Windows Registry Editor Regedit Cannot Delete Key, Gets Error While Deleting Key

Featured: Featured Stories | Picture Gallery

Stretching FAQ 1 - Physiology Of Stretching | Primary Rate Interface

Chat11.com Web Bible11.com MyBibleCenter.com

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics

How Computers Work, Seventh Edition

PCs for Dummies, Ninth Edition

Wired MAGAZINE

Fast Company

Maximum Pc - Non-disc Version

DVD - Triumph of the Nerds - 1996

DVD - Beginner's Java 2 v1.5 2004 on DVD

DVD - Beginner's Windows Server 2003 on DVD

Music - Strike on Computers

Tech Tips : Cannot Delete Key With Windows Registry Editor

Regedit Returns "Error While Deleting Key"

By Garnet

I encountered this error while trying to delete the keys for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Deterministic Networks. I tried booting into safe mode, but Regedit was still unable to delete the key.

• Under DeterministicNetworks?Create is a DNE subkey, and under that Parameters. Trying to show permissions for Parameters gets "Unable to display security information", even when logged in as an administrator in Safe mode. Also I get "Cannot open Parameters: Error while opening key" immediately after trying to see the permissions.

Searches on Microsoft site:

• regedit "error while deleting key" "cannot delete" - This returns nothing at all!
• regedit "error while deleting key" - Also returns nothing!

Removing regedit from the search string gave one result. Here is someone who encountered a similar problem with some other keys: forums.microsoft.com/Genuine /ShowPost?Create.aspx?PostID?Create=514705&SiteID?Create=25&PageID?Create=1

• This is a typical thread offering no solution. Phil was encouraged to rename the key. That did not work for him, and it did not work for me. "The Registry Editor cannot rename DeterministicNetworks?Create. The specified key name alreadyt exists. Type another name and try again." This is a bogus error that happens the second time trying to rename a key, as I was renaming it to "[DeterministicNetworks Old]?Create" which definitely doesn't exist. The first time got "The Registry Editor" cannot rename DeterministicNetworks?Create. Error while renaming key." Refreshing the registry now reveals several copies of the DeterministicNetworks?Create branch under the different renames I was trying.

Lets try the search at msdn.microsoft.com. It gives "There are no [research papers] results to display" in response to "error while deleting key".

Google has 126 entries for "error while deleting key"

• The first links from laplink could not be displayed.
• Another post suggested setting "Full Control" permissions. I am logged on as an administrator, and administrator has full control, but just for fun, I added full control to the actual login ID I am using. No luck, still got an error trying to delete.
• Also tried this, but it didn't work: Right click edit permissions on that branch of the registry, go into advanced, clear the "inherit from parent" box. Then make sure you check "replace permission entries on all child objects". Now give yourself full control, and click Apply. Unfortunately, this gives "Registry Editor could not set security in the key currently selected, or in some of its subkeys."

Also tried google for regedit permissions "unable to display security information", but nothing useful was found.

Searching suppport.microsoft.com for "registry editor" results in over 200 articles.

• "registry editor" deleting key - 159 results
• "registry editor" unable to delete key - 93 results - Most articles refer to other problems that require editing of the registry.
• "registry editor" "deleting key" - 0 results
• "deleting key" - 0 results for product Widndows XP. Tried expanding search to "all products", and still got zero results. Expanded to all of microsoft, got lots of scripts that include error messages about unable to delete keys.

Google:

• "error while opening key" - 145 results

Something else to try: NOTE: This doesn't help this problem.

• Access is Denied
• Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) gave us the "access is denied" error. We found a [Microsoft suggestion] about what to do, but that is really complex and basically involves running the SP2 update, finding which Registry Key can't be opened, fixing that problem, and then running it again.
• Only this forum entry (no longer available) had a more reasonable suggestion: Go to start -> run, then type
• secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\repair\secsetup.inf /db secsetup.sdb /verbose
  • This resets your security policy, so that registry keys that may have given you errors like "Error while opening key" will be reset.
  • NOTE: This may take a long time to run.
  • Further Note: This didn't help the problem of trying to open or delete the keys we are having problems with.
    • http://www.johnborwick.com/blog/archives/2004_11.html

Other links, probably not this problem:

• http://www.tutorials-blog.com/win32/Registry-Deleting/ - How to delete registry keys with nulls in them
• http://www.thennews.com/a/n03/Registry%20Problems.php - Quicktime install creating undeletable registry keys?

Others who may need help with the same problem:

• http://computershopper.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-251.html

More google searches:

• Corrupt Registry Key
  • Nothing relevant. Most articles talk about what to do if Windows won't startup.

Status: Unsolved.... (but see provisional solution below)

This registry entry is usually related to a component of the Cisco VPN Client. The reason you can't remove the entries is due to system files creating them and accessing them. Try the manual removal method found on this cisco page:

• http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2308/products_tech_note09186a0080094b7f.shtml

Provisional solution (tested successfully by one user)

I was experiencing the same solution and from the following google search - cisco vpn "deterministicnetworks" parameters - I found [this forum page] which pointed to the [Citrix DNE support page]. By following the directions on Citrix page (downloading and running the Winfix.exe utility, then the DNE Update) cleared the Parameters entry from my registry and I was able to successfully re-install the Cisco VPN Client.

Did This Page Help You Solve A Difficult Problem?

Tech Tips By Garnet ...

If so, I'd like to hear from you.

I spend a lot of time tracking down solutions to many problems and questions, and it takes a lot of time to write about the answers so you can benefit from them. But I hope this page helped you solve your problem, or answered your question, clearly and quickly. You can also contact me about your tech problems. If you can afford some donation to cover my time to look into your problem, please mention the amount you can contribute, and that will help me give proper priority to your request.

Please also consider making a link to this page from your website.

You can also reach me privately with your questions at [my contact page]!

- Garnet

[wikipedia]

Bobsgear - Get A Free Enterrpise Wiki Space!
Review: The Bobsgear Project was started to develop a variety of Confluence plugins. This installation of the Confluence Enterprise wiki includes flexible attachments, many Confluence plugins, personal blogs, interesting articles, and more. Bobsgear already has spaces related to politics, art and photography wiki, technical issues wiki, ediscovery wiki, health, Christian theology and Sabbath School wiki, the bible, book reviews, and quotations. Bobsgear allows free signup, and invites anyone to create a free hosted Confluence wiki space.

NEW USERS CLICK HERE! for a quick introduction to Wiki.

Elapsed:0