I've just deleted important registries by mistake

There was a game which was not working properly. I've found a fix online, but I've deleted the wrong dir. (yes, that was just dumb)

I had to delete this:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Uninstall > Origin (DELETE FOLDER)

And I deleted CurrentVersion. Now my PC won't boot up (it tries to repair itself but it can't - according to the logs it creates the error can't be found)

What are some options to deal with this?

John Smith

Posted 2019-09-20T17:34:25.867

Reputation: 13

5There isn't a solution to this problem, you deleted a key, that should never be deleted. There is a very small chance that a restore point might work, but even that might not work, due to the importance of the CurrentVersion key (you basically deleted the entire tree which is bad). – Ramhound – 2019-09-20T17:41:40.207

Windows does keep a registry backup. You can boot up the repair console and copy the backup registry files over the regular ones. – David Schwartz – 2019-09-20T19:22:16.007

Answers

Export it from a working copy of windows and import into this copy of windows.

Boot off the windows DVD/USB bootable
SHIFT F10 or SHIFT F8
should get you a command prompt
regedit
Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and then load hive.
Find SYSTEM (registry file) normally located c:\windows\system32\config but in this environment it could have ANY drive letter.
Click Open
name it x for simpicity
Now you will have HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\x
You need to do a search and replace on the file you exported Open in notepad

 find [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
 replace with [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\x

Save and import

reboot and test.

cybernard

Posted 2019-09-20T17:34:25.867

Reputation: 11 200

As far as I know, the windows cd key is stored in the CurrentVersion which I've just deleted, right? – John Smith – 2019-09-21T10:26:47.643

I've just deleted important registries by mistake - can I somehow fix it?

Answers