Uninstalling ArcGIS 10.3.1 for Desktop prior to installing 10.4 Pre-release

GraemeBrowning · ‎12-16-2015

Whenever I install a new version of ArcGIS for Desktop, especially new full or dot releases, I try to completely uninstall the previous version. Consequently, today when I realized ArcGIS 10.4 Pre-release for Desktop was available I decided to uninstall 10.3.1 and then install that. I removed the CSW Clients for ArcGIS Desktop first, and that went smoothly.

However, when I tried to uninstall ArcGIS 10.3.1 for Desktop, I encountered the error below which I posted about at Avoiding Error 1325 EsriPyFldr not valid short file name when uninstalling ArcGIS for Desktop? - Geo... .

While waiting for an answer I started to try a few things like:

running this utility (Fix problems that programs cannot be installed or uninstalled ) - it seemed to be doing something but then hung for a couple of hours whereupon I abandoned it, closed the hung window and rebooted
re-installing 10.3.1 back over itself - it blocked me at

installing 10.4 pre-release over 10.3.1 - it blocked me at

I suspect that my only way forward will be if there is some utility available to wipe all traces of ArcGIS 10.3.1 for Desktop from my system. Is there one?

My environment is: Windows 7 SP1, and besides ArcGIS 10.3.1 for Desktop (which seems to still be working fine), the other Esri software on it is ArcGIS Pro 1.1.1 and ArcGIS Earth Beta.

NatashaLongpine · ‎06-01-2016

I reinstalled Python (noticed I could run the program, but it wasn't listed separately in the Add/Remove programs page) and then ran the microsoft registry fix tool, following the prompts and indicating that I wanted to uninstall ArcMap 10.3.1. This worked and I was able to install 10.4.1 after that.

I had tried renaming (_old) the ESRI keys in the registry and removing all ESRI folders, plus changing the location of My Documents back to my computer rather than a network share. None of that worked.

PierreLarondelle · ‎07-08-2016

What works for me was to simply go to the registry at the key : HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ESRI\ArcGIS and change the "RealVersion" key value to former version number of ArcMAP you want to reinstall.

I had installed ver 10.4 to test but was unable to revert to 10.3.1 (I needed compatibility with clients version as *.mxd 's files are not directly compatible between 10.4 and 10.3.1). I changed the RealVersion key value from 10.4.5686 to 10.3.4959 and was then able to reinstall 10.3.1 version. After install, switch the value back to its original value (here 10.4.5686) and everything runs fine until now.

Hope it helps.