How delete protected XP registry entry?
 

Am running XP Pro. I have administrator rights.

I installed a utility (PC Mag's Context Edit). When I try to run
that utility I get a message saying says the program cannot access a
certain registry key:

Could not obtain KEY_QUERY_VALUE access to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\??a???_auto_file

When I look for this key in the registry I can find it but it is
protected.

What can I do?

Reinstalling the utility does not help.

(1) Maybe I can delete the protected key so I can do another re-
install and hopefully a non-protected key will be created.

(2) Or maybe I should somehow give the program access to the
protected key?

Re: How delete protected XP registry entry?
 

"Will" <nomail@mail.com> wrote in message
news:972769A696244Af7S@66.250.146.159...
> Am running XP Pro. I have administrator rights.
>
> I installed a utility (PC Mag's Context Edit). When I try to run
> that utility I get a message saying says the program cannot access a
> certain registry key:
>
> Could not obtain KEY_QUERY_VALUE access to
> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\??a???_auto_file
>
> When I look for this key in the registry I can find it but it is
> protected.
>
> What can I do?
>
> Reinstalling the utility does not help.
>
> (1) Maybe I can delete the protected key so I can do another re-
> install and hopefully a non-protected key will be created.
>
> (2) Or maybe I should somehow give the program access to the
> protected key?
#########################
Before you try those things, look at any .ini files that the program may
have created. A corrupted .ini file could be causing that error. I had
something like that happen w/ some proprietary mortgage software. For some
reason, white spaces in any other part of the ini file except before a
bracketed heading would cause an exception. Something similar may be
happening to you. Also look for any references to that key.
donnie

Re: How delete protected XP registry entry?
 

"Donnie" <queyosepa@quetejodas.net> wrote in
news:XS4mf.136047$qk4.5456@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:

>
> "Will" <nomail@mail.com> wrote in message
> news:972769A696244Af7S@66.250.146.159...
>> Am running XP Pro. I have administrator rights.
>>
>> I installed a utility (PC Mag's Context Edit). When I try to run
>> that utility I get a message saying says the program cannot access a
>> certain registry key:
>>
>> Could not obtain KEY_QUERY_VALUE access to
>> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\??a???_auto_file
>>
>> When I look for this key in the registry I can find it but it is
>> protected.
>>
>> What can I do?
>>
>> Reinstalling the utility does not help.
>>
>> (1) Maybe I can delete the protected key so I can do another re-
>> install and hopefully a non-protected key will be created.
>>
>> (2) Or maybe I should somehow give the program access to the
>> protected key?
> #########################
> Before you try those things, look at any .ini files that the program
> may have created. A corrupted .ini file could be causing that error.
> I had something like that happen w/ some proprietary mortgage
> software. For some reason, white spaces in any other part of the ini
> file except before a bracketed heading would cause an exception.
> Something similar may be happening to you. Also look for any
> references to that key. donnie


There are a number of possible explanations. One tool that may help with
one particular type of problem is RegDelNull, available (along with many
other excellent tools) from sysinternals:

http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/RegDelNull.html

Incidentally, the best registry editor by far is Resplendent Registrar,
available from:

http://www.resplendence.com/main

Sadly, it's not free, but it's well worth the money.

Regards,

Re: How delete protected XP registry entry?
 

On 09 Dec 2005 02:47:05 GMT, nemo_outis wrote:

> "Donnie" <queyosepa@quetejodas.net> wrote in
> news:XS4mf.136047$qk4.5456@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net:
>
>>
>> "Will" <nomail@mail.com> wrote in message
>> news:972769A696244Af7S@66.250.146.159...
>>> Am running XP Pro. I have administrator rights.
>>>
>>> I installed a utility (PC Mag's Context Edit). When I try to run
>>> that utility I get a message saying says the program cannot access a
>>> certain registry key:
>>>
>>> Could not obtain KEY_QUERY_VALUE access to
>>> HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\??a???_auto_file
>>>
>>> When I look for this key in the registry I can find it but it is
>>> protected.
>>>
>>> What can I do?
>>>
>>> Reinstalling the utility does not help.
>>>
>>> (1) Maybe I can delete the protected key so I can do another re-
>>> install and hopefully a non-protected key will be created.
>>>
>>> (2) Or maybe I should somehow give the program access to the
>>> protected key?
>> #########################
>> Before you try those things, look at any .ini files that the program
>> may have created. A corrupted .ini file could be causing that error.
>> I had something like that happen w/ some proprietary mortgage
>> software. For some reason, white spaces in any other part of the ini
>> file except before a bracketed heading would cause an exception.
>> Something similar may be happening to you. Also look for any
>> references to that key. donnie
>
> There are a number of possible explanations. One tool that may help with
> one particular type of problem is RegDelNull, available (along with many
> other excellent tools) from sysinternals:
>
> http://www.sysinternals.com/Utilities/RegDelNull.html
>
> Incidentally, the best registry editor by far is Resplendent Registrar,
> available from:
>
> http://www.resplendence.com/main
>
> Sadly, it's not free, but it's well worth the money.
>
> Regards,

Good info nemo, I had no idea they were available, thanks as well.