Uninstalling Origin has just caused me extreme problems

[Radio]

Sorry, but EA wasting literally days of my time and possibly causing me to have a higher bill due to having a higher download than my limit this month (again, thanks to downloading a lot of this shit twice) because they programmed their Origin software incredibly ineptly is going to leave me blaming them in this case.

Did you need to download all of that stuff again THIS month? In your situation I'd take a look at the state of my cap and only download essentials.

[Deleted]

I don't understand the hate for origin ... i have it since the beginning and only had 1 problem with it a few months back that it just didn't want to open anymore , so i just reinstalled origin and it even automatically searched the games i had on it without downloading them.
The only real problem i have with origins that it somehow every update puts itself in french...
But yeah whatever there are haters for every program i guess...

[prwraith]

Why would you even download 400 games.

Are you planning to play 400 ? 300? 200? 100? 50? 20? in the next week?

[Wikko]

Yeah I know right! I just threw a stone through a window and the window broke. Like wtf? Why do these shit window makers make the window break down when I do something completely normal like throwing a stone through it

[therealbowser]

Really, Install software in /Program Files
with no sub folder and uninstall it.

I dare ya.

The issue isn't that Origin deleted stuff in program files because it was installed there, my primary issue is that Origin downloaded directly there instead of creating a folder (even when I asked it to directly) like every other piece of halfway decent software on the internet. This is just a double whammy -- it shouldn't have downloaded there to begin with. so if you want to get technical, my naivette in not recognizing Origin would delete my software is partially my fault on that.

The fact it didn't install correctly to begin with remains to be 100% Origin. It's not my fault if a program acts entirely unlike any other program I've ever used (and this is not an exaggeration, I cannot think of a single exception) and can't/doesn't even create its own folder. Now that I know this, though, in the future I will certainly double check it from then on and never uninstall if they do.

And I won't make the mistake of installing Origin ever again.

All of you computer noobs that are saying that it's normal for a program to delete a folder like this, it's not. Except for piece of shit software like Origin.

Thank you. I'm glad someone gets this.

Did you need to download all of that stuff again THIS month? In your situation I'd take a look at the state of my cap and only download essentials.

While this is true, I wouldn't have been at risk of this if not for Origin deleting hundreds of gigs of memory. I don't think I went over; if I did, it's not a dramatic charge, but not insignificant. I'll find out at the end of the month.

I don't understand the hate for origin ... i have it since the beginning and only had 1 problem with it a few months back that it just didn't want to open anymore , so i just reinstalled origin and it even automatically searched the games i had on it without downloading them.
The only real problem i have with origins that it somehow every update puts itself in french...
But yeah whatever there are haters for every program i guess...

I didn't hate Origin before it wasted days of download time. Fortunately it wasn't as bad as initially anticipated -- but only because I stopped it early. It still took hours and hours to verify Steam games because it screwed up my Steam program, and it deleted maybe a fourth of them. A little more than half of what was left managed to download quickly or instantly, the rest had to be redownloaded.

This situation made a believer out of me. I have always had issues with Origin (it's extremely slow, it stops downloading constantly, it's DRM features are total shit, etc) but nothing that made me not want to install it when I wanted to play a game it got stuck with.

Why would you even download 400 games.

Are you planning to play 400 ? 300? 200? 100? 50? 20? in the next week?

I already explained this. If you're genuinely curious for the answer scroll up. If this is just a wild swing at me, then you're going to have to try a little harder. Sorry. I have no interest in repeating myself for you.



(Not going to respond to the obvious troll responses, of which I have seen at least one of.)



This is probably going to be my last post on this thread. I redownloaded everything and fixed this garbage. And I don't plan on reinstalling Origin ever again, even if done correctly the fact it can do this damage genuinely scares me, and it's not worth it to play 1-2 games I otherwise wouldn't hardly bother with.

I think every thing on this topic that could be shared, has already been shared. I just wanted to cover the last few posts here in wishful attempt to convey my point, as it doesn't seem to be catching on. And that's okay; we don't have to agree. But this thread is starting to attract spiteful people, even a troll or two. It's time to let it die; the damage has been repaired and I've moved on.

