Unable to delete registry key
vkov tinsky
I have the following registry key:
HKCU\Software\SecuROM
which has a subkey named:
"!Caution" Never delete or change any key"
Now the problem is regedit will not let me either display, delete or change
permissions on that subkey and so I'm not able to delete the parent key
(SecuRom).
I'd like to assume this is not down to registry corruption but has been
somehow engineered by they "nice" people over at SecuRom in some.
Does anyone have a suggestion how it might be possible to remove such a
registry key?
(Exporing just that key only exports the parent key, without any subkeys, by
the way.)
Regards,
VT
Pentium
"vkov tinsky" <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:404391C6-B33C-4B34...@microsoft.com...
vkov tinsky
> CTR+ALT+DELETE twice, log in as Admin, go to REGEDIT and try again
I was already logged in as administrator.
vkov tinsky
I guess there is no way we can get exact details on the raw registry format as
stored in ntuser.dat files so I can remove it manually to to speak?
VT
Pentium
"vkov tinsky" <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:7668624D-38BB-4079...@microsoft.com...
Jim
Jim
vkov tinsky
Whether one logs in as "the" administrator or another user of the
administrator group makes no difference whatsoever.
And yes, I was logged in as "the" (almight) administrator.
VT
Jon
If that fails, then what is the error message on trying to delete the
"parent key" ?
Jon
"vkov tinsky" <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:404391C6-B33C-4B34...@microsoft.com...
Wesley Vogel
[[Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before
making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your
computer. ]]
Try this...
Reset the registry permissions
As soon as you have found the registry subkey that has the incorrect
permissions, update the permissions for that subkey.
To update the permissions of the registry subkey, follow these steps:
a. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK to start
Registry Editor.
b. Locate and right-click the registry subkey:
and then click Permissions.
c. Under Group or user names, click Administrators.
d. Under Permissions for Administrators, make sure that the Allow check box
for the following entries is selected:
• Full Control
• Read
e. Click Apply, and then click OK.
f. On the File menu, click Exit to quit Registry Editor.
Open the Registry Editor again and see if you can delete the key now.
If not, try this...
Start | Run | Type: regedit | OK |
Navigate to >>>
the said key
Right click the key in the left hand pane | Permissions... | Advanced
button | Owner tab | click the new owner and then click OK.
[[You can take ownership of a registry key if you are logged on as an
administrator or if you have been specifically assigned the permission to
take ownership of the registry key by the cur
To assign permissions to a registry key
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_permit_key.mspx
To assign special access to a registry key
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_assign_specacc.mspx
To grant Full Control of a registry key
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_yield_own.mspx
To add users or groups to the audit list
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_audit_key_adduser.mspx
To add users or groups to the Permissions list
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_permit_key_adduser.mspx
To remove a user or group from the Permissions list
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_permit_key_remove.mspx
To take ownership of a registry key
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/regedit_take_own.mspx
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In news:404391C6-B33C-4B34...@microsoft.com,
vkov tinsky <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> hunted and pecked:
vkov tinsky
That's exactly the problem. For a start it does not even let me select the
subkey
of SecuRom, let alone change permissions on it.
(Comes up with: "...Error while opening key").
If I try to change the permissions of SecuRom itself, and tell it to
"replace permissions on all child object ..." it says:
"Regedit could not set permissions for this key or subkey...."
If this one subkey really is just corrupt, is there a way to export
everything except that key (I guess pretty much the whole of ntuser.dat?) and
then delete the whole
of the user registry part, replacing it with a copy from the export?
In which case the question is... apart from "Software", which other keys
(Control Panel, Environment?) have to be copied too. (non volatile ones?)
Regards,
VT
Jim
You can try taking ownership of the key with this free app
http://www.resplendence.com/reglite
vkov tinsky
> You can try taking ownership of the key with this free app
> http://www.resplendence.com/reglite
While registrar (lite) seemd to take ownership of the key in question,
deleting
did not bring up an error message, but the key didn't disappear either.
Thanks for everyones' suggestions. I guess it'll have to wait until a
re-install of XP is due. I sent an email to SecuRom and I'm hoping it really
is just registry corruption and not their work!
If I get bored I'll give it a last try editing ntuser.dat (and maybe burn my
fingers in the process), but I sure won't be installing any more games which
use SecuRom.
Regards,
VT
pcbutts1
--
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"vkov tinsky" <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:8CCB880E-D5A5-42BF...@microsoft.com...
vkov tinsky
> Instead of using regedit use regedt32 (note the spelling)
If you don't even know that under WinXP regedit and regedt32 is the same
program then ... (oh dear I better stop before this becomes an insult lol).
VT
Z
Have you tried exporting, editing and importing?
Ken Blake
pcbutts1 <pcbu...@seedsv.com> typed:
> Instead of using regedit use regedt32 (note the spelling)
No, they are the same, and it doesn't matter which you use.
Regedt32 just calls regedit.
--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup
pcbutts1
sorry for you. I guess the correct answer would be to format and reinstall,
that will fix it. While you are formatting do some research on the
difference between the two you might learn something.
--
The best live web video on the internet http://www.seedsv.com/webdemo.htm
NEW Embedded system W/Linux. We now sell DVR cards.
