Vista - Can't Delete Registry Key

I have a problem with Adobe Premier Elements. It can only support one DVD burner. I have two on my computer. I worked with them to determine what we think is the cause of the problem. I disconnected the second burner, but the key still exists in the registry. I used this forum to figure out how to set permissions but when I try to delete

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\IDE\CdRom.......

I get an error "Cannot delete CdRom.... :Error while deleting key."

It is strange that I get a couple of ______________ in the drive name in the error message. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Jack

You need to uninstall the drivers for it cause the drivers are still on the computer. Also you need the drive hooked backup to the computer to do it. Just find the the drive in the device manager and right click and uninstall.

Hooked drive back up, uninstalled it. Shut down, disconnected it, started up. Still could not delete from the registry.

Any other suggestions?

Try running regedit as run as admin.

Running regedit as administrator did not work either/

Try deleting the key in safe mode.

You will need to take ownership of the key before Vista will allow you delete it. The ownership of registry keys work exactly as they do with files and directories...

Start RegEdit -> Right-click -> 'Permissions' -> 'Advanced' button -> 'Owner' tab -> click your user name -> check the box 'Replace owner on sub-containers and objects' -> click 'Apply' -> close the open window -> and in the smaller window, give 'Full Control' to the 'Users' group -> click Apply -> close the Permissions window and delete the key

You can delete just about any key in the registry using this method, regardless of whether or not it is in use...but be extremely careful of which keys you take ownership of.

Hi Jack,

If you have more than one optical drive in your system (and I see from your first post that you have), there will be multiple keys under the key you specified. You need to select the individual key you require. For example, on my system if I wanted to delete the registry entries for my slave optical drive (both drives on my system are identical), the key that I would need to delete would be as follows (key copied directly from registry using the right-click and selecting 'Copy Key Name' function on the key in question): You can use a command line function, 'REG DELETE', to delete this key as shown below. Please note that this example is for the key value shown above. You will, of course, have to substitute the correct value you obtain from your own registry.
In order to eliminate possible errors when using this command, I strongly recommend that you use the above method for copying the key name. Also, notice how the initial part of the key name, 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE', is replaced by 'HKLM' and how all of the key name is enclosed in quotes ("").

@JackPalmBay

I think you have trouble with permissions but there aren't normall missing permissions which usually happens.For example if trying to open this key in regedit (of course running with administrative previlliges)



regedit return this error,I can't even to display properties tab!When I try to remove a higher key,regedit return me the same errors what you have.But there is way to resolve it.

Download PsTools: PsTools
and unpack file psexec.exe and place it in C:\Windows\System32

Run cmd.exe with administrative previlliges (right click on it as a administrator if you are using UAC) ,then in cmd.exe type:

psexec -s -i -d regedit.exe

Above command allow you to run regedit from a SYSTEM account,navigate to key which was problem:





Now I have no problem to open key,displaying properties,permisions and of course with removing if you want,but remember:because regedit work now on a SYSTEM account,neccesary to remove any keys are:the owner of this key and subkeys should be SYSTEM (not you or Administrators group) and full control for SYSTEM account for this key and his subkeys.Probably you have it (it is natural permissions for these subkeys in this part of registry) but make sure if really is.

Thank you for all of your help, but still no success.

I have tried safe mode
Running regedit as administrator
Deleting from the command line
Using Psexec.exe

I have taken ownership of permissions starting at HKLM and going down through the entire tree to the drive.

Nothing works for me!