Can not delete registry key

[Simon Caler]

XP Pro will not let me delete this registry key

\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\LPTENUM

This MSKB article says to delete that key if I am having a problem
with the printer wizard.

"New Hardware Wizard May Detect Printer Device After Every Restart
of Computer"
http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q298/3/70.asp

Why am I prevented from deleting that key?

I am signed on as administrator and the permissions for that key is
full authority (including delete) to "Everybody".

How can I get around this?

 

[S.Sengupta]

Did you try in safe mode?
regards,
ssg MS-MVP
pronetworks.org

 

[S.Sengupta]

Okay,do this:-'To work around this problem, complete all the steps in
the New Hardware Wizard, even though the wizard cannot detect a new
printer.'
Don't delete key.
regards,
ssg MS-MVP
pronetworks.org

 

[Nathan McNulty]

Actually, this is just a permission problem. Right click on the key you
are trying to delete, click Permission, and give Full Control to All (or
something similar to that). Now you can delete it

 

[Simon Caler]

Nathan, you might remember that I checked for this and mentioned it
in the posting below.

It is odd.

 

[Simon Caler]

I do this each time I boot and each time I get the wizard!

The wizard will not accept the drivers folder as being valid or if
it does it does not find the drivers. I have tried steering the
wiazrd to the drivers on the CD and on the hard drive.

 

[Simon Caler]

I tried Safe Mode and, oh boy, I couldn't get into it.

I saw the reading go along the black & white progress bar but then
it froze. Fixing Safe Mode is going to be a separate job!.

 

[Nathan McNulty]

You mean you booted into Safe Mode, right click key, permission, full
control-allow and it still won't delete? That is pretty intense.

Oh and instead of deleting the LPTENUM key delete the key that is inside
of it. Also, you may need to remove the printer (physically, and if it
is recognized in Device Manager at all) before you try to do this.

 

[Simon caler]

You mean you booted into Safe Mode, right click key,
permission, full control-allow and it still won't delete? That
is pretty intense.

It's worse than that. I can't boot into Safe Mode. Period.

Oh and instead of deleting the LPTENUM key delete the key that
is inside of it.

I tried those. Two fo them (and I think they are the troublesome
two that I needto delete) won't be deleted.

Also, you may need to remove the printer
(physically, and if it is recognized in Device Manager at all)
before you try to do this.

Good idea. I will try this.

 

[CS]

It's worse than that. I can't boot into Safe Mode. Period.



I tried those. Two fo them (and I think they are the troublesome
two that I needto delete) won't be deleted.


Good idea. I will try this.

Export the entire registry value that contains the key you wish to
delete. Once exported, use notepad to make the changes\deletion and
then import the key back into the registry. That may work.

 

[Simon Caler]

In the end, this did turn out to be a permission problem. But I had
to go up the reg tree from that key and down into the sub keys and
grant permissions to each one.

Then I could delete the key.

All the time I was signed on as administrator (though not the
"master" administrator account which XP usually keeps hidden).
So surely the problem I describe below should not have happened?