Failed device-driver uninstall with "forcedelete" loop

[jmjsquared]

Greetings all.

I monitor installation of apps with Systrace and Comodo Programs Manager. Using the latter, which includes the ability to uninstall Drivers, I've encountered a disastrous problem:
Specs:
Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop
Intel 2 x 2.0GHz, 8GB DDR2, 320GB 7200 HDD (20+GB free)
Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit, fully patched, updated and maintained
Norton IS 2012, Malwarebytes, Mamutu, Windows Firewall (regularly run Kaspersky, ESET, etc., scanners offline. No malware.)
Have 350+ third-party apps installed for reference, testing and troubleshooting others' computers.

Problem: Using Comodo Programs Manager (CPM) I uninstalled Windows Mobile 2003 Device Driver which required a reboot to complete and, now, I cannot boot the system. The Windows logon screen appears, a message displays, saying CPM's "Force delete jobs completing...". The system freezes there with a black screen, the mouse cursor responds but there is no other activity. Even the LED showing HDD activity ceases.

Attempted solutions:
-- Safe Mode(s), Last Known Good Config, etc., Startup Repair, (System Restore has been disabled.) To make matters worse, I carelessly began to run Windws 7 installation repair as though it was XP. Before I caught the mistake and cancelled, 7 had already begun to copy files. Now I have the SystemRoot as "windows\windows".
-- BCD rebuild successful but still have the "windows\windows".
-- SFC starts but will not complete from Windows RE Command Prompt. Tried c:, d: and e:.
-- Using Windows RE Command prompt, ran regedit-> File-> Load Hive and navigated to "Comodo Program Manager" installation directory and moved it to another folder on C: drive hoping that would break the call to the "Force delete jobs completing...". No Luck.

I have looked into all the "fixes" suggested on the publisher's Forum/website, including the seemingly non-existent "forcedelete.txt", Registry hacks and "cnat.exe" solutions.

No backup image is available

and reinstalling all those apps, updates, tweaks, etc., etc., is not an option. Suggestions would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

P.S.: Before you guys & gals pillory me for no backup, this drive WAS my Acronis TrueImage clone!

 

[Tmagic650]

"Have 350+ third-party apps installed for reference, testing and troubleshooting others' computers"... You should keep these on a separate hard drive or on an optical disk, but you actually know this already don't you You computer should be set up to easily reloaded as mine is, in case of a "disastrous problem" like you are having now. There's really no excuse

 

[jmjsquared]

Wow!
As abovesaid, this drive was my backup clone. I installed it after the "primary" drive failed. The Mobile 2003 Driver was being uninstalled literally within minutes of the HDD swap; therefore, no time to make another image!

However, your advice has been noted with the confidence that it now will be followed by further, helpful advice.

 

[Tmagic650]

I repair a lot of stuff besides computer equipment, and I have learned how valuable third-party apps are for everything... Good luck

 

[jmjsquared]

That's it?
After the sage counsel that I should have had a spare for my spare while on the way to the repair station, "Good Luck" exhausts your helpfulness? What a misuse of time.

 

[Tmagic650]

You have so much "crap" on that poor laptop, meaning all those cleaners and apps, there is no way to really do anything else but to start over fresh

 

[jmjsquared]

Helpful and classy.

 

[jmjsquared]

The fix was rather simple, once I learned the correct name of the executable that was being called at boot to complete the driver's uninstallation, namely "cpmnat.exe". The uninstaller's publisher's website and forum had incorrect references to a non-existent .exe from an earlier build. One of their support Forum's knowledgeable and helpful Senior members informed me of that fact and, thereafter, it was smooth sailing. No panicky, harebrained reformat/reinstall necessary.

1. I deleted "cpmnat.exe" from the system32 folder where it hides waiting to complete its work at reboot.
2. EasyBCD made it easy to repair the damage done when I allowed Windows 7 to begin loading files ala Windows XP. I simply renamed and moved the newly created "Windows.old" , moved "C:\Windows\Windows" back to Root and used EasyBCD to correct my bootloader. Later, when all was well again, I finished cleanup by deleting specious system32 and temp folders from Root .
3. Booting again from my Windows 7 installation disk, I entered the Recovery Environment and, from the Command Prompt, ran Chkdsk /f /r to fix any USN errors and then ran sfc /scannow to replace/repair any missing/corrupted system files.

That's it. I had to repair Norton IS 2012 and reenter activation info for POP Peeper. After nearly three days, NO OTHER PROBLEMS !

 

[Tmagic650]

Thanks for the update

 

[jmjsquared]

You're welcome.