How to uninstall the “Microsoft Advertising SDK” V

Question

One of the extensions listed in Visual Studio (2012 for me) is the "Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows 8.1". I like to uninstall extensions I don't need, but this one won't allow me. if I hover the (enabled!) button it says in a tooltip:

This product cannot be uninstalled via extensions and updates

It looks like this:

On second inspection I see a similar (more helpful) message bottom right:

You need to use the Programs and Features pane in the Windows Control Panel to remove this extension.

Easy enough, no? But it's not there!

Or:

In addition to the instructions on screen I also searched. The only helpful source was this MSDN page that says basically the same thing. Link is now broken.

Commenters mentioned that the extension web page (see "Reviews" and "Q AND A" tabs) has a few similar complaints. I've cross-posted this question there as well. Link is now broken, but if you search others are complaining still on the MSDN forums.

In any case: is there an easy way to uninstall this extension?

Answer 1

I solved this with installers downloaded from this page: https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/site/search?query=Advertising&f%5B0%5D.Value=Advertising&f%5B0%5D.Type=SearchText&ac=2

Be sure to run the msi file as administrator and choose Remove from the main interface page. I also had to point the uninstaller back to the msi file I started with before it would continue (duh).

Edit: After using these installers the Advertising Pubcenter Extension still remained installed. I tried the commandline version of TotalUninstaller and that worked fine (I had tried the UI version initially which left some stuff that the commandline version could uninstall).

I had problems with most of the approaches suggested here, possibly because of my specific setup, I am on a virtual machine on our companies network. Uninstalling through the Programs and features control panel failed with an error saying the installer msi couldn't be found. The powershell answer of Duncan Smart would run endlessly (until I stopped it after 15 minutes or so), so I'm not sure it doesn't work, but it took so long I gave up waiting for it. The Total uninstaller gave me the same error as uninstalling through the control panel. I also tracked down an installer msi file on one of our network drives, but it complained a newer version was already installed. Some googling turned up the visualstudiogallery site where I could download the installers that allowed me to uninstall.