Add/Remove Programs List: Blank?

I dont think it can hurt your system at all...its just a warning that if something does freakishly happen...im not liable...but that goes for any advice someone gives you..you use it at your own risk...you drive a car at your own risk...you drink beer at your own risk...just a precaution...

Id do it if i were you...but thats just me

Hope it works for you if you do decide to use it...

ok buckethead, i just did it and my computer works fine. if you don't believe me, i could send you some screenshots. i would love to see you get this problem fixed because i bet it isnt fun at all.

Okay, thank you for reassuring me about doing that.

I followed your instruction, but I got an error. I don't feel like typing it out, so I'm going to make another screenshot. =P But this is what happened:
http://www.imagerely.com/imagehost/uimages/9182error.jpg

here is microsft's article on exactly that of which you speak.

Yessssssssss? Or is there a link somewhere that I have yet to find.

oooooooops lmao. sorry bout that doing too many thigns at once i guess.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=195064&sd=RMVP

I dont think that is the problem Buckethead is running into...for some reason his appwiz.cpl file is missing...There may be a site on the internet(such as the dll download sites) that will allow you to download this file...otherwise,it should be located on your CD.

After that...im dry on ideas.

did you try searching you computer for appwiz.cpl??

Add Remove Programs appears blank

I also had this problem where the Add Remove Programs (ARP) form does not seem to populate. I tried a microsoft support article that was cited in several forums (this problem seems quite common), see kb266668, but as far as I could see the necessary registry entries were there. I also ran appwiz.cpl a few times with inconsistent results.
Before I noticed this problem I had also started to experience slow shutdowns or non shutdowns. By process of elimination I considered that a trial version of Macafee antivirus/ security centre may be the culprit. It expired several days ago and was now prompting me on each startup to visit the registration centre (hoping I would buy!).
Since ARP was still blank, I used a Registry utility - Regseeker - to uninstall the two macafee programs. When I pressed restart at FINISH of uninstall, surprisingly the computer (XP Pro) shutdown and restarted normally. So I checked the Add Remove Programs, and it now worked. I did another restart - again smooth - and again Add remove programs worked OK.
So I suggest you should check the startup programs to solve this problem. In hindsight, it may also be true that in at least some instances the population of the ARP may have just been taking a very, very long time (because of the offending program), so some users may just think it was not being populated. However, I have to say that as well as a blank form, I also had several instances where the applet didn't even appear to want to start at all.

possible solution - ADD REMOVE PROGRAMS BLANK

I also had this problem where the Add Remove Programs (ARP) form does not seem to populate. I tried a microsoft support article that was cited in several forums (this problem seems quite common), see kb266668, but as far as I could see the necessary registry entries were there. I also ran appwiz.cpl a few times with inconsistent results.
Before I noticed this problem I had also started to experience slow shutdowns or non shutdowns. By process of elimination I considered that a trial version of Macafee antivirus/ security centre may be the culprit. It expired several days ago and was now prompting me on each startup to visit the registration centre (hoping I would buy!).
Since ARP was still blank, I used a Registry utility - Regseeker - to uninstall the two macafee programs. When I pressed restart at FINISH of uninstall, surprisingly the computer (XP Pro) shutdown and restarted normally. So I checked the Add Remove Programs, and it now worked. I did another restart - again smooth - and again Add remove programs worked OK.
So I suggest you should check the startup programs to solve this problem. In hindsight, it may also be true that in at least some instances the population of the ARP may have just been taking a very, very long time (because of the offending program), so some users may just think it was not being populated. However, I have to say that as well as a blank form, I also had several instances where the applet didn't even appear to want to start at all.

Workaround

I noticed that when my Add/Remove Programs list comes up blank, I leave the window up and go to task manager (Ctrl-Shft-Esc). Select wmiprvse.exe and end process. My program list populates immediately after killing it.

Hope that helps but I don't know what is causing it.