Question: In Win7, an old version of Acrobat XI is still showing, but there is no matching MSI file for it to execute, so it can't "uninstall" and I can't delete the entry because MS makes it intentionally difficult.

Normally such things just pile up over time. But Acrobat *insists* on uninstalling the previous version and will not install until the old one is gone. 

How can I remove the entry from the database that "Programs and Features" uses?

![Programs and Features window](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HEH4h.png)

Answer: 
The **cached MSI file** that is supposed to run the uninstall might be **missing** from the super-hidden MSI cache folder normally found at **C:\windows\installer** (formally at **%SystemRoot%\Installer**), or there is a **crash** in the uninstall sequence. Creating an **uninstall log file** could help (replace the truncated paths):

```sh
msiexec.exe /X "C:\Test.msi" /L*V! "C:\msilog.log"

```

Uninstall by product code (sample guid):

```sh
msiexec.exe /x {11111111-1111-1111-1111-11111111111X} /L*V! "C:\msilog.log"

```

Please see sections **3**, **4** and **12** here for details on how MSI's uninstall works: **[Uninstalling an MSI file from the command line without using msiexec](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/450027/uninstalling-an-msi-file-from-the-command-line-without-using-msiexec/1055933#1055933)**. This will also tell you how to find the product GUID for Adobe Acrobat XI Pro (use the Powershell command found in section 3, or find the same information and a screenshot here: [How can I find the product GUID of an installed MSI setup?](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/29937568/how-can-i-find-the-product-guid-of-an-installed-msi-setup)).

Before trying anything else, I suppose you can try this [**uninstall fix tool**](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17588/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed) (fixed broken link, **September 2017**). It would be interesting with feedback on whether it actually works.
I had similar issues in the past and used [ccleaner](http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner) to clean up entires from "Programs and Features" after an uninstall went wrong. Hope it works for you.