HKEY_Local_Machine\COMPONENTS issue

Keyes · 20 Sep 2014

I opened up regedit looking for a key, and stumbled apon the components key in HKLM.

When I clicked on it, it said it had an error and could not open. I tried exporting it as a .txt to view it, but it aaid it didnt exist. I reopened regedit, and components was gone from hklm.

Seeing some threads about it relating to windows update, I quickly downloaded a mse database from the windows update program.

I open regedit, and components is there, and I can open it. (I had restarted regedit a few times before updating, and it didnt appear so it must have something to to with it )export it as a .txt and its 128mb in size! Looking at dates, there are last modified dates before it somehow disappeared.

Does anyone know what is up with this? Its as if it was never gone but regedit couldnt view it. I did a system restore a day or two ago. Could it have affected something with windows update? Im a bit confused, but the key is back and seems to be fine, then the key is gone. I check for updates using windows update and it comes back. Then after a while I have just have difficulty opening it, and refreshing makes it go again, and repeating by checking for windows update jist brings it back. Why isnthis happening?

Berton · 20 Sep 2014

My complete .reg Registry file as Exported is 246,768KB in size, nearly twice yours.

Keyes · 20 Sep 2014

Berton said:

My complete .reg Registry file as Exported is 246,768KB in size, nearly twice yours.

Do have the same thing with the above registry key?

Keyes · 20 Sep 2014

Also, sorry for off topic, but when I posted my reply It said something about this post being a duplicate?

Berton · 20 Sep 2014

I do not have COMPONENTS under my HKLM item. I do have a Components Categories item under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

Keyes · 20 Sep 2014

Berton said:

I do not have COMPONENTS under my HKLM item. I do have a Components Categories item under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

Could you try do this.

Open windows update, check for updates and then open HKLM and see if there is a COMPONENTS key?

Berton · 20 Sep 2014

No new updates available but the key does now show up. It never had before that I ever saw.

Keyes · 20 Sep 2014

Berton said:

No new updates available but the key does now show up. It never had before that I ever saw.

So now if you leave regedit open for a while, and try opening that key later you will probably have issues openeing it. It seems to be some sort of temp registry key but somehow retains old info and just comes and goes?

Berton · 20 Sep 2014

It's been open, closed twice and refreshed but still there after 8 minutes. It's a 71MB file, same size when saved as .txt. Either file being straight text it compresses down to about 5MB.

Keyes · 20 Sep 2014

Berton said:

It's been open, closed twice and refreshed but still there after 8 minutes. It's a 71MB file, same size when saved as .txt. Either file being straight text it compresses down to about 5MB.

Its quite strange... I must have found it after it had already disappeared. Im just confused as to how it just disappears as ic its deleted. And when I had the issue of it being present but not refreshed (it was "deleted but the program was not refreshed so I could still see it) I couldnt export it.