C:\\Program Files\\Illustrate\\dBpoweramp"
"ParentKeyName"="dBpoweramp Music Converter"
"ParentDisplayName"="dBpoweramp Add-ons"

Spoon, if you can added this in a future release it'd be cool.
The question is... who really cares about stuff like this but geeks like me...?

[Spoon]

Re: Hide Codec Packs and DSPs as updates in XP...

I am not sure hiding the codecs as an update would help people, just means they cannot uninstall a codec easily.

[LtData]

Re: Hide Codec Packs and DSPs as updates in XP...

It sounds like a good idea to me, but what Spoon said is probably correct: most users would never know to check that box to see the codecs.