See it all at http://www.seedsv.com/products.htm
Sharpvision simply the best http://www.seedsv.com
"vkov tinsky" <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:DB95E16C-4BC0-4ED7...@microsoft.com...
Nepatsfan
log for your expert analysis?
Nepatsfan
P.S. You might learn something yourself by reading this
article:
Differences between Regedit.exe and Regedt32.exe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;141377
I found this line very informative:
"In Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, Regedt32.exe is a small
program that just runs Regedit.exe."
pcbutts1
XP upgrades. If the system was upgraded or if the install came from a
manufactures restore disk that was made from an image of an upgraded system
then it will call the old regedt32 not regedit.
BTW The Patriots SUCK.
--
The best live web video on the internet http://www.seedsv.com/webdemo.htm
NEW Embedded system W/Linux. We now sell DVR cards.
See it all at http://www.seedsv.com/products.htm
Sharpvision simply the best http://www.seedsv.com
"Nepatsfan" <nepa...@SBXXXIX.com> wrote in message
news:w9udnetVaaG...@comcast.com...
Wesley Vogel
Did you try in Safe Mode?
It might be worth a shot to try using reg.exe.
Open a command prompt and type:
REG DELETE /?
REG DELETE HKCU\Software\SecuROM
You may have try different combinations, like...
REG DELETE HKCU\Software\SecuROM /va
More info on reg.exe & reg delete here...
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/reg.mspx
Also type reg in the Search box in Help and Support.
Or use reg.exe to export the key.
REG EXPORT HKCU\Software\SecuROM C:\FILENAME.REG
Or maybe create a .reg file. Double click the reg file to merge with
registry.
Example...
-------------------------------
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SecuROM]
-------------------------------
One way to create the .reg file is use Regedit.exe to export the registry
key that you want to delete, then use Notepad to edit the .reg file and
insert the hyphen. Or just use the text above in notepad and save as
whateverfilename.reg.
How to add, modify, or delete registry subkeys and values by using a
registration entries (.reg) file
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310516
Beats me if this key is so corrupted that nothing affects it.
Try using ERUNT to backup the entire registry and then restore it.
Maybe it'll shake something loose. ERUNT will backup the whole registry and
can be re-imported without messing things up.
NTREGOPT NT Registry Optimizer
ERUNT The Emergency Recovery Utility NT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
In news:3D64A93D-E1D4-48A0...@microsoft.com,
vkov tinsky <vkovt...@discussions.microsoft.com> hunted and pecked:
Lua
>
> Have you tried exporting, editing and importing?
Can you run us through the procedure, particularly, editing once exported?
Lu
Nepatsfan
with? Next time, try to be a little more creative. Thanks!
Now on to more important things. Since, at the moment, I don't
have access to a
computer that was upgraded from Win2K to XP Pro I wasn't able
to double check on your response. No problem, I figured I'd
check on the web for an article supporting your claim. I
googled just about every possible combination of the following
keywords: regedt32,
Windows 2000, Windows XP and upgrade. Much to my surprise, I
couldn't find
anything to corroborate your statement that under the right
circumstances the Win2K version of Regedt32 would run under
Windows XP. You would think that at some point in the last 4
years someone would post that little bit of computing trivia
somewhere on the internet. Not even Microsoft is aware of this.
If you could pass along a link to a web site that supports your
position I'd be more than happy to admit that I was wrong and
you were right. One condition, it can't be something like this:
http://www.pcbutts1.com/takemywordforit.html
If I get the chance this week, I'm going to try and get my
hands on an XP Pro upgrade disk and test out your theory. Just
so I get it right, is there some special combination of Service
Pack levels that have to be in place for this to work.
Something like Win2K SP3 upgraded to XP SP1? Let me know.
Thanks.
Nepatsfan
Jim
of the app that is related to SecuRom, apparently it is used with games,
and each time the game is activated the key is regenerated, also have
you tried to do a System Restore to the point before you installed this
product.
Jim
pcbutts1
Win98/ME to win2K.
--
The best live web video on the internet http://www.seedsv.com/webdemo.htm
NEW Embedded system W/Linux. We now sell DVR cards.
See it all at http://www.seedsv.com/products.htm
Sharpvision simply the best http://www.seedsv.com
"Nepatsfan" <nepa...@SBXXXIX.com> wrote in message
news:w-KdnT6vTd0...@comcast.com...
JustUs
permission.
Systemshocked
Go to http://www.sysinternals.com. Mark Russinovich and
his gang have a load of free tools for fixing and maintaining
Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.
Of particular import is the RegDelNull tool which can be found here
http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/RegDelNull.html
It's a command line program, and it doesn't require anything special.
Load it into your system32 folder and go to the command prompt.
Type regdelnull <path> [-s], i.e.
regdelnull hklm -s
and follow the onscreen instructions. That should delete the SecuROM
key or any other registry key that contains NULLs.
Full path of SecuROM key as follows:
[code:1:673e057f95]HKLM\S-1-5-21-606747145-790525478-725345543-500\Software\SecuROM\!CAUTION!
NEVER DELETE OR CHANGE ANY KEY*[/code:1:673e057f95]