Unless you know the file extension I think it'll be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack to search the registry.
You could try booting into Safe Mode and see if you can delete it then.
Disk Cleanup may also be an option.
Well there is this, which I am aware of but have no personally used.
How To Add Or Remove Control Panel Applets in Windows 7 and Vista | WinVistaClub
Safe Mode does not help as there is still no way to delete the entry.
I am running W7 Home Premium so I don't have the Group Policy editor to modify Control Panel items.
Arg! I know there must be a way!
In an attempt to bump this topic, I would also like to add that I've continued to search for a solution online and every forum post and website points to the same few solutions, none of which are applicable in my case. Does anyone have any further ideas? Any help is appreciated, thanks!
Try running a regular and registry cleanup with CCleaner.
Are not the items in the Control Panel name.CPL files? Most of the main ones, appwiz.cpl (Add & Remove programs), are located in C:\Windows\System32. Using a command window CD \ and DIR *.CPL > CPLlist.txt and go carefully through the list. If there is an icon in your Control Panel, it will have to written to that list.
On my system there is more than one that sits in Program Files. I would say that would be one place to take a careful look. The System32 files, I think, belong to Windows. When looking over the list, check for anything that might be connected to any software you have recently removed from your system.
Good Luck,
RȘnce
Don't know if you have found a fix yet, just a thought, something you could try ... right click start globe > properties > customize > control panel > change to "Display as a link" > ok > Apply > ok >...... Then go back & change to "Display as a menu" again.
SOLVED
After tinkering for a few hours (pathetic, I know, for a "problem" like this) I found a solution!
The issue is that with Windows 7 .cpl files do not need to be in the system32 folder, or any system folder for that matter. They can be located anywhere. However, if the namespace registry key points to an invalid location, or no location at all, you will see this totally blank icon in the Control Panel list.
The following registry location was listing a Intel WiFi Connection Utility cpl item that no longer exists and was part of an older driver version. Deleting this key successfully removed the invalid control panel item.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ControlPanel\NameSpace\{B9F968 05-88EC-4952-929F-397985D7B2D7}
If anyone else has this problem, you will have to go to this registry location and delete each key one at a time until the invalid item disappears. Make sure to back up this portion of the registry first so you can restore all the valid items later.
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