Just be aware that Origin can do some really nasty shit to your computer if you're not very cautious. This is the point I wished to convey (alongside asking for help, which sadly nothing could be done due to my own fault of not setting up a system restore before messing with Origin).

Have a good one, all.

[Deleted]

sorry, im calling bullshit on everything you said, unless the way origin has installed in the last 10 days has changed.


1 - Origin unistalling anything other that is in it's unistaller log, simply wont happen. uninstall process does not work like that.
2 - Origin installing itself in program files, rather than its own folder, simply does not happen.
3 - Even if it did, you could simply uninstall the propper way and it would only uninstall origin

[Charge me Doctor]

Most programs create their own folder. TBH I can't think of a single one that DOESN'T do this, but I am sure they happen on occasion. I assumed this is what Origin was doing, which caused the problem in the first place. A minor one, easy to fix.. or so I thought until it started deleting all of my games.

- - - Updated - - -



I have never heard of an installer for any popular programs released in the past decade that delete things without warning. for instance, WoW will leave your screenshot files and settings in case you install later. Origin deletes everything, including files completely unrelated to it.

This is like stone age quality programming. Monkeys could program a more effective uninstallation program than this. They might as well just make it post a message that says "delete our folder and call it a day". Would have saved me a lot of trouble.

It tries to create it's own folder, like C:\Origin. Then it will delete C:\Origin. You decided to install it in C:\Program Files. It deleted its own folder - C:\Program Files. You should be more careful when installing programs

[moremana]

I am shocked that even after numerous people showing you with proof that Origin does not mess with other programs unless you install origin directly into program files instead of letting it create its default directory that you still flame them and grossly spew lies about their software, that is slander and all you should be banned from posting on here.

Stop it bro...you fucked up not Origin, you aren't fooling people that know, only the uneducated.

[Wikko]

I am shocked that even after numerous people showing you with proof that Origin does not mess with other programs unless you install origin directly into program files instead of letting it create its default directory that you still flame them and grossly spew lies about their software, that is slander and all you should be banned from posting on here.

Stop it bro...you fucked up not Origin, you aren't fooling people that know, only the uneducated.

OP is the kind of person that will never admit when something is clearly his fault so you're wasting your time.

[prwraith]

I already explained this. If you're genuinely curious for the answer scroll up. If this is just a wild swing at me, then you're going to have to try a little harder. Sorry. I have no interest in repeating myself for you.

Do read every post on every page of a thread that you post in every single time?

[Asmekiel]

OP is the kind of person that will never admit when something is clearly his fault so you're wasting your time.

The story even changed from "I messed up" to "I assumed something else would happen" to "It installed itself in a different location than I told it to".

[Lathais]

The story even changed from "I messed up" to "I assumed something else would happen" to "It installed itself in a different location than I told it to".

He couldn't even understand that when I told him if this was really an issue with the software there would be tons more complaints about this so it must be something he did as me saying that it did not happen to him at all. So he clearly can not even comprehend basic language. Leads me to believe even more it is something he did or something he did not read.

Bottom line is, when you change the default installation path of something, you are changing the way it is recommended to do things. At that point, anything that happens is no longer their fault. They provided you with a default way of doing things that works error free. You change it, it's your fault, it's really that simple.

[Asmekiel]

Not really. Any software that wasn't as shit as Origin wouldn't have deleted your program files directory.

So a program deleting its own installfolder on uninstall is shit?

[Crillam]

Yeah I don't see how that is possible... Or maybe I can understand if you're using some weird uninstalling program but this is something I've never encounterd or heard people complain about. Millions of people have downloaded and uninstalled Origin and there is not a damn thread on the internet about this problem that you have, exept this one ofc...
So yeah did you use an external uninstalling program?

[Lathais]

Not really. Any software that wasn't as shit as Origin wouldn't have deleted your program files directory.

If you change the default install folder to Program Files, then tell it to uninstall it's folder, if it's folder is Program Files because when he changed the default he did not specify a sub-folder, yes, it will delete its entire folder, which is Program Files.

