Cannot uninstall prey

#1

I am happy with prey. But yesterday I got this email from Prey…

Oops… Prey’s Flux Capacitor needs tinkering.
Windows laptop

Windows 10 (10.0.17134) Laptop, 2.904 GHz

Serial Number: 86ZWYD2

Hi, Jerry! We’ve noticed your computer DESKTOP-BGR2B7C had trouble updating Prey automatically. This has been fixed in the latest update (1.8.2). Affected devices require a manual Flux Capacitor fix… I mean… Application update.

Older Prey versions continue to work, but their functionalities might be stuck in the past.

Take a minute to bring your computer back to the future:

1- Visit our website using the device: https://www.preyproject.com
2- Enter the Downloads tab and select the device’s OS.
3- Reinstall Prey and log in using your credentials.
4- Order pizza, you deserve it.

That is most of the email. My internet was slow yesterday so when Prey asked me if it could first uninstall the current version and I said yes, there was an issue with a download - I assume the download for the new version.

I just tried again now. It is now saying it cannot uninstall the old version.

I went to…


There is no C:\Windows\Prey folder. There is an index that shows…
Name Size Date Modified
current/ 11/27/18, 2:03:57 PM
versions/ 11/27/18, 2:03:28 PM
commands.db 7.0 kB 11/27/18, 2:03:15 PM
prey.conf 1.3 kB 11/27/18, 2:03:57 PM
wpxsvc.exe 598 kB 9/7/17, 3:56:41 PM
Those files do not seem to be able to be deleted

That same link then said…
This still doesn’t work
Something could have gone terribly wrong, and for some reason you could still be unable to uninstall Prey using the previous methods. If that’s the case, please follow these steps:

Hit the Windows + the R keys on the device at the same.
On that little prompt type services.msc and hit Enter.
Look for Cron Service and right-click on it to check its Properties.

There was more directions but I did not copy the rest since there is no Cron Service listed under Services (local)

So I seem to be stuck. Can anyone help?

#2

Hi @jmagill01,

You can just download the new version and just over-install it, the process is going to remove the previous version and install the new one. Try that and let me know how it went.

Regards,
Javo

#3

Javo, can you please be more specific on how to over-install the old one? Specifically, if I go to Prey, hit Get Prey Now, click on Basic Free, and choose Windows 64 bit, Prey asks to proceed to uninstall the old version. As soon as I hit that, it then says cannot proceed with the update and to make sure the Prey folder is removed. And again, there is no Prey folder.

#4

Ok, couple of questions…

  • Is there a C:\Windows\Prey directory? If you have it can I have a picture of the files inside it?
  • Also can you paste here your prey-install.log and prey-uninstall.log? Both files are located in C:\Users%your_user%\AppData\Local\Temp
#5

You asked me if there is Prey directory. I told you in my first email there is a Prey directory. This is what I wrote…
There is no C:\Windows\Prey folder. There is an index that shows…
Name Size Date Modified
current/ 11/27/18, 2:03:57 PM
versions/ 11/27/18, 2:03:28 PM
commands.db 7.0 kB 11/27/18, 2:03:15 PM
prey.conf 1.3 kB 11/27/18, 2:03:57 PM
wpxsvc.exe 598 kB 9/7/17, 3:56:41 PM

However, today instead of using Cortana to search I used the Run command. And I did find a folder.
C:\Windows\Prey
current versions command.db prey.conf wpxsvc.exe
Should I just delete that folder?

As to a prey-install.log I entered C:\Users%your_user%\AppData\Local\Temp
Nothing was found

Thanks for your help

#6

Javo, I am still waiting for a reply from you

#7

With %your_user% I ment the directory with your user name, like C:\Users\Javo\AppData\Local\Temp

Also try this command as Administrator C:\Windows\System32
then … wmic product where name="Prey Anti-Theft" call uninstall

#8

I am not sure what you are looking for directory. I followed your example. I have
C:\Users\Jerry D. Magill\AppData\Local\Temp
Is that what you are looking for?

Under C:\Windows\System32 there are 3
dmwmicsp.dll
wmiclnt.dll
wmicmiplugin.dll
In that index I found nothing starting with Prey

#9

Yeah, like that, is the name of the user you were logged in when you installed Prey.

Just copy this and then paste it on your command prompt:
cd C:\Windows\System32

Then:
wmic product where name="Prey Anti-Theft" call uninstall

#10

Before you asked me for the directory which you later said was t he name or the user I was logged in when I installed Prey. I came up with
C:\Users\Jerry D. Magill\AppData\Local\Temp
You then replied, “Yeah, like that”
So nothing more with that?

You then told me for the 2nd time to copy and paste
C:\Windows\System32
This time you said
cd C:\Windows\System32
I opened RUN and entered
cd C:\Windows\System32
nothing
I then entered
C:\Windows\System32
It is the same thing as I did before. I am copying here what I already told you…
Under C:\Windows\System32 there are 3
dmwmicsp.dll
wmiclnt.dll
wmicmiplugin.dll
This time when I did there also was
WMIC.exe

We are getting nowhere fast it seems.

#11

As I told you before, I wanted to see the prey_install.log and prey_uninstall.log located on your C:\Users\Jerry D. Magill\AppData\Local\Temp, I just assumed that you read the previous posts.

Again… run this 2 commands (copy and paste them):

first one : cd C:\Windows\System32
second one : wmic product where name="Prey Anti-Theft" call uninstall

That’s all

#12

And again…
cd C:\Windows\System32 does nothing
It says windows cannot find cd

Put
wmic product where name=“Prey Anti-Theft” call uninstall
in RUN
The screen blinked

#13

When i say Run I meant in your Command Prompt!

Look for the program on Windows and open it as Administrator, like this:

image.png388×565 23.8 KB

Inside there execute the 2 commands i gave you

#14

Okay now I understand.

wmic product where name=“Prey Anti-Theft” call uninstall
produced…
No instances available

#15

Ok, what about the C:\Users\Jerry D. Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_install.log and C:\Users\Jerry D. Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_uninstall.logfiles? Can you paste them here?

#16

I think you wanted me to ignore
C:\Users\Jerry D.
Meaning do nohting with that

And I think you wanted me to take
Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_install.log
and
Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_uninstall.logfiles?
and enter both those (one at a time) in the command prompt.
The message was the same on both…
The system cannot find the part specified

#17

Hi, I want to see those logs, can you paste them here? (Nothing to do in the command prompt this time)

#18

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17134.407]
© 2018 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_install.log
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>:\WINDOWS\system32>Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_install.log
C:\WINDOWS\system32>The system cannot find the path specified.:\WINDOWS\system32>Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_install.log
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>The system cannot find the path specified.:\WINDOWS\system32>Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_install.log
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>The system cannot find the path specified.
‘The’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>Magill\AppData\Local\Temp\prey_uninstall.logfiles?
The system cannot find the path specified.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

#19

I just tried to install Prey again. I got the same thing. Prey is already installed. AND. Yikes, something went wrong.

#20

Hi Javier. Should I look for another way to protect my laptop and phone?