Error modifying registry key

[Gruff the Elder]

XP Pro sp3

I'm trying to temporarily disable McAfee Virus Scan Enterprise 8.5. This is
installed on a laptop that is NOT a member of a domain but is sometimes
connected to a corporate network. McAfee's anti-tampering feature won't let
the services be stopped and McAfee was installed (by corp) without installing
the console that permits turning off the McAfee anti-tampering feature.
However, a McAfee KB article reveals that anti-tampering can be disabled by
changing a registry key.

However, regedit gives the error: "Cannont edit LockDownEnabled. Error
writing the value's new contents." I've checked the permissions for this
key, and the Administrators group is supposed to have Full Control. The user
account in which I'm attempting to make the change is a member of the
Administrators group.

Where do I go from here?

 

[Daniel Martín [MVP]]

Hi, Gruff:

Maybe that registry key is protected by a driver installed by Mcafee, or
another third party software. Try the same steps booting your computer in
Safe Mode.

 

[Gruff the Elder]

I tried Safe Mode. The McAfee services are stopped in safe mode and I was
able to modify that key. HOWEVER, when I booted back to normal mode, the key
had been RE-written (presumably by McAfee) back to its anti-tamper
configuration and I was still unable to stop the services in normal mode.

So I went back to safe mode and tried to change the McAfee services startup
type from "Automatic" to "Disabled". Even with the registry key configured
the way that McAfee said would disable anti-tampering, I couldn't change the
configuration of those services.

Finally, I found a different registry key that controls whether the McAfee
virus scan service starts and set it to 0. That did the trick.

I *really* dislike being "protected" from myself. I'd simply uninstall
McAfee root and branch, but the laptop's user would probably get in trouble
with her company if I did that.

 

[Kelly]

Can the Recovery status be changed via services.msc to say:

Take no action

--

All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/taskbarplus!.htm

SupportSpace
www.supportspace.com/pages?aiu=kellyskorner