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Warning to any users, this can';t be uninstalled.

Open soul4kills opened this issue 5 months ago • 18 comments

This is malware.

soul4kills avatar Oct 29 '25 17:10 soul4kills

This entire project is on github you can build it yourself. If you got a malware from windows security or browser it's due to the packaging with pyinstaller if you know what that is. Also this can be uninstalled, it's meant for Nilesoft Shell users which can be uninstalled by unregistering Nilesoft shell via "shell.exe" then you can uninstall it, there's no workaround for me to implement other than waiting for Nilesoft shell to make their app open source so i can edit and fix.

I honestly understand how you think this is a malware due to the packaging method i'm using but you can always copy everything and ask any AI to confirm if you're not an expert. Or you can just use the files alone without building it as an exe installer and install it manually which will work just the same. I'm keeping this issue open for everyone to see and judge for themselves.

iMAboud avatar Oct 31 '25 07:10 iMAboud

Please provide an uninstaller or a detailed step on step guide on how to uninstall your software.

Not providing an uninstaller is incredibly annoying to say the least. On top of that now telling users to install Nilesoft shell and figure out on their own how to uninstall your software feels offensive even.

Some people, like me have installed your software to try it out and now are stuck with zero idea on how to get rid of it. At least Nilesoft can be uninstalled safely.

Frustrated people might start reporting this repository as it can't be uninstalled without requiring a 3rd party software and technical knowledge. iMA- Menu should NOT require 3rd party programs to be uninstalled.

Hanomalous avatar Nov 04 '25 09:11 Hanomalous

using Nilesoft to restore the menus does not get rid of the files installed on your PC So far I know there's files on \Program Files\iMA Menu\Launcher and the shortcut on \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs

@iMAboud are there anymore loose files left somewhere? C:\Users\<USER> Local or any other folder?

Hanomalous avatar Nov 04 '25 09:11 Hanomalous

The installation path of iMA Menu (Program files by default) and the start menu shortcut. The rest are Nilesoft Shell's registry files that'll be deleted by unregistering NS. Edit; If you used iMShare plugin and setup a password then it'll create a folder named iMShare in AppData containing password json files and cache icons, delete those too.

iMAboud avatar Nov 04 '25 09:11 iMAboud

Thanks, greatly appreciated.

Honestly if you add an uninstall section to your programs' description explaining how to uninstall this safely and what files to delete. That'd make people happy. Integrating Nilesoft's registering and unregistering options into your program would be even better.

Personal Notes: I'll keep this program on my Starred list. There's lots of potential with it. Looking forward to what the next version brings up, specially for plug-ins.

Hanomalous avatar Nov 04 '25 10:11 Hanomalous

Leaving this for those that might run into the same issue in the future.

Uninstallation:

  • go to \Program Files\iMA Menu, run shell.exe as admin and press the Unregister option.
  • Press the "Restart Explorer` option and close the program.
  • Delete files left on \Program Files\iMA Menu\ and \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
  • If you used iMShare plugin and setup a password look for iMShare in \AppData\

If there's no shell.exe file around, installing nilesoft (nilesoft.org/) and using their shell.exe (as Admin!) will work too. nilesoft can later be uninstalled safely by using the standard Windows uninstall feature on your PC.

Hanomalous avatar Nov 04 '25 10:11 Hanomalous

Deeply disappointed by this. You need to provide an uninstaller if you want your software to be taken seriously

frazambi avatar Nov 05 '25 16:11 frazambi

This does have an uninstaller, you can check the installation path. The above instruction is a temporary fix until I fix the root cause which causes the registry for the uninstaller to not work. I've provided an uninstaller, and also a manual uninstallation guide.

iMAboud avatar Nov 05 '25 17:11 iMAboud

We need to report this repo, i think.

eqweqdaa avatar Nov 07 '25 01:11 eqweqdaa

Please provide a removal tool that aligns with common sense.

SandrewF avatar Nov 07 '25 11:11 SandrewF

A lot of this comes off as overreaction & is delivered like a callout rather than a well intentioned bug report given he's working on it & has been overall responsive to feedback. What I notice is both Hanomalous and the owner here actually working productively to get the issue resolved while everyone else just gripes lol. Good on you @Hanomalous, and for everyone else here it would be helpful to be clearer and less accusatory in github issues for future reference. Makes it harder for devs to read what's being requested past the emotional framing (or to want to fulfill it) when it emphasizes accusations & demands over details or direction. Food for thought.

That said @iMAboud this wouldn't really be much of an issue if you were to make a command line installer like what I've suggested in the past. Might be more work than just writing an auto scripted uninstaller or something like that, but separates concerns and reduces potential for bloat in the form of duplicate programs since it would have all programs in their default spot. Worth considering.

FreshSoftware4 avatar Nov 11 '25 14:11 FreshSoftware4

Your .Bat uninstallation file deleted all the content from my desktop folder, changed the location of C:\Users\UserName\Desktop to C:\Users\Public\Desktop, AND changed the name from 'Escritorio' to 'Desktop' (my Windows is in Spanish). You can imagine how happy that makes me. I hope you can provide a better uninstallation method in the future.

