Solved Unable to delete empty registry entry

[calccrypto]

I ran Auslogics Registry Cleaner, and it found many errors, and deleted all but one of the registry entries. I ran it a few more times, and it was still unable to delete it. So, I went into the registry and tried to manually delete it. Regedit tells me that it is "Unable to delete all specific values". The value is like NULL string (not a NULL string pointer) or something (REG_SZ, no value set)

What else can I do to delete it?

 

[VistaKing]

Please show scrn shot of the registry please . Showing what key you want to delete .

 

[calccrypto]

I am trying to delete key HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{DF4FCC34-067A-4E0A-8352-4A1A5095346E}

 

[VistaKing]

Why you trying to delete that key ?

 

[calccrypto]

I simply dont want to see something not "fixed"

 

[VistaKing]

Id rather scan for viruses then manually try to delete a registry key .

 

[marsmimar]

It's been shown many times on this Forum that registry cleaners do more harm than good. Even Microsoft's Windows Live OneCare (which did have a Microsoft provided registry cleaner) was discontinued in October 2009 (when Windows 7 was released to consumers world-wide.)

Windows Live OneCare - Microsoft Windows

Microsoft also states:

Sometimes, settings that are no longer needed will remain in the registry in case they are ever needed again. There's nothing unusual about this, and this data, while unused, is small in size . . . We strongly recommend that you only change values in the registry that you understand or have been instructed to change by a source you trust, and that you back up the registry before making any changes.

Source

This Microsoft forum thread has more info about registry cleaners.

Is there a Microsoft licensed registry cleaner? I have heard - Microsoft Community

 

[UsernameIssues]

The key that you are wanting to delete should have this value under it:



Do you see that value?

 

[nilank]

Hello calccrypto,

You are unable to delete the key either because it is being used by some program or you don't have permissions to modify/delete that key. Some parts of the registry can't be modified/changed. That key is not gonna harm you anyway. Please leave that innocent key alone, it's just using a few bytes on your hard disk!

Hope this helps.

 

[Britton30]

I ran Auslogics Registry Cleaner, and it found many errors, and deleted all but one of the registry entries. I ran it a few more times, and it was still unable to delete it. So, I went into the registry and tried to manually delete it. Regedit tells me that it is "Unable to delete all specific values". The value is like NULL string (not a NULL string pointer) or something (REG_SZ, no value set)

What else can I do to delete it?

I'd quit using Auslogics, it is aggressive and may bork your system and require a reinstall, however, proceed as you wish.

 

[nilank]

I ran Auslogics Registry Cleaner, and it found many errors, and deleted all but one of the registry entries. I ran it a few more times, and it was still unable to delete it. So, I went into the registry and tried to manually delete it. Regedit tells me that it is "Unable to delete all specific values". The value is like NULL string (not a NULL string pointer) or something (REG_SZ, no value set)

What else can I do to delete it?

I'd quit using Auslogics, it is aggressive and may bork your system and require a reinstall, however, proceed as you wish.

Yes, in my case, it totally killed my office installation. I couldn't even repair it, I had to re-install. So, dear OP, you are requested to stop using this particular tool cuz deleting a few registry keys will NOT speed up your system. Windows 7 is optimized enough to keep the registry in good condition.

 

[Layback Bear]

Simple rule of the thumb.
If regedit says it can't delete a key leave it alone and go worry about something else like running anti virus and malware scans. If they find nothing and your system is working as it should be happy.
I also recommend getting rid of that Auslogics thing.

 

[UsernameIssues]

...
I'd quit using Auslogics, it is aggressive and may bork your system and require a reinstall, however, proceed as you wish.

I decided to see what errors it would find on a fresh install (no 3rd party apps or drivers installed, just the fresh OS). It found 23 errors - but Uniblue found more than 200 errors on that same fresh OS, so Unitblue must be the better product..... NOT!

It is scary that Kaspersky was distributing this Uniblue crapware.

(not my video - you might want to mute the sound)


And while we are on the topic - "empty" registry keys are not useless. It might not be wise on a programmer's part to create/use just a key (with no data), but it is done. One user complained about repeatedly having to setup a program like it was the first time it had been run. We tracked it down to his use of a registry cleaner that was removing "empty" keys. If the program could not find that key, it started its setup wizard.

 

[Britton30]

Oh-oh, I think at one time any mention of that "Blue" name was banned here. It is real crapware.

 

[VapeEscape]

I have been using Auslogics Boostspeed for a couple years now with zero problems. Just today, 7/23/13, I got the exact same problem and never had it before.

The registry file is a read only and it will not let you change the settings(or it shows you did but immediately reverts back) so you cannot delete it.

To the person who had a value for this registry item: every computer is unique and just because you have a program that utilizes this registry key does not mean that every computer should have a value in it.

It is not a big deal at all. If you are concerned about it, update and run your antivirus/antimalware program(if you are ultra paranoid, run windows defender and Microsoft security essentials as well to ease your mind.) If nothing comes up, I would not give it a second thought unless you start to notice your computer seriously bogging down big time.

The bogging down big time is always my litmus test for if something is wrong but then again, I keep my laptop very well maintained. So much so that I do not use, or need, a constantly running antivirus.

I have had issues like this before and they almost always resolve themselves by the next time I run all the scans.


BTW, if you use Auslogics Boostspeed and you do not know how to fix computer problems than you should not mess around with anything labeled "advanced".

How about this, if you do not understand what a hard drive partition is and what they are used for, do not even install Boostspeed because you are not computer literate enough to be messing around with the things this program allows you to do.