Can't Get Rid of Two Errant Registry Keys

dennisl

I run Registry Cleaner. These two keys show up as "Obsolete Add / Remove menu entry":

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome

I tell Registry Cleaner to fix them. The note in the box at the bottom of the screen says they're fixed. I run Registry Cleaner again. The same two keys show up. I run it again. Same thing. Over and over again. Same thing. I can't get rid of these two keys.

Then I go manually delete the keys with regedit. I see them disappear when I confirm the deletes. I close regedit. I reopen regedit and the two keys are back in there. Huh??

I have never installed Google Chrome on my system. What is going on here and why doesn't Registry Cleaner get rid of these two keys??

boofo

Someone installed it at one time. Those keys don't just show up by themselves.

dennisl

Boofo wrote
Someone installed it at one time. Those keys don't just show up by themselves.

No, this is on my own computer at home. As I live alone, nobody other than I uses this computer. Never have I installed Google Chrome.

boofo

Strange. I am running XP Pro SP3 and I don't have either of those keys. I have never installed Chrome either (as I find it inferior to Opera 10).

tullik

DennisL wrote
Boofo wroteSomeone installed it at one time. Those keys don't just show up by themselves.

No, this is on my own computer at home. As I live alone, nobody other than I uses this computer. Never have I installed Google Chrome.

Then it likely came bundled with some other software that you did install. Some products are a bit sneaky that way . . .

roberta

tullik wrote
DennisL wrote
Boofo wroteSomeone installed it at one time. Those keys don't just show up by themselves.

No, this is on my own computer at home. As I live alone, nobody other than I uses this computer. Never have I installed Google Chrome.

Then it likely came bundled with some other software that you did install. Some products are a bit sneaky that way . . .

Indeed!!

tullik

DennisL wrote
. . . Then I go manually delete the keys with regedit. I see them disappear when I confirm the deletes. I close regedit. I reopen regedit and the two keys are back in there. Huh??

I have never installed Google Chrome on my system. What is going on here and why doesn't Registry Cleaner get rid of these two keys??

Did you do a View-->Refresh in RegEdit at the underlined point?

If yes, and the keys still did not show, it is possible you have a background process that puts the keys back.

tullik

DennisL wrote
... HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome ...

For either of these keys, does RegEdit show names and data in the right pane of its window? Other than (default) (value not set) that is?

If so, you could do a RegEdit export of one of the keys, open the resulting file with notepad, and copy and paste its content here ...

dennisl

tullik wrote
DennisL wrote . . . Then I go manually delete the keys with regedit. I see them disappear when I confirm the deletes. I close regedit. I reopen regedit and the two keys are back in there. Huh??

I have never installed Google Chrome on my system. What is going on here and why doesn't Registry Cleaner get rid of these two keys??

Did you do a View-->Refresh in RegEdit at the underlined point?

If yes, and the keys still did not show, it is possible you have a background process that puts the keys back.

I just did a refresh and the keys do show. I guess there is no way to get rid of them.

dennisl

tullik wrote
DennisL wrote ... HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Google Chrome ...

For either of these keys, does RegEdit show names and data in the right pane of its window? Other than (default) (value not set) that is?

If so, you could do a RegEdit export of one of the keys, open the resulting file with notepad, and copy and paste its content here ...

The only field that shows is (Default) with type REG_SZ and data (value not set).

tullik

DennisL wrote
tullik wrote
DennisL wrote. . . The only field that shows is (Default) with type REG_SZ and data (value not set).

That's likely why PT considered it an error. An empty uninstall key serves no purpose.

Using RegEdit, you could try taking ownership of one of the two keys. Then maybe RegEdit will let you delete it.

RegEdit-->right click the key-->Permissions-->Advanced-->Owner-->Change owner to-->select your admin ID-->OK

I don't think you have to do it to the other key -- windows automatically mirrors them I believe.

If that still doesn't let you do the delete, type Google Chrome into the Registry Cleaner "Ignore words" tab so you don't have to keep looking at those two keys.

Or, if you don't want to try the ownership change, just do the ignore word.

dennisl

Or, if you don't want to try the ownership change, just do the ignore word.

I have already gone down the Permissions/ownership change route. Same result. I guess I'll just have to put these two keys on Ignore in jv16 PT.

siliconman01

If there are any subkeys, you may need to take ownership of the subkeys, take permission, and remove them first.

Also, see if this procedure allows you to remove the keys:

http://www.misec.net/forum/board/FAQ/1238821326

boofo

<OT>siliconman01, I didnlt know you were a Mod on that forum. I used to be a registered user of TH. 😉</OT>

dennisl

siliconman01 wrote
If there are any subkeys, you may need to take ownership of the subkeys, take permission, and remove them first.

Also, see if this procedure allows you to remove the keys:

http://www.misec.net/forum/board/FAQ/1238821326http://www.misec.net/forum/board/FAQ/1238821326

Went through all of those steps. The errant keys are still there. What now?

tullik

DennisL wrote
. . . Went through all of those steps. The errant keys are still there. What now?

Can you rename the key?

dennisl

I finally got rid of the two keys. On a lark, I tried rebooting my computer in safe mode. Then I went into regedit and manually deleted the keys. Refreshed the regedit display, keys still gone. Rebooted the computer a few times in normal mode, went into regedit each time, and the keys are gone for good!