If program exists uninstall - powershell

Question

I'm trying to understand the .uninstall() method.
From this link it looks like the method .uninstall() only works when used with Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product. But this means it will consider 32-bit software only and not 64-bit software.
So I wrote this few lines in order to uninstall Erlang, which is 64-bit:
# Check if a Software ins installed
function Check_Program_Installed($programName) {
$x86_check = ((Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall") |
Get-ItemProperty |
Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like "*$programName*" } |
Select-Object -Property DisplayName, UninstallString) |
Format-Table
if (Test-Path 'HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall') {
$x64_check = ((Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall") | Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object {$_.DisplayName -like "*$programName*" } | Select-Object -Property DisplayName, UninstallString) | Format-Table
}
if ($x86_check -and $x64_check -eq $null) {
Write-Host "$programName is not installed on this computer" -ForegroundColor Green
#continue
} elseif ($x86_check -or $x64_check -ne $null) {
Write-Host "On this computer is installed " -ForegroundColor Red
$x86_check
$x64_check
$x86_check.uninstall()
$x64_check.uninstall()
}
}
# Erlang check
Write-Host "Checking if Erlang exist " -NoNewline
Check_Program_Installed("Erlang")
Write-Host "The End: the script ends here" -ForegroundColor Yellow
but unfortunately it returns me the error:
You cannot call a method on a null-valued expression. At
C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\test.ps1:17 char:3
+ $x86_check.uninstall()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : InvokeMethodOnNull
Method invocation failed because
[Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Internal. Format.FormatStartData] does
not contain a method named 'Uninstall'. At
C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\test.ps1:18 char:3
+ $x64_check.uninstall()
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : InvalidOperation: (:) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : MethodNotFound
I believe the root cause it that there are DisplayName and UninstallString in the variable, right?
A way out I found is to use:
'"C:\Program Files\erl8.3\Uninstall.exe'" | cmd
in order to uninstall but this is not using the .uninstall() method which is what I want to use.
Is Microsoft saying that you can use .uninstall() only with 32-bit architecture and for 64-bit you need to find your own way out?
If so it's quite rudimentary

Answer 1

The reply is NO.
.uninstall() can only be used with Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product and therefore will only uninstall 32-bit programs.
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Source 5
There might be an alternative way out uninstall both 32-bit and 64-bit program with:
Get-Package "*Erlang*"
At least finds the program but
Get-Package "*Erlang*" | Uninstall-Package -Force
won't uninstall