Windows 10: Flexnet Connect, Common Software Manager, what ever

Am I the only one that finds it bizarre that I have to go to the website of the company making software I don’t want or trust, to download and install more software from a company I dont trust, to get rid of the software I don’t want? Everything Ive read says the same thing; I have to go to the flexnet webpage and download an uninstaller. Is that really the only way to get rid of flexnet connect or common software manager?


Windows doesn't have a way of uninstalling this stuff?


I would appreciate some other advice on uninstalling this software. Thank you.

:)

 

Flexnet malware ?

• 
  Download the FlexNet Connect Software Manager Uninstall program from the Flexera Software website.
  
• 
  Click the "Start" button Windows and select "All Programs." Click on the "FlexNet Software Manager" to start the application
  
• 
  Click on the "Settings" button in the window that appears. Change the frequency of the automated update checks to "Manually" for the "Critical" and "Important" updates.
  
• 
  Run the FlexNet Connect Software Manager Uninstall program to remove the FlexNet Connect Software Manager registry-key settings.
  
• 
  Press "Alt." Ctrl" and "Delete" on your keyboard, and click on "Start Task Manager." Click "isuspm.exe" from the list and click the "End Process" button.
  
• 
  Browse to "c:\program files\common files\installshield\updateservice" in the Windows Explorer window, press the "Delete" key and click the "OK" button to remove the FlexNet Connect Software Manager from your computer.
  
  Read more :
  http://www.ehow.com/how_7915588_remove-connect-macrovision-software-updates.html

 

How do I uninstall FLEXnet Connect Software Manager?


A specific tool is suggested here though I know nothing of it:
uninstall - Removing FLEXnet Connect Update Manager - Super User

Revo Uninstaller (free/commercial) would be my first thought - as there's no uninstaller, you need to click 'Forced Uninstall' and browse to the program's exe file as suggested here:
how to uninstall ISUSPM.EXE from FLEXnet - Microsoft Community

 

Flexnet ISUSPM.exe - how to remove?


I installed a trial of Naturally Speaking and it automatically installed ISUSPM (Flexnet software updater) on my new Windows 10 PC. I can't figure out how to remove it because it doesn't show up under Windows uninstaller or other uninstaller programs. I see ISUSPM.exe pop up when starting my PC and I want this thing gone. Here are the file locations:

Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\Update\ISUSPM.exe

Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\_isusres.dll
Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\agent.exe

ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\_ispmres.dll
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\_isusres.dll
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\agent.exe
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\ISDM.exe
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\issch.exe
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\ISUSPM.exe
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\isusweb.cat
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\isusweb.dll
ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\products.fnc-xml

To be more confusing, there's also ProgramData\Installshield\Update\isuspm.ini. This is listed in autoruns as "Optimize Thumbnail cache Files". There are no other files in this folder.

If I click on agent.exe in ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\, it runs "FLEXnet Connect Agent (32-bit) in the task manager.

If I click on agent.exe in Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\, it runs "Macrovision Software manager Agent (32-bit) in the task manager.

Both files show dates as having been installed or updated tonight when I installed Naturally Speaking.

I found a tool that supposdekly lets me uninstall this. Here are the instructions:

1 Download the FlexNet Connect Software Manager Uninstall program from the Flexera Software website.

2 Click the "Start" button Windows and select "All Programs." Click on the "FlexNet Software Manager" to start the application


3 Click on the "Settings" button in the window that appears. Change the frequency of the automated update checks to "Manually" for the "Critical" and "Important" updates.


4 Run the FlexNet Connect Software Manager Uninstall program to remove the FlexNet Connect Software Manager registry-key settings.


5 Press "Alt." Ctrl" and "Delete" on your keyboard, and click on "Start Task Manager." Click "isuspm.exe" from the list and click the "End Process" button.


6 Browse to "c:\program files\common files\installshield\updateservice" in the Windows Explorer window, press the "Delete" key and click the "OK" button to remove the FlexNet Connect Software Manager from your computer.

So I did everything except step 6. It says I can just delete the UpdateService" folder. Okay, but it only contains 2 files. ISUSPM is actually in the other folder (Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\Update\). Plus it's also in ProgramData\FLEXnet\Connect\11\. So I'm very confused. What can I do to remove all of this. Why does Program Files (x86)\Common Files\InstallShield\UpdateService\agent.exe run the Macrovision Software manager Agent? I don't want to remove something I shouldn't. If I run ISUSPM.exe from the Common Files folder, it tries to connect to the internet but then doesn't seem to run the software. It's like some files are already deleted or missing (Elsewhere I've read that tool only removes certain versions - maybe that's what the uninstall tool did, and left other versions behind?). The instructions don't mention anything about the Program Files\FLEXnet folder. I have no idea now if other software that relied on ISUSPM are affected. If I run ISUSPM from the ProgramData/FLEXnet folder, it runs the software updater program, which lists Naturally Speaking but nothing else.

What do I do to get rid of all this? I could try uninstalling Naturally speaking but I'd like to leave it installed for now.