C?\ Instead of C:\ in Registry

[Apesbrain]

Only in the following key:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\Components]

I see many instances of file references like this:

"C?\\Program Files\\ATI Technologies\\ATI.ACE\\Fuel\\amd64\\aoddriver2.sys", or
"22:\\Software\\Adblock Plus for IE\\1.5\\InstallFolder", or
"21:\\Software\\Hewlett-Packard\\ESB\\HPTouchSmart\\SmartCenter\\", or
"02:\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Updates\\Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1\\KB3127233\\ThisVersionInstalled"

As far as I know this has never presented a problem but what are these strange drive references? Thanks.

 

[georgeks]

In Windows 7, System Registry shows C?\ entries instead of - Microsoft Community