It's pretty simple. If YOU change the default, YOU are responsible for making sure there is a sub-folder. That's all.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah I don't see how that is possible... Or maybe I can understand if you're using some weird uninstalling program but this is something I've never encounterd or heard people complain about. Millions of people have downloaded and uninstalled Origin and there is not a damn thread on the internet about this problem that you have, exept this one ofc...
So yeah did you use an external uninstalling program?

Be careful saying that, he might think you are saying he didn't have a problem at all.

[therealbowser]

Wow, there are still people circle jerking this thread. Unbelievable.

you should be banned from posting on here.

If you want to disagree with me, hell, if you want to flame me and attack me personally because I refuse to accept your opinion, that's your call.

But it isn't your call whether or not I am allowed to post here. I follow the rules of MMO-Champion, if you dislike the rules you should take it up with the admins. This comment is far more childish than anything I have posted in this thread. I may rant, I may occasionally take things personally, but I will never say that someone deserves to get banned because they refuse to agree with me.

OP is the kind of person that will never admit when something is clearly his fault so you're wasting your time.

You don't know a damn thing about me. I admit to my faults often, even though it often gets me into trouble and gets me more blame than I otherwise would. (A common occurrence for me is accepting fault for something, then getting blamed for things I didn't do that follow afterwords.) So don't make wild assumptions about me based off of a single post, that is pure ignorance.

Do read every post on every page of a thread that you post in every single time?

Alright, that's fair. I apologize, I am just tired of repeating myself.

The story even changed from "I messed up" to "I assumed something else would happen" to "It installed itself in a different location than I told it to".

Except it didn't. Originally I was shocked and I just wanted to find a way to fix it. If I could fix it, I probably would not have been so angry with Origin, although I still will have never used their software again. The "I assumed something else would happen" and "It installed itself to a different location than I told it to." are different issues.

1. I assumed it wouldn't delete my entire program folder, since no other program has ever done this. While this is archaic software design, let's be generous and assume this is my fault for not knowing that programs would do this, despite the fact no program I have ever used deleted everything in its given folder.

2. The fact it refused to create a folder led me to believe it would create its own folder, like every piece of software I've ever used, and I mean since pre-2000. This is where I blame Origin; for installing where I did not wish for it to, and not creating its own folder like any other program I've ever used. There is no realistic reason I should have expected or assumed it would work this way.

But by all means, pretend my story is changing if it suits your personal attacks on me.

------------

To clarify my issue with Origin since the people posting here do not seem to understand

Here is my primary issue with Origin:

Every other program I've ever used creates a folder when you choose where you wish to install it. Failing that, it will allow you to directly create a folder when you write a specific place you wish to install it.

It did not warn me or imply in any way it would install directly to program files when I installed it. Literally every program I have ever used creates a folder within the folder you choose to install it to OR allows you to create one directly. You can blame me for this all you want, but this is shitty programming plain and simple. Again, I did learn my lesson; I was unaware there were programs designed this poorly, let alone by larger corporations such as EA.

The fact that I chose to uninstall it directly was a case of lack of knowledge, but again I've never heard of this happening before and most programs (that I've used, at least) would not uninstall everything. Nothing I have ever used before did this. I don't feel like it is solely my fault in this area, but if it appeases people, I'll take full blame on this part despite never having witnessed a program work this way in my life after decades of using a PC actively.

I doubt, however, this actually will appease anyone, so I fully expect more circle jerking. Whatever makes you happy.

- - - Updated - - -

So yeah did you use an external uninstalling program?

No. I uninstalled through programs and features. The fact that this happened is as baffling to me as it is to you, but it happened exactly as I explained it. I imagine very few people customize their Origin installation, and fewer still create a program files folder on a secondary hard drive. Just a freakishly unlucky occurrence that it happened to me, and that I happened to run into these software issues.

sorry, im calling bullshit on everything you said, unless the way origin has installed in the last 10 days has changed.


