How to completely uninstall Daz 3D Studio
Vially
Posts: 343
Greetings,
Don't read that wrong, I am not looking to quit using it; however, I am running into an issue where Studio does not know where it is, nor any of the content. I have uninstalled it now so many times, through the basic unistall, but I come back to the same issues.
What is happpening is the main site doesn't recognize that it IS installed, and makes me re-install it before I can do any sort of update, I do that, but still cannot update due to needing to install again... there appears to be a mis-direction loop someplace that is causing Studio to not recognise where it is. I've come to the conclusion that my only true solution is to remove it completely and start fresh.
Issue I have there, is that I "thought" I had done that a couple of times, but it just continues to loop back around. It would appear that there are registry settings that do not get removed durring an uninstall? I'm not sure, but to be honest, the constant install uninstall re-install is driving me nuts. I should note that this also happens for any sort of content that has an update, or that I want to purchase. Can't update because I need to install it, if I do install it, I get the new content, but have to install DAZ Studio again so it knows where it is, that leads to me having to re-install the new content... see the loop here, it's driving me nuts.
My Downloadable content table is CONSTANTLY full of items all the way back to Victoria, download and install, and it's shows in content library, but can't be used until I re-install Daz Studio... and around and around we go...
Anyway, if anyone knows how to completely remove Daz 3D Studio so my system no longer knows it ever even had it installed, so I can try to fix this issue, I would sure appreciate the help.
Thanks,
V
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Comments
What method have you used in installing DS, DazCentral, DIM (Install Manager) or manual installation?
I have tried using all 3 methods, neither appears to resolve the issue. Daz Central ALWAYS has me re-install the main app, DIM have so much content in it that it takes 6 days to download it all, oly to have it re-show as needing to be installed the very next time I run it. Manual installs produce very strange results, I can SEE the content through file browser, but Studio doesn't.
Run DIM in Offline mode so you can set its preferences. Studio has to be told where content is through its Content Directory Manager if you don't install to DIM's default content location.
I have always used manual installation and after testing the "Smart" content and finding it more work than it was worth, I haven't gone back to it, but...
If I was to start over and would like to use "smart" content, I would install DS manually and then use DIM to install the content after having planned where to put everything and telling DIM where to install the content. DS does not need to be connected to the internet and using DS in off-line mode also prevents DazConnect from making a bigger mess out of everything.
If you only have one drive (C:), you better get an other one before even starting... Whatever the size of your C-drive is, it will be filled in a "minute" and WHEN something goes wrong, the problem usually is with the C-drive and you don't want to be tracking down your own files with a recovery program in an un-organized pile of tens of thousands of nondescriptive OS files.
Can't help with the location where the different installation methods are installing DS as I never use the default installation paths, but "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\DAZ\Studio4" seems to be the place inside the windows registry - Searching for "Daz" should help you find the installation locations on your disk.
Maybe pictures will help with this.
Picture 01 = Wherre DIM is being told to install things, this has NOT Changed from my initial modifications.
Picture 02 = Where my applications are, again this has NOT changed.
Picture 03 = What DIM says I need to download and install. Please note the difference between ready to install and installed. if I go to the installed tab, I can scroll through and find these exact items in under this tab, so they ARE installed, DIM just doesn't know they are installed.
Thanks,
V
Going by the images, the program appears to have been partially downloaded, it's waiting to resume.
Yes, I stopped it in the middle of my 17th time installing it, and went for a walk.
So I think I figured out at least 1/6th of the issue - I completed the install for Studio 4.15, and it does NOT show in my Daz 3D folder. Instead it is burried in Daz 3D>Applications>64-bit>Daz 3D>DazStudio4. So the full path is a complete Studio install under a folder in a complete Studio Install... this is splitting my content in terms of what the NEW install sees as being installed, and the older install sees as being installed. and the older is not seeing the newer files, because the NEW install has it's own data [downloaded] structure...
So basically I have Daz Studio installed twice, with each version wanting it's own content directory and data structure :(
Some steps that I would do if I were you:
1-I suggest strongly deinstall all your Daz executables, including DIM, and running CCleaner until no missing registers being Daz related are appearing as issues, reinitiate your PC and installing DIM with zero configurations, take it or leave it.
