Registry deletions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul W.
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Paul W.

I need to create a automated process that will delete Registry entries from
approximately 10,000 workstations. I need to be able to delete based upon a
single keyword of keyphrase. Anyone have any suggestions on how to
accomplish this?

Thanks

Paul W.
 
I need to create a automated process that will delete Registry
entries from approximately 10,000 workstations. I need to be able
to delete based upon a single keyword of keyphrase. Anyone have
any suggestions on how to accomplish this?
Click to expand...

Google "scripting windows registry changes" and you will find many
suggestions.
 
You could probably accomplish this with "regfind.exe" (scripted within a logon /
startup script).

RegFind.exe - is a small command-line (NT) program that searches the registry for
string matches.

When found, the match can be optionally replaced with anther specified value.

I have not tried using it with a zero-length replacement string enclosed in quotes
(i.e. "").

But it can also be configured to run on remote machines.

RegFind.exe (Microsoft) is available by clicking on the link below :

http://www.dynawell.com/download/ResKit/Microsoft/WinNT/regfind.zip

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)
 
Paul,

Don't be mad. If they aren't critical to delete then leave them be otherwise
you could be opening up a lot of work for you
 
10,000 workstations?

you might need to rethink
what you want to do or
you'll have 10,000
headaches.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen
 
Maybe he wants to do it for job security? Can't fire the IT guy if all the
workstations are down, can you? :-))

SC Tom
 
Paul W. said:
I need to create a automated process that will delete Registry entries from
approximately 10,000 workstations. I need to be able to delete based upon
a
single keyword of keyphrase. Anyone have any suggestions on how to
accomplish this?

Thanks

Paul W.
Click to expand...

I sense a contradiction here. Someone who looks after 10,000 PCs knows about
scripting, so why post here? Someone who does not know about scripting could
not effectively look after 10,000 PCs. Time to align your skills with your
job requirements?
 
unless someone is
trying to write mal-
ware.

--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen
 
I like your line of thought. Maybe the OP should Ghost/WDS them now & save
the bother of killing them first
 
But if it's malware then VBS scrips should be blocked by a firewall.
Besides, why stop at 10, 000 unless it's a network timebomb

I know there's a server scripting newsgroup
(microsoft.public.windows.server.scripting) but also the job could be done
in a GPO being much safer
 
Monitor said:
I sense a contradiction here. Someone who looks after 10,000 PCs knows about
scripting, so why post here? Someone who does not know about scripting could
not effectively look after 10,000 PCs. Time to align your skills with your
job requirements?
Click to expand...
Too funny there guy (or gal), way to address the actual question instead of
taking it off in a completely different direction....oh wait......

I have an evironment where the care and feeding of workstations has been
sorely neglected for quite some time. As a result of this, workstation
registries have become bloated (well more bloated than normal). I'm not in
charge of managing the workstations but I am attempting to correct a
potential performance issue. I have no trouble creating GPOs or .reg file
pushes that add or modify the registry but in this case, we are migrating
from a Novell F&P environment where numerous legacy entries referencing the
old Novell environment exist in workstation registries. Rather than try and
map out each and every key (just a cursory investigation of a single
workstation has revealed at least 50 unique instances and I expect a lot
more), I was hoping to find the best way to find and delete these left over
entries. In most cases, these entries can just sit there but unfortunately,
in some cases it creates some performance issues as those connections (such
as printers) are attempted to be made and eventually time out.

Maybe I'm missing something but the search results I get contain a ton of
information about how to add information to or modify (i.e change values) for
existing information but not how to perform deletions using keyword
information.

Apparently, this is not the place to actually get helpful and/or useful
suggestions.

I will continue to search elsewhere.
 
Paul W. said:
Too funny there guy (or gal), way to address the actual question instead
of
taking it off in a completely different direction....oh wait......

I have an evironment where the care and feeding of workstations has been
sorely neglected for quite some time. As a result of this, workstation
registries have become bloated (well more bloated than normal). I'm not
in
charge of managing the workstations but I am attempting to correct a
potential performance issue. I have no trouble creating GPOs or .reg file
pushes that add or modify the registry but in this case, we are migrating
from a Novell F&P environment where numerous legacy entries referencing
the
old Novell environment exist in workstation registries. Rather than try
and
map out each and every key (just a cursory investigation of a single
workstation has revealed at least 50 unique instances and I expect a lot
more), I was hoping to find the best way to find and delete these left
over
entries. In most cases, these entries can just sit there but
unfortunately,
in some cases it creates some performance issues as those connections
(such
as printers) are attempted to be made and eventually time out.

Maybe I'm missing something but the search results I get contain a ton of
information about how to add information to or modify (i.e change values)
for
existing information but not how to perform deletions using keyword
information.

Apparently, this is not the place to actually get helpful and/or useful
suggestions.

I will continue to search elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Attempting to hack the registry in an attempt to resolve performance issues
is risky stuff - it gets you almost into the domain of registry cleaners
which are touted by their manufacturers as the panacea to solve just about
every Windows problem that exists, and considered by many experts nothing
more than snake oil. If you have performance issues caused by legacy
connections then you should deal with those by using appropriate commands,
e.g. "net use", instead of hacking into thousands of registries, which would
be a recipe for disaster.
 
Paul said:
Entries referring to legacy Novell environment to eliminate potential
performance/communication issues.
Click to expand...
registries have become bloated (well more bloated than normal). I'm not
in
charge of managing the workstations but I am attempting to correct a
potential performance issue.
Click to expand...
</paste>

What makes you think there will be "potential" issues? If you're not the IT
person in charge of these computers, why are you considering messing around
in the Registry?

If you think your Registry needs to be "cleaned" or "repaired," read
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 and draw your own conclusions.
 
What makes you think there will be "potential" issues? If you're not the IT
person in charge of these computers, why are you considering messing around
in the Registry?

If you think your Registry needs to be "cleaned" or "repaired," read
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 and draw your own conclusions.
Click to expand...
Why is it that there is always an assumption of 'cluelessness'? I have no
desire to drag out my credentials nor should there be a reason to do so.

Thanks for the link but that is not what I'm trying to do.

While I am not DIRECTLY responsible for the day to day maintenance of the
workstations in my environment, I am responsible for the network
infrastucture in general and this migration project in specific. One of the
identified issues is that migration of the existing F&P environment from
Novell to MS and removal/migration of Novell components on the workstations
does not remove every entry in the workstation's registry that refers to the
Novell environment. In some cases, communication is attempted to the
orphaned information (in most cases this information is left over printer
configuration), which causes timeouts and slow response. All I was trying to
do was find a method to search for and remove entries that contained the old
Novell information such as by tree or server name to ensure that no potential
performance timebombs were left behind. I thought that would be a nice,
pro-active thing to do but I guess I was mistaken.
 
yeah, it's also a
point to consider.



--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces
- Microsoft Partner
- @hotmail.com
~~~~~~~~~~"share the nirvana" - dbZen
 
PA Bear said:
</paste>

What makes you think there will be "potential" issues? If you're not
the IT person in charge of these computers, why are you considering
messing around in the Registry?

If you think your Registry needs to be "cleaned" or "repaired," read
http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 and draw your own conclusions.
Click to expand...

Yeah, read a biased and sill bunch of misinformed responses from
supposed MVPs who live right here in this group and several others.
That's sure convincing. How about some "real" information? Something
that verifies and backs up your claims?

Thanks for this opportunity to expose your misinformationistic attitude.

Twayne`
 
You won't accept and completely ignore 'real' information so why do you
continue to ask for it?
 
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