1 - Origin unistalling anything other that is in it's unistaller log, simply wont happen. uninstall process does not work like that.
2 - Origin installing itself in program files, rather than its own folder, simply does not happen.
3 - Even if it did, you could simply uninstall the propper way and it would only uninstall origin

1. It did. I'm sorry if you refuse to believe me, however you are welcome to test this. You will see that I am correct.
2. I changed the C to E, and for every other program I have installed, that worked fine; it created a new folder and moved on. Origin refused to, and instead directly offered to install in program Files. This led me to believe it would create its own folder, as many programs do this, and in fact it already did for C. Why else would an installation program that just created a folder for Origin refuse to make another? It made no sense that it was doing this, so I played along.
3. I did uninstall the proper way. I wish I hadn't. I am assuming you mean through programs and features, if it is not then please explain. I used Origin's uninstallation process.

I hardly believe it myself, but this is simply what happened.

It tries to create it's own folder, like C:\Origin. Then it will delete C:\Origin. You decided to install it in C:\Program Files. It deleted its own folder - C:\Program Files. You should be more careful when installing programs

The problem was in how it installed, as mentioned above in my reply to Sigma. You're definitely right though, and I will take extremely careful precautions with all other programs in the future. And failing that, far more precautions uninstalling them.

I should clarify that I did not install it to C:\Program Files, rather to E:\Program Files (it refused to install to E:\Program Files\Origin when I asked it to do so).

PS: Thank you for genuinely trying to help and actually showing basic courtesy towards me.

[Quibble]

my primary issue is that Origin downloaded directly there instead of creating a folder (even when I asked it to directly)

Ehmm.. how excatly did you do this?
You don't manually write a path in the installer, you open up a window to browse folders on your hdd..
You could try to write a path like program files/orgin in this window.. but this wouldn't do you any good, because at this point, that folder doesn't exist in windows..
This works just like when you try to write a path like that, in a normal window of explorer in windows.

You never told the origin installer, where to install other than program files, because this was the only folder in your path that actually existed.
Right as you pushed OK to the program files/origin path in the windows browsing window, it came with an error.. This path doesn't exist. If you clicked OK again, it would pick the functional part of the path you gave it.

Now you are back looking at the Origin installer.. And wonder me, if it doesn't only say program files, for the install path..
Since it only say program files, why on earth would you assume it now makes a new folder?

You could argue, that they should change it so you can write a path directly in the installer..
But it doesn't. It told you to use windows explorer to locate a folder to install in.. That you don't know how to use a path in windows, can't be faulted to origin.
It wasn't origin that didn't understand your path, and Origin never got told to put it in a subfolder.

It did not warn me or imply in any way it would install directly to program files when I installed it.

Yes it did, you just choose to ignore the warning by windows, and then ignored that origin now said it would install directly in your program files.
Yes I downloaded and tested how the installer works.

(it refused to install to E:\Program Files\Origin when I asked it to do so).

No it didn't.. You never gave it that path...
When you tell windows to go to a specific path, and the folder doesn't exist... it doesn't create a new folder.
Just because you used origin to open up explorer, doesn't make windows suddenly create new folders when the path you give it doesn't exist.

I assumed it wouldn't delete my entire program folder, since no other program has ever done this.

Really.. No uninstaller has ever removed its entire folder? Well, doesn't that speak for every other uninstaller being shit?
I HATE when uninstallers leave their folder.. I told it to uninstall.. Then it should fucking remove it..
However, luckly most uninstallers I've used, has removed it's entire folder.. As it should..

I'm sorry that you expect them to leave files on your PC after an uninstall, but that is damn shitty practice.

[Vargur]

Please don't bump this thread further. All points have been conveyed and it's just the same things being said in a cycle now. Let the thread die. Thanks.


So I just built a new computer, and for the past week I have been redownloading the hundreds of PC games I own.

After finally finishing the ~400 games on Steam that I own, I decided, what the hell... I'll install Steam to get KotOR and whatever other game or two I might have on origin.

Since I have an SSD now, I install all programs to my HDD, this includes Origin. So I tried to install it there.. I accidentally placed the file in Program Files instead of /Origin or whatever.

I thought, what the hell, I'll just uninstall and reinstall it to fix this.

