Windows cannot find regedit need HELP!

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  1. Posts : 1,025
    Linux Lite 3.2 x64; Windows 7, 8.1
       #11

    I think all that would be necessary would be to redefine the environmental variable, %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%, at System Properties. The problem is that previously installed programs that access their files by means of that variable would find themselves up the creek.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,326
    Windows 7 Ultimate RTM (Technet)
       #12

    Can't you just run System Restore and go back to before you made these changes?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 116
    Vista HP, Vista Ultimate, XP Pro, Seven Ultimate x2
       #13

    You can move the entire User, Program Files and ProgramData folders to another partition. With this you can actually get away with C: being 16 GB in size.


    Note: I have a bunch of programs installed and my free space on C: is 7.86 GB of 16GB. My computer is however running without a pagefile and a hibernation file, System Protection is also turned off.

    Tip: Copy the command lines into motepad file onto a USB thumb drive for easy access.

    What you will need to do first:

    After a clean install of Windows but before creating a User profile you will need to press sift F10, this will open the command prompt. From within the command prompt, type 'notepad' to open up notepad. Within notepad, go to file then open. In the navigation pane right mouse click on computer and select from the menu 'manage'. From here you can setup your partitions, assigning drive letters and formatting them.

    Now for the commands:

    Where I have E: - this is my partition where I move the folders to, you can use any drive letter you want so long as the partition has the same drive letter of the commands being entered. Execute one command at a time. When you get the #5 command you will need to close out of notepad in order to fully delete program files form C:. You can re-open notepad when the command has finished.

    You cannot fully delete ProgramData yet but don't let that stop you from running all the commands.

    #1: robocopy "C:\Users" "E:\Users" /E /COPYALL /XJ
    #2: robocopy "C:\Program Files" "E:\Program Files" /E /COPYALL /XJ
    #3: robocopy "C:\Program Files (x86)" "E:\Program Files (x86)" /E /COPYALL /XJ
    #4: robocopy "C:\ProgramData" "E:\ProgramData" /E /COPYALL /XJ
    #5: rmdir "C:\Program Files" /S /Q
    #6: mklink /J "C:\Program Files" "E:\Program Files"
    #7: rmdir "C:\Program Files (x86)" /S /Q
    #8: mklink /J "C:\Program Files (x86)" "E:\Program Files (x86)"
    #9: rmdir "C:\users" /S /Q
    #10: mklink /J "C:\Users" "E:\Users"
    #11: rmdir "C:\ProgramData" /S /Q
    #12: mklink /J "C:\ProgramData "E:\ProgramData"
    #13: mklink /J "C:\Windows\Installer" E:\Installer" (This will be created after you have setup your user account).

    Once you have finished executing all the commands you will need to perform some registry edits. From the command prompt type 'regedit' and press enter.

    First: within the registry editor you need to navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows then high light CurrentVersion. From there make it look like this but replace E: with whatever drive letter you chose earlier.



    Then go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion and high light ProfileList , then replace C: with whatever drive letter you chose earlier.



    When the registry edits are done proceed with creating your user profile. Once you're at your desktop restart your computer, you will then be able to fully delete Program Data from C:.


    Some program installations will still place things like .dlls into the C: drive but it wont be nearly as drastic has having them place all of their bloat into the C: drive. When installing programs some will still show C: as the location to install to but they will not be truly installed on the C: drive.

    The last step is to manually create the installer folder to the E: drive. Step #13 points to this folder. Pretty much all programs like to keep their junk in C:Windows\Installer folder.

    Now for the hazards:

    If you lose access to the User account folders via deletion or locked by encryption where Windows is not able to auto unlock the drive you will permanently, not be able to log into Windows, this will force you to reinstall Windows.
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  4. Posts : 1,127
    Win7U 64 RTM
       #14

    paret said:
    I obviously wnet about changing the default installation location wrong, would you mind explaining to me the proper way of doing it, I would greatly appreciate it
    https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-installs.html

    James
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 116
    Vista HP, Vista Ultimate, XP Pro, Seven Ultimate x2
       #15

    James Colbert said:
    paret said:
    I obviously wnet about changing the default installation location wrong, would you mind explaining to me the proper way of doing it, I would greatly appreciate it
    https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-installs.html

    James
    This tutorial is actually incomplete and will mess things up. My tutorial is the completed version.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,127
    Win7U 64 RTM
       #16

    n0th1n9 said:
    James Colbert said:
    paret said:
    I obviously wnet about changing the default installation location wrong, would you mind explaining to me the proper way of doing it, I would greatly appreciate it
    https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...-installs.html

    James
    This tutorial is actually incomplete and will mess things up. My tutorial is the completed version.
    If you believe that to be true, I recommend you use the contact link at the bottom of the page.

    James
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 116
    Vista HP, Vista Ultimate, XP Pro, Seven Ultimate x2
       #17

    James Colbert said:
    n0th1n9 said:
    This tutorial is actually incomplete and will mess things up. My tutorial is the completed version.
    If you believe that to be true, I recommend you use the contact link at the bottom of the page.

    James
    Great idea, and already done.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit
       #18

    I have a similar situation with regedit except I just finished an XP -> Vista -> Windows 7 upgrade. After the OS upgrade, I also upgraded Office 2003 to Office 2010 and installed Acrobat X Pro without incident.

    The symptoms of the problem are almost exactly the same as the original poster's in that: 1) I get the "Windows cannot find C:\Windows\regedit.exe" (or if you run regedit from the CMD prompt "The system cannot find the file C:\Windows\regedit.exe.") dialogue box and 2) the regedit.exe file does exist in C:\Windows (I also copied regedit.exe from another 32-bit Windows 7 computer and tried that one which didn't work either).

    I've also tried running regedt32 which doesn't work however there is no error dialog, the prompt just goes away.

    I don't have any problems with running CMD, MSCONFIG or other EXE files, just regedit.exe and unlike paret's situation, I am able to access "C:\Windows\system32\SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe".

    I scanned for malware, rootkits, and virus, checked paths, and even ran SFC but everything appears to be fine.

    It is quite bizarre.

    I'm not above doing a repair install if that is my only option however the computer with the issue is off-site and I was really hoping not to have to go there if I didn't have to so I'm opened to any further suggestions.

    In the interim, thanks for the post on the Resplendence Software since that seems to be able to access the registry and seems to work just fine.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3
    Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit
       #19

    It turns out it isn't so much that the system is currently infected with malware, it is more the fact that at one time it was infected and when it was removed it left a little piece behind Malware had previously modified the:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options

    key by creating sub key named regedit.exe. Simply deleting that sub key (obviously attaching either remotely or using a third party registry utility since you can't use regedit) resolves the problem.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #20

    hi paret i did the same exact thing that you did and have been looking around for solutions. im desperate. have you fixed your issue?
      My Computer


 
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