Deleting registry values

[mwhahaha]

Hey I don't know if I'm asking this on the right forum, but....I need to know what to do when I run CCleaner and it says some files couldn't be deleted, and to delete "registry values" for them. What is a registry value, and how would I go about finding and deleting it?

[Oliver]

Holla,

 

don?t know if you are in the same time-zone,..., (UTC),..., maybe I am answering at night-time, concerning your location,..., I?ll hope my bad English will do,...,

 

concerning your question, a Registry-value is somehow a tiny and single micro-part of the whole "backbone"- definition-database that your Windows (95-XP) is actually taking advantage of,...,

 

imagine it as a kind of general and unique "spine" of your system that defines;

 

 

 

a. Personal adaptation of your individual program-settings (defined by you)

 

b. Program-Settings in general (settings set-up by the program itself, not by you)

 

c. Personal adaptation of your Windows-settings (colors, frames, borders, individual icon settings, defined by you)

 

d. Hardware-settings of your system (in how far Windows grabs onto the Hardware of your System)

 

e. Install,- and Uninstall Data-Informations of Programs and File-Links in general, etc.

 

f. Individual System-Libraries used by the System

 

 

 

all those settings are integrated in one unique database, the Registry.

 

the Registry today, replaces the old individual *.ini-files of those Win 3.1, 3.11, Systems (before 1995),..., before that time, each Program had an individual folder with its own *.ini-file-definition,..., those ini-folders were somehow spread all over the System.

 

having all those Programm-and System-Values integrated in only one database (the Registry) it is much more easier for Admins to "transfer" ini-settings over onto other Systems.

 

the disadvantage on the other hand of this Registry-MS-Solution is, that the Registry in general can only "grow" in time, no matter if you uninstall, delete or change System-Values on your own or by programs.

 

Even Windows-Systems itself are actually writing a lot of History-"Junk" into the Registry, without you being able to find those places immediately, to clean them out.

 

With "Regedit", you will get into the Registry Editor,..., just take care,...,

 

 

Oliver

[Andavari]

how would I go about finding and deleting it?

 

If you're using Win2000 or WinXP make sure you're logged on with Administrator Priveleges, if you aren't you won't be able to remove the invalid registry data that the Issues scanner displays. This isn't a problem on Win9x/Me systems.