What happened afterwords has fucked my world worse than any virus I have ever encountered.

Fucking Origin started uninstalling and deleting every fucking file I had in Program files. I am afraid that I am now going to have to spend another fucking week downloading games and God only knows how long figuring out which games are fucked and which games are okay.

Fucking EA. I was never a fan of them before, but I fucking hate them more than ever before. I didn't even know this was possible. I don't fucking know what to do.

I don't normally post rants on forums, but this is the most ridiculous fucking shit I have ever heard of in my life. Someone please help me.

I don't get it. You don't have a separate SSD or at the very least partition for the OS? Because as an advanced user you should know not to install anything you might wanna keep in case of a format in the proverbial C:.

- - - Updated - - -

Really.. No uninstaller has ever removed its entire folder? Well, doesn't that speak for every other uninstaller being shit?
I HATE when uninstallers leave their folder.. I told it to uninstall.. Then it should fucking remove it..
However, luckly most uninstallers I've used, has removed it's entire folder.. As it should..

I'm sorry that you expect them to leave files on your PC after an uninstall, but that is damn shitty practice.

Well, no. A proper uninstaller only removes the files it initially installed, not the whole damn folder, regardless of content.

[therealbowser]

Ehmm.. how excatly did you do this?
You don't manually write a path in the installer, you open up a window to browse folders on your hdd..
You could try to write a path like program files/orgin in this window.. but this wouldn't do you any good, because at this point, that folder doesn't exist in windows..
This works just like when you try to write a path like that, in a normal window of explorer in windows.

You never told the origin installer, where to install other than program files, because this was the only folder in your path that actually existed.
Right as you pushed OK to the program files/origin path in the windows browsing window, it came with an error.. This path doesn't exist. If you clicked OK again, it would pick the functional part of the path you gave it.

Now you are back looking at the Origin installer.. And wonder me, if it doesn't only say program files, for the install path..
Since it only say program files, why on earth would you assume it now makes a new folder?

You could argue, that they should change it so you can write a path directly in the installer..
But it doesn't. It told you to use windows explorer to locate a folder to install in.. That you don't know how to use a path in windows, can't be faulted to origin.
It wasn't origin that didn't understand your path, and Origin never got told to put it in a subfolder.


Yes it did, you just choose to ignore the warning by windows, and then ignored that origin now said it would install directly in your program files.
Yes I downloaded and tested how the installer works.


No it didn't.. You never gave it that path...
When you tell windows to go to a specific path, and the folder doesn't exist... it doesn't create a new folder.
Just because you used origin to open up explorer, doesn't make windows suddenly create new folders when the path you give it doesn't exist.



Really.. No uninstaller has ever removed its entire folder? Well, doesn't that speak for every other uninstaller being shit?
I HATE when uninstallers leave their folder.. I told it to uninstall.. Then it should fucking remove it..
However, luckly most uninstallers I've used, has removed it's entire folder.. As it should..

I'm sorry that you expect them to leave files on your PC after an uninstall, but that is damn shitty practice.

First of all, thank you for being mature with your response.

You bring up fair points, and you can argue that it was my fault, but I simply disagree.

For every program that I can recall in the last decade, when I wrote up a manual path, it installed to that path and created a folder. About 80% of these programs (I am guesstimating, here, if throwing a number out seems odd just assume "the vast majority") created their own folder instead of showing me a path to a folder it was going to create in. This is the norm as far as I can tell, and what I am used to. The few that do not, create the folder instead.

You can debate this however you wish, but this is bad programming and stuff like this was inevitably going to cause a problem to someone, somewhere. Just because you haven't seen posts about it doesn't mean it hasn't happened.

I did not choose to ignore any warning. I simply assumed Origin functioned on the same level as every piece of software I have used in the past decade. I had no idea it would uninstall my entire program files folders (and it didn't delete the folders by the way, just the content within).

As for removing the entire folders, most uninstallers give me the option of keeping the preferences or not. If I uninstall World of Warcraft, for instance, it does not delete my WTF files or screenshots. If I uninstall Starcraft, it doesn't delete my saves or maps (unless I tell it to). If I uninstall any game on steam, the saves are saved (to be fair, they are in my documents). Origin, however, uninstalls everything without warning instead of keeping a registry of files and only removing them.