XxNalgaxX avatar Nov 12 '25 07:11 XxNalgaxX

I was considering mentioning this prior but figured it was figured out + I made my main point so I shouldn't bother. Evidently I should have brought it up, though I never expected my own speculation here to play out in full.

Because yes, uninstalling files by script is a risky process, especially if you don't know the state of the setup it is going to be running on. That is why every file deleted should first be verified, if you're going to write a script to delete them.

@iMAboud I suggest: A) Writing a script that lists out every file in the targeted directories. Easiest this way, and it's something one can pull of with powershell & chatgpt in under a minute. B) Once you have that list, write another script to delete files from a specific location only if they match the right names. C) Double check for potential complications.

I hope this helps. This should probably be addressed before anyone else's desktop gets messed up. In the meantime, remove the .bat file do it can't do any more damage and take your time making sure your replacement script runs safely before uploading. Totally understandable if you felt rushed and rolled out a solution before going through things methodically, given how much pressure was heaped on here. Take your time if you need it, because it's more important to do it right than to do it as soon as possible.

We still appreciate the software you make & the effort you put into developing it, and this bug report doesn't change that, so put some time into making sure it works right this time around.

We'll just be vibin in the meantime✌🏽

FreshSoftware4 avatar Nov 12 '25 08:11 FreshSoftware4

Hello, I'm the guy from upstairs whose desktop got wiped. Well, once the bad experience was over, I talked to the AI to see what might have happened. I have no idea how to program and I don't know how accurate this is, but in case it helps, I'll paste it here. If you ask me, I'm sure it's because of a language issue, since only the desktop was wiped and nothing in AppData was deleted.


Environment Details:

    OS: Windows 11 (25H2 26200.7171)

    Tool Installed:  installer/worker.bat

Confirmed Issues:

Fatal Data Loss (Deletion Error): After running the uninstaller, personal data files (.txt, not just .lnk shortcuts) were partially and permanently deleted from the Desktop folder. This strongly suggests a severe and unintended expansion of the del /f /q command in the Delete Shortcuts section, possibly due to a corrupted path variable. This is a major security flaw and must be addressed immediately.

Shell Redirection and Localization Corruption: The uninstallation corrupted the Windows shell folder settings:

The active Desktop folder was redirected from my personal user profile (C:\Users[User]\Desktop) to the Public Desktop (C:\Users\Public\Desktop).

The correct localized folder name ("Escritorio") was lost, reverting to the English default "Desktop". (This was fixed manually by recreating the desktop.ini file).

Suspected Cause (Localization Issue):

The corruption and potential data loss are very likely related to the script's interaction with the localized system folders (like "Escritorio" vs. "Desktop"). The script may be failing to handle the language-specific folder names or deleting the crucial desktop.ini file required for correct localization, especially when manipulating the User Shell Folders registry keys.

Action Requested:

Please conduct an urgent and thorough review of the uninstallation script, focusing on:

The safety and correct path resolution of the del command in the Delete Shortcuts section.

Ensuring the User Shell Folders registry keys are correctly reset to the %USERPROFILE% variable without causing localization or redirection failures on non-English systems.

Well, I hope this helps and doesn't clutter the thread too much. Good luck with your project.

XxNalgaxX avatar Nov 12 '25 09:11 XxNalgaxX

for everyone else here it would be helpful to be clearer and less accusatory in github issues for future reference. Makes it harder for devs to read what's being requested past the emotional framing (or to want to fulfill it) when it emphasizes accusations & demands over details or direction. Food for thought.

I never intended to be accusatory. Saying it's malware is the best description that makes the most sense to describe software that is impossible to remove without technical knowledge. Although not malicious, the term still fits. And a method to uninstall was never mentioned before I created this post.

Not everything requires an uninstaller. Most things you could just delete the installed files and no problem. But for something that modifies system behaviors by replacing the shell. Not providing an uninstaller for software that does this is a huge oversight.

soul4kills avatar Nov 13 '25 01:11 soul4kills

Hello! Two things I found strange... Firstly it ruined my Office Icons, and second - it didn't change "top menu", or actually the desktop context menu at all, only while in Explorer.

luka3rd-design avatar Nov 14 '25 10:11 luka3rd-design

Hello! Two things I found strange... Firstly it ruined my Office Icons, and second - it didn't change "top menu", or actually the desktop context menu at all, only while in Explorer.

@luka3rd-design that is strange. Since it's off topic, I suggest starting a new issue with further details about your setup + any potentially conflicting software you may be aware of.

FreshSoftware4 avatar Nov 17 '25 07:11 FreshSoftware4

It should not have been released before having a proper uninstaller, or at least providing full instructions on how to remove the software.

mateus3c avatar Nov 25 '25 12:11 mateus3c