[RESOLVED] Voice Plugin for Chrome... and Chrome itself (funky problems)

[shiva_42]

Have a user with a Win 7 ultimate (64-bit) box. Started having unexpected problems running the Google Voice plugin to make phone calls from the Chrome browser.

Tried multiple uninstall/reinstall processes for Voice. No resolution. Eventually tried uninstalling/reinstalling Chrome itself, with the following results:

Revo Uninstaller locked up while trying to uninstall Chrome. Rebooted machine, now Chrome doesn't show on the "installed progams" menu of EITHER Revo Uninstaller, OR the built-in install/uninstall program tab in Control Panel for windows itself.

The Voice plugin still does NOT work; and now, cannot even uninstall Chrome to try and start over.

What can/does cause an application to still appear on the desktop, taskbar, etc..., but no longer shows up on the windows menu, and is (apparently) invisible to both Revo Uninstaller and Control Panel...

Just exactly how are we supposed to "uninstall" the program now???

I'm seriously befuddled by this one, although I recognize that some stuff MAY have (DID) happen prior to me being consulted on this PC.

I'm hoping to NOT be forced to format and reconfigure the PC from scratch... HELP!!!

[jdc2000]

Have you tried reinstalling Chrome, even though the icon still appears?

[Midknyte]

Revo Uninstaller locked up while trying to uninstall Chrome.

It sounds like there might have been background Chrome processes running. Did you check Task Manager to make sure there were no chrome.exe processes running BEFORE you uninstalled? There are Chrome plugins like Hangouts that run in the background even if you close the main browser.

What can/does cause an application to still appear on the desktop, taskbar, etc..., but no longer shows up on the windows menu, and is (apparently) invisible to both Revo Uninstaller and Control Panel...

Those are just links that didn't get deleted.

[fink]

I just started having google voice problems as well with all browsers. I did some searching and found out it's basically fubar'd as is. You need to install google Hangouts now to get it to work.

This was not an easy find. You'd think that the instruction to install the voice plug in within gmail/chat would either be updated or point to an actual solution.

https://productforums.google.com/for...ls/FKSye-wqo-I

Not sure about the other Chrome uninstall issue though.

[fink]

Another thing I discovered that they don't tell you... if you use a usb headset and mic combo like I do you can only switch to using that from the default speakers/mic when you click the call settings icon while the phone is ringing after you make a call.

Weird.

[shiva_42]

That's interesting Fink... appreciate the link. This is a pretty new issue I think, and all the previous remedies that I knew about weren't working. I had already tried multiple reinstalls of Chrome itself, and there were no residual processes running that should have interfered with the uninstall originally.

I really think; in retrospect, that the initial failure to uninstall left this system in a "limbo" state as far as the Chrome issue is concerned. If I can't resolve this with another day or so of effort, I'm going to just format the drive and reinstall Windows and all applicable applications from scratch.

FWIW, for anybody else having this problem, if you install and use the Vivaldi browser instead (Chrome compatible), my testing indicates that the older Voice plugin and related technologies still work correctly there! Ironic, isn't it? ;.)

[shiva_42]

My user reports the same issue, having to wait until a call was actuated, to be able to switch to the headset in Hangouts...

Boy, that's a pretty serious f*&% up in my opinion...

[fink]

I had to call my own cell phone to make sure I had enough time to make the switch and save it. You have to do the speakers/headset and mic/usb_mic switch separately. The first call I made before I discovered that little "hiccup" the person on the other end just got dead air and hung up.

Have you tried installing chrome over top of itself? Perhaps using a slightly older version might make a difference if it balks at an over the top install.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_google_chrome/history

[shiva_42]

the only thing I HAVEN'T tried is retro-installing an older version. This is a real dumbass move on Google's part. The Voice plug-in simply worked perfectly for us, and all the present chat and hangout solutions are retarded in comparison.

I wonder what the motivation behind the change is???

[fink]

Yes. And now when I'm finished making the call and close Hangouts and the browser both it and chrome remain running as processes in the background.

You can get Hangouts not to load automatically when you start Chrome via it's prefs but once you do start it, it stays there until you manually close it and then Chrome. I now also have had to remove Chrome from startup in msconfig.. more than once. It keeps coming back. Very aggravating.

Funny thing is I usually only use google voice to avoid annoyances on certain calls like those where you know you'll be on hold for ages waiting for an agent or help.. so as not to tie up my cell phone and not use up precious wireless plan minutes waiting on hold. So now the annoyance reducing method creates it's own annoyances LOL.

[shiva_42]

hmmmm.... FWIW

after using "hangouts" for awhile, and hating it... one day I noticed a link to "revert to old chat", or something to that effect... did so, now my old Google Voice plugin is active again and working perfectly (again)... might look into that. If you don't see the link, click the "settings" wheel under hangouts, it might be hidden there...

[fink]

I tried to do that just now but the old chat doesn't work for me. Switching back to the annoying hangouts was more aggravating than just setting it up the first time. They hide all the links to click in strange new places that don't correspond with the actual instructions that they give you.