Failed drive, now cannot install or uninstall Oscar

[jmac862]

Hi

I’ve been using Oscar for some time now on my PC, however a recent SSD drive failure occurred and it seems now I cannot install a new copy nor uninstall the previous one. The installer displays an error window which states ‘The drive or UNC share you selected does not exist or is not accessible. Please select another’

The uninstaller says it cannot find the drive specified (the now missing defective one)
Do you know how I might solve this conundrum please?

[Crimson Nape]

John - It would really help to tell us the operating system you are using. Each has a different approach.

- Red

[jmac862]

Hi Red

It's Windows 10...

[Crimson Nape]

Was the drive on the Windows 10 system, or was it a removable device or a network share?  If so, what was it letter designation (C:\, D:\, etc.)?

- Red

[jmac862]

My machine is an Asus Vivomini SFF i5 Mini PC with a 128GB SSD (C and a 1TB HDD (D internally.
It runs Windows 10 Home 22H2 OS Build 19045.3803
For some ill-thought, speedy-access reason I decided to put some apps on to an external usb-connected 128 GB SSD which was designated H: This is where the OSCAR .exe file resided. (H:\Program Files\OSCAR\OSCAR.exe)
This H:\ drive is the one that stopped working and the one I cannot uninstall OSCAR from.
Other OSCAR related folders and files (logs, profiles, preferences  et al) still reside on D: (D:\Oscar\logs etc)
I now realise this strategy may not have been ‘optimal’. If  there is anything you can advise me to do to salvage the situation I’d be very much obliged. I have previously edited the registry if that is a requirement.

[Crimson Nape]

Follow the steps below to change the drive letter (UNC = Universal/Uniform Naming Convention):

1. Make sure the drive is connected to your PC.
   Choose one of the following:
   
   • Windows 11 or 10 :  Press Windows + X keys and click on Disk Management.
     - or -
     
   • Windows 11/10/8/7:  Press Windows + R , input diskmgmt.msc.
     
2. Verify no other drive in the list is currently assigned the drive letter you wish to use.  If so, you must first reassign this drive to another letter in order to free up the desired drive letter.
   
3. Right-click on the external drive listing and click on Change Drive letter and paths.
   
4. Click on the Change button.
   
5. Under Assign the following Drive letter, select the desired drive letter.
   
6. Click Ok to save changes.
   
7. Exit Disk Management
   

Using the Command Line (Terminal Window)

1. Press Windows + R simultaneously, input cmd, and click OK.
   
2. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
   
3. Run commands listed below in order.
   • list volume  -  (Note: If the drive letter is assigned, you must first reassign the volume to another letter prior to assigning it to the desired volume.)
     
   • select volume n ("n" is the drive you wish to change)
     
   • assign letter= m ("m" is the drive letter you want to assign to the drive you just selected)
     
   • exit
     
   • exit
     

Good luck!
- Red

[jmac862]

Hi Red
Thanks for that. I’m very much obliged to you.
Now I have OSCAR successfully installed in a 1GB usb flash drive (designated H, can I move it to or uninstall/re-install it to my internal HDD (D: )?
This would be preferable but not absolutely crucial, however I’m hesitant to leave it on another external drive as I have newly developed ‘trust issues’ with them… Also, if I was able to ‘move’ the executable part of the app to another drive I presume the app would then be associated with that drive e.g. D: in this instance?

[Crimson Nape]

If you try and run your USB install of OSCAR on another computer, it probably might not run or could corrupt your installed version. Another computer may issue your USB or data folder by a different letter or path. Also, DO NOT place your OSCAR_data folder in the CLOUD. OSCAR was not designed to wait for an internet connection while initializing. If it can not see the data folder as it initializes, it will presume that one does not exist.

- Red

[SGKent]

normally if you find the folder that the program is installed into - for example c:\programfiles or C:\programfilesx86, etc., there will be an uninstaller in that folder with the other files. Sometimes it will work to uninstall the program.

Most likely as the other poster indicated, your drive letter was different when you installed it. If you make the new drive the same letter, that will also work to allow you to uninstall it thru Add Remove Programs.