Re: Deleting registry hive root key
> > Reading the source code, ClassesRoot is opened as writable – have you > tried just calling DeleteSubKeyTree on it? > I have figured out what went wrong last week. I originally had a string of permission failures because I forgot to call OpenSubKey with writable: true. Once I fixed those stupid mistakes I hit another error on the HKCR root delete and I didn't read the message properly and assumed it was a permission failure. Today I see the message is: System.InvalidOperationException: Registry key has subkeys and recursive removes are not supported by this method. I had accidentally used DeleteSubKey instead of DeleteSubKey*Tree* and didn't read the error message. I blame intellisense first and me second. *Greg* P.S. I haven't done any COM work for 10 years and I forgot how messy it is. I confirmed today my old suspicion that a regasm for a simple C# class creates dozens of registry entries in different branches, and although an inverse /unregister does remove a lot of keys, it does not remove the typelib and interface keys. So a regasm slowly pollutes the registry, slightly, if that matters.
Re: Deleting registry hive root key
> > Reading the source code, ClassesRoot is opened as writable – have you > tried just calling DeleteSubKeyTree on it? > I forgot about the source code! I think that was the first thing I did, but I'll run a fresh experiment with a fresh mind later today and see what happens -- *Greg*
Re: Deleting registry hive root key
Ahh sorry - I read your original message as implying it was locked and couldn't be deleted normally as it was loaded - my bad. Another couple of thoughts: 1. HKCR seems to be actually linked to another key in HK LM or HK CU perhaps deleting it there instead? 2. perhaps interop dll to do it? for instance - RegOpenKeyEx - RegDeleteKey - RegEnumKeyEx ( https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/sysinfo/deleting-a-key-with-subkeys ) regards, Preet, in Auckland NZ On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 at 13:55, Greg Keogh wrote: > OZ calling NZ. From the command prompt I can delete the key: > > > reg delete HKCR\MyKeyToDelete > > I need the C# code equivalent of this. I'll bet there's a trick for this > hidden somewhere in plain sight?! It doesn't seem dangerous or obscure > enough for special procedures like mounting hives. > > *Greg* > > On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 at 11:29, Preet Sangha wrote: > >> I kind of get the feeling that this is something that would be done by >> mounting the hive in another instance of windows or perhaps a live Linux, >> or during the set. I cant see how you'd do it programmatically I'm afraid >> (unless your program is a low level on running in the pre-boot stage - like >> when you set up a new os). >> >> I did find this - but it's old and may not be very useful: >> https://www.raymond.cc/blog/how-to-edit-windows-registry-key-values-without-booting-in-windows/ >> >> >> regards, >> Preet, in Auckland NZ >> >>>
Re: Deleting registry hive root key
OZ calling NZ. From the command prompt I can delete the key: > reg delete HKCR\MyKeyToDelete I need the C# code equivalent of this. I'll bet there's a trick for this hidden somewhere in plain sight?! It doesn't seem dangerous or obscure enough for special procedures like mounting hives. *Greg* On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 at 11:29, Preet Sangha wrote: > I kind of get the feeling that this is something that would be done by > mounting the hive in another instance of windows or perhaps a live Linux, > or during the set. I cant see how you'd do it programmatically I'm afraid > (unless your program is a low level on running in the pre-boot stage - like > when you set up a new os). > > I did find this - but it's old and may not be very useful: > https://www.raymond.cc/blog/how-to-edit-windows-registry-key-values-without-booting-in-windows/ > > > regards, > Preet, in Auckland NZ > >>
Re: Deleting registry hive root key
I kind of get the feeling that this is something that would be done by mounting the hive in another instance of windows or perhaps a live Linux, or during the set. I cant see how you'd do it programmatically I'm afraid (unless your program is a low level on running in the pre-boot stage - like when you set up a new os). I did find this - but it's old and may not be very useful: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/how-to-edit-windows-registry-key-values-without-booting-in-windows/ regards, Preet, in Auckland NZ On Fri, 22 Apr 2022 at 13:15, Greg Keogh wrote: > Folks, TGIF > > I have to delete a registry key that is a direct child of the > HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT hive. > > Normally deleting a key is easy because you just open the parent key as > writable and call DeleteSubKeyTree. > > In this case the parent is the HKCR hive itself, and I can't figure out > how to open it as writable. The Registry.ClassesRoot property is static and > has no open methods. > > Chers, > *Greg K* >
Deleting registry hive root key
Folks, TGIF I have to delete a registry key that is a direct child of the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT hive. Normally deleting a key is easy because you just open the parent key as writable and call DeleteSubKeyTree. In this case the parent is the HKCR hive itself, and I can't figure out how to open it as writable. The Registry.ClassesRoot property is static and has no open methods. Chers, *Greg K*
