Gaining control of registry keys

[Roger Fink]

I'm trying to delete two CLSID keys in the registry that keep reappearing
(they have no file path since an optional download from Microsoft last night
which enabled a subsequent upgrade of Shockwave). Based on doing this once
before - quite some time ago and with assistance from this group - I've
opened the registry (regedt32.exe) and located the two keys but I can't
figure out how to change the security permissions. There is no right click
feature, and "Permissions" in the Security heading of the drop down menu is
grayed out. What do I need to do to gain control? Also, can I just delete
the keys once I get control, or do I have to change the permission on the
subkeys (and possibly delete them first)?

 

[Dave Patrick]

What keys and why? There may be other ways to the same end.


--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

 

[Roger Fink]

In truth, the system was doing me a favor, as it turns out, since I misread
the actual keys that the Fix-It registry tool is saying can be safely
deleted and that I'm proposing to delete. They have no subkeys:
{D27CDB70-AE6D-11cf-96BB-444553540000} \ProgID


{D27CDBGE-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000} \ProgID

These keys do enable the Permissions option.



The "Why" part of it gets into a circular, generally unhappy discussion of
whether and to what extent non-pro users should make use of the Windows
registry, but I'll respectfully try to answer the question. I'd prefer to
have a clean registry - clean in terms of what the utility is showing me, at
least - to serve as a reference point for deviations from that caused by
subsequent actions - good and bad installs and uninstalls, and other things.
I don't spend a lot of time in fooling around with it because the "software
array" is basically a mature installation, not subject to change much, but
every once in awhile something like last night will come up and that's when
I use it.