2-Reason of suspicion: your pictures evidences that you are customizing the location of the Daz executables and database folder...Did you know the consequences of doing that? and how manage to resolve now with this issues you are having.
3-Based on your pictures too I assume that: Your installation is not the problem, DIM is the enemy to deinstall and install again with zero modifications on Installation Path.
4-Eternal loop because: if you are having your 17th time installing you are doing nothing because if you aren't clearing your Registry with CCleaner, any new install will get the first registry of your first installation.
5-Final step: Try download the Public Beta of DazStudio with default directories, and no customized installation paths and no Directory Management used.
Well that was sort of what I asked at the beginning of this thread.
I figure that "repair" would be a bothersome/time consuming effort that I, in my old age, just no longer have the patience for. Note I asked if there was a way to completely wipe Daz 3D Studio so I could start over with my installs.
There are a couple things I am concerned with in terms of doing "default" installs.
Not really big issues, but the 2nd one will bug the hell out of me if it shows up again... that said, CCleaner is $25 for it to do anything other than install, this close to payday it will have to wait. Although; it is just doing a regedit, which is free and already installed so I may just start without it.
Your third picture shows the list of *Product Updates*; this is a list of things that have changed since you last installed them. Just install them all (click on the check box to the left of "Product Updates" and then click "Start Queue" at the bottom")
You have two install paths showing for DAZ Studio 4.5 in your second image. This will confuse the installer.
Ok...Good Luck.
Thanks everyone, i did manage to get this cleaned up 95%. it still installs things "sometimes" to my wandering profile, which I have no idea why, but everything else is going inot one directory. It took 10 sweeps with regedit to finally get rid of everything (or so I thought) DAZ related.
I am still re-installing things, and hopefully will have gotten back to square one, this weekend.
Thanks again,
V
I was struggling with this too. Really annoying! I uninstalled everything, and deleted all DAZ folders I could find, including the one in AppData\Roaming. I also searched the Windows registry, but couldn't find anything relevant (but it is fully possible that I overlooked something). I then reinstalled, and specificied a new content directory, but when I started DAZ, it pulled the old folder information from somewhere, and reverted to the directory I had used in a previous installation. I probably tried the reinstalling about 10 times. I finally got the folders moved to a new location by chaning the folders in the Content Directory Manager. After this I reinstalled once more just to make sure, and then the directories finally ended up where I wanted them.
There should be an uninstall option that removes completely everything. Now it clearly leaves information behind and reuses that when reinstalling.
Yeah Daz sucks because of all of this... Uninstall should uninstall all of it..And not play this hide and go seek game. I give Daz a zero score because of this.
No, an application uninstall should not remove user data - including settings. There are occasions whene that would be helpful, and I can certainly see the appeal of a "factory reset" option (though it would have to leave things like the demo period/uses for AniMate and Face Transfer alone) but it equally certainly should not be the default behaviour, nor one that could be accidentally triggered.
First... nice necro; you're responding to a thread that's over 3 errr: 2 years old.
Second.. NO serious application in existence would ever do this. From Ableton Live to Steinberg's Cubase... then from ZBrush to Substance Painter and maybe add Photoshop Elements for good measure... none of those programs dare touch personal settings when you uninstall 'm. Not even a "simple" game as Minecraft does this.
This is exactly why "uninstalling" isn't a good suggestion when it comes to bugfixing because in the end that doesn't really do much: because the settings will still remain in place. Instead... move the config folder(s) out of the way and you can easily reset the software with that.
Sorry to say but you're only showcasing your own inexperience with all this because all Daz Studio does is follow up on a generally used standard. Enforced by the operating systems at hand. I mean... when you install something your OS registers files that got added during the install. But it won't keep track of any data files generated by the software. Nor should it: software packages are only about the software, NOT their datafiles.
So... if you feel you need to complain you should take it up with the company behind whatever OS you're using. All Daz Studio does is utilize the features from that OS. No more, no less.. just like pretty much every software vendor does.