Windows cannot find regedit need HELP!

bipaik · 16 May 2014

recently installed windows 7 pro x64 on a brand new computer that I built myself. My computer has two separate drives: A 120GB Crucial SSD used as a boot drive and a 2TB WD HDD. I installed windows 7 on the SSD and intend to use this drive (C: just to store the operating system). I want everything else stored of the HDD which I labeled as my B: drive. To avoid program files from being installed on my C: by default ( Like Microsoft office, which does not ask you the location where you wish to install) I changed the default installation direction in the registration. Here is exactly what I did

- opened regedit
-accesed HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
-changed ProgramFilesDir PATH from C:\Program Files to B:\ ( which I created myself), along with several other default paths
-Rebooted to allow changes to take affect
here is the picture of what i did http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c3...0INSTALL/8.png

even better this the the link to the website that i followed directions from:
https://www.sevenforums.com/installat...ate-drive.html

here are a list of solutions/possible causes that I have found, but that do not work in my case

-Malware, I understand this problem is most commonly caused by malware or some virus. But my computer is brand new and I have yet to connect it to the internet, and I am the only one who has used it ( im working on a different pc right now)

I am willing to just wipe my computer clean and start over. However i cannot do a system restore as it say that the pat does not exist. I do not have many things installed yet as i just built this computer yesterday. I have average computer knowledge. Thank you in advance

BugMeister · 16 May 2014

best not to use the letter B: for a drive, as this is usually reserved for the system itself..

do a complete reinstall, and select any another letter from D: onward..

bipaik · 16 May 2014

BugMeister said:

best not to use the letter B: for a drive, as this is usually reserved for the system itself..

do a complete reinstall, and select any another letter from D: onward..

Could you help with the steps of a complete reinstall? every time i try to restore the computer it states that it is not possible. Also, I am thinking about dbanning it? would that be ok? or is that unnecessary/harmful to my computer?

andrew129260 · 16 May 2014

Here you go:

Factory pc (dell, hp etc.):

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Custom built pc:

Clean Install Windows 7

Layback Bear · 16 May 2014

Just a little something that I do.

Operating system on first port of motherboard so it show up as Disk 0 in Disk Management and partition C. System reserve is the first one on Disc 0 without a partition letter.

I never use letters A, B, D, E as a drive letter.
I never use E because it looks to much like F and a mistake can be made by me when doing things in the system.

My next drive will be Drive 1 and I will start the partitions on that drive with F.
Drive D is always my DVD player.

I do it this way on all computers so I don't mix things up when going from compute to computer.

A little note:
When or if you use a 3rd party disk management tool the Drive numbers might be different than what Windows Disk Management shows.

Example:
3rd party tool may show Windows Disc 0 as Disk 1.
You must be watchful.