How can I delete corrupt registry keys?

Question

IE thinks that I don't have flash player installed. Macromedia keys corrupt. Can't re-install, can't open, delete or rename key. Flash player works fine in Firefox, but not all web pages open correctly (or at all) in Firefox. The other corrupt key is Magnet (as in Limewire) interestingly this follows Macromedia alphabetically in the registry list, is this more than coincidence? Disk check says no errors. Any help appreciated I have not been beaten by a PC yet...

Thanks guys but I have tried all the programs listed so far. I am not a newbie, am aware of the dangers of registry editing, and am careful when I do it. But this time I am baffled

Canguy - thanks. Have already tried writing keys as text files, saving as .reg and manually installing into the registry but with no luck. I will try what you suggest, but EVERYONE please don't try this yourself unless you know what you are doing and have backed up your registry first. Wish me luck peeps

Answer 1

There is no 100% answer for this question. As you said you never been beaten by a PC shows that you are not a beginner. As for the solution I would suggest you should try to delete the key by using the .REG file.
First open the registry using regedit, then select the key you want to delete or edit then from the registry menu select "Export Registry File...", it will create a text file with .REG extension, open it in the notepad and use "-" sign before the key to delete the entire key, or if you just want to delete individual values then use "-" if front of that value. Save the file and execute it.

Example : to delete the entire key
REGEDIT4

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]

Example: to delete individual value
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]
"SetupType"=-

Sample of the Notepad file

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup]
"SetupType"=dword:00000000
"CmdLine"="setup -newsetup"
"SystemPrefix"=hex:c5,0b,00,00,00,40,36,02

Hope it will help

Answer 2

Be very careful mucking with registry.......you can ignore yourself rather easily.

consider software like Registry Mechanic,

Newbies should stay the hell out of registry.

You are simply missing a driver. Find and load this and you should be fine. (OR, reload this driver.)

NEVER MUCK WITH REGISTRY.

Run antivirus and antihack scans.

Update Windows.
Defrag
clear history
dump cookies.
run firewalls again.

Answer 3

right click on start and go to run. type in regedit. find your thing and delete it. oh yea...backup your system first before doing this just in case. good luck.

Answer 4

Try this:

RegCleaner
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download460.html

It works and it's free.

Good Luck

Answer 5

use regedit , if u r perfect n already used reg editor

Answer 6

You might try CC Cleaner..it's FREE!

Answer 7

use ccleaner or registry mechanic