Maybe we have different ideas on how a program should work. Obviously, the fact that I don't have a detailed knowledge on how programs worked decades ago factors into this. But no matter how you shake this, Origin's software is antiquated and poorly designed. The uninstaller I can understand; it's not perfect but it's not as unusual as I originally made it out to be. But I already said this. The installer is a different story entirely. I could install Warcraft II BNE and it would create a folder if I specified it to. I know, because I did.

So why doesn't Origin? Because it's designed with shallow foresight. And all of these major problems are just the biggest issues to me, I've had problems with Origin for years with its slow downloads, crashing frequently and making getting into my games a nightmare. It is the worst DRM service I've ever seen. But I tolerated it, because it was the only way for me to access a small portion of my games.

Now I don't hate Origin, and I don't hate the people who designed it. I don't hate EA, even. Hatred is a waste of time and serves no purpose except upsetting myself. But I refuse to support them after this because the design of the software caused me problems, and -- no matter how much people in this thread want to trash me -- I am not a newbie to computers. I've simply never run across nor heard of this being a problem my entire life.

Now look, I am not going to take blame for how Origin installed itself when even the most amateur software writer can make a program do something as simple as create its own folder when you make a specific path -- that would have literally solved every problem and made this fluid and simple. But I will take blame for not knowing that such a thing as deleting every folder that is completely unrelated to Origin is even a thing that can happen. The fact I did not know it was possible doesn't excuse me from making that error in judgement, even if it could have been fixed by a few simple warnings ("Delete all files in [folder name]? [Yes] [No]" etc.) or sticking to a registry of what it installed and where.

The best consolation I can offer is that I should have known better, but how could I have known when I've never experienced or heard of this happening before? I am used to software taking the simple extra steps of safeguarding against these kinds of things that everyone else does. It's certainly been a learning experience, and fortunately it was not difficult to fix, just exceedingly time (and bandwidth) consuming.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't get it. You don't have a separate SSD or at the very least partition for the OS? Because as an advanced user you should know not to install anything you might wanna keep in case of a format in the proverbial C:.

I am confused what you mean by this; I am not an advanced user (at least, I do not consider myself as such), but all of these programs were installed in my HDD, not my SSD. If I forgot to mention this, I apologize. I simply named the folder there Program Files for ease of use.

Well, no. A proper uninstaller only removes the files it initially installed, not the whole damn folder, regardless of content.

This is how I think a proper uninstaller should work, too, yes.

In a perfect world, an uninstaller will only delete files it installed, and if (and only if) the folder you installed it do is completely empty does it delete the therefore empty folder as well.

I find it to be a far less offensive measure to leave an empty folder in my program files than to go an a file deleting rampage for ease of writing software (if that was even the reason? I don't even know).

[Charge me Doctor]

The problem was in how it installed, as mentioned above in my reply to Sigma. You're definitely right though, and I will take extremely careful precautions with all other programs in the future. And failing that, far more precautions uninstalling them.

I should clarify that I did not install it to C:\Program Files, rather to E:\Program Files (it refused to install to E:\Program Files\Origin when I asked it to do so).

PS: Thank you for genuinely trying to help and actually showing basic courtesy towards me.

Things you mentioned above are really hard to believe. I even attempted to install Origin myself and it easily installed into D:\Program Files\Origin. I don't think that E:\ or D:\ or C:\ make any difference. Probably you missed a slash or had a typo, or something like that, but it's definitely not origins fault.
Some programs do create their own folder, but some do not, most of the time you can tell them apart of wording used in installation process, but again, general rule of thumb is that C:\Folder\SubFolder\ means that files will be installed here, not in C:\Folder\SubFolder\WTFIDidntAskYouToCreateThisFolder\

Again its all dumbs down to lack of attention while installing programs. It may bite you in the ass by installing Rambler Bar or Dr Web or some shit like that. The habit of clicking "next" should die in early 2000s, it would be way better of PC community