Q42: If I made a mistake and want to erase everything and start over, what do I do?

Answer: You can cancel an installation up to the point where the installer has begun copying the software to the host. If you have gone past the point where you can cancel the installation, you need to complete the installation, and then run the uninstaller. The high-level steps for this process are as follows:

1. Complete the installation, even if it is wrong. You need the uninstaller, which is not available until the installation is complete.

2. Run the uninstaller and uninstall everything. The uninstaller will also uninstall itself. See Chapter 8, Uninstalling, in Sun Java Enterprise System 5 Installation Guide for UNIX.

3. Examine the product registry to see what is recognized on the host. The Java ES components should be removed. See Q40: What is the product registry and why should I care about it?

4. Check to see if any Java ES directories or packages are present. See Chapter 5, List of Installable Packages, in Sun Java Enterprise System 5 Installation Reference for UNIX. If any packages are present, remove them manually using the UNIX remove commands:

   • Solaris OS: pkgrm

   • Linux: rpm -e

   • HP-UX: swremove

5. Recheck the product registry to verify that any Java ES components you removed are no longer present.

6. Start a new installation.

If you cannot resolve issues that are preventing a new installation, you might have to reinstall the operating system on the host. Be sure to back up any important data before reinstalling the operating system.