How to remove entries for previously installed Sitecore instance with SIM for reinstallation?

Question

I have cleaned up all the information related to my website in Application pool, site, and etc/hosts file.

However, when I tried to install a new site with the same name as the old one using Sitecore Installer, it notified me that the name has already existed:

Where does it try to read the site information from?

How to remove entries of previously installed Sitecore instance?

Answer 1

You need to make sure to delete / remove these entries:

1. website under c:/inetpub/wwwroot
2. relevant Application Pool in IIS
3. relevant entries in hosts file located under C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\drivers
4. relevant databases in SQL Server and also MongoDB collections
5. open regedit and remove relevant instance name under [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sitecore CMS] or [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Sitecore CMS]

You already this first 3 so take a look on remaining points

Answer 2

Did you check the IIS? Also check the folder C:\inetpub\wwwroot\[yoursite] if it exists, delete it and check again.

For a clean install you need to do the followings.

1. Delete all the databases with your installation instance name.
2. Delete the folder from the inetpub C:\inetpub\wwwroot\[yoursite]
3. Remove Website from IIS.
4. Remove host entry from C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\drivers

Use SIM for managing your Sitecore Instances:

Download the Sitecore Instance Manager from here, http://dl.sitecore.net/updater/sim/ and use it to mange your instances, it will also a handy tool in backing up websites.