Remove Registry Keys
Not for the Faint of Heart
First a word of caution: This procedure has risk. Tinkering with the registry manually should be done with caution and competence. If you don’t know what you are doing messing with registry files is a great way to damage your Windows system and impair function of your computer.
Manual registry “tweaking” is not for regular computer users. It’s for computer pros, or at least semi-pros. If you don’t own an issue of [PC magazine], then I’m guessing you’d be better off with a good registry cleaner. Leave “registry hacks” to those fluent in computer-eeze.
A registry cleaner software deletes empty keys safely -
If you are determined and confident that you want to remove an empty registry key, here is the procedure.
1. Make a backup of your registry. (You need to be able to replace the registry key if you turn out to be wrong about it.)
2. Click on START –> RUN
3. To access the Windows registry edit, type “regedit” into the text box and ENTER
4. Use the + key to move down through the key branches. Subkeys are on the left, and the values contained in the subkey are on the right. I assume you know if you want to delete the entire subkey or just one of the values. If you don’t know, then get a registry cleaner.
5. Backup the specific registry key you plan to delete. Just in case.
6. Click on the subkey or the specific value to select it for deletion.
7. Select EDIT –> DELETE in the Windows registry editor menu.
8. You will then get a confirmation prompt (The “are you sure this is what you want to do” kind of warning is your last chance to change your mind!)
9. Click on YES is you’re sure you want to remove the subkey or value you’ve selected. Changes are made instantly.
10. Close the Windows registry editor.
11. Shut down and restart your PC. That’s when you’ll see if your edits in action.
12. If things don’t work out, restore the registry key from step 5 or the entire registry from step 1.
13. If the changes you made are what you anticipated, great! However, don’t delete the backup right away. Keep those for a couple weeks, since infrequently accessed programs may be affects by the changes you made to the registry and you want to be able to restore that key if it’s needed.
That procedure sounds simple. And it is, as long as you know for CERTAIN which registry key or registry value is invalid. If you are not certain, then use a registry cleaner that provides registry backup, identification of invalid registry keys, and safe removal of registry keys.