How to Safely Remove Registry Entries

The only time I would recommend removing registry entries is if you absolutely have to do so. Primarily, you would have to remove the entries to fully get rid of a strong virus. This article is written under the assumption that a virus is causing problems and cannot be removed by conventional methods.

Refer to this checklist before you proceed:
1. Create a restore point Start>Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore. Create a restore point and hit next. Follow the prompts to finish.
2. Be sure you have the FULL path to the entry in question. (It can be very long)
3. Open up your registry from opening the run line and typing regedit
4. From the registry editor open the file menu and select Export. This will basically save the registry I case you remove something that breaks it so you can import it back if this is the case. (If you have multiple entries to remove, you may want to export after each removal so you don't have to go back to the start)
5. Have a good registry cleaner on hand
6. Find your Windows XP reinstall disc in case of critical failure

Now find the path you need to follow. Take your time to find it EXACTLY. There are some areas where the folders have very similar names. Once you find the entries delete them one at a time and export the registry after each removal.

Once you have finished, restart the computer and test it out to make sure everything works correctly. Test everything you can think of, even try to change your background image. Believe it or not I had a virus attach itself in active desktop so I was unable to change my background picture once it was removed. If not, first run a registry clean to possibly fix errors and if that does not fix it, start by importing your exported registry files starting at the last one you created. This will keep you from having to rebuild your computer. Once you find out which removal caused the errors, remove the ones that didn't cause errors and restart once again.

Now run your virus scan utilities once more and see if the virus is there. If it is, it is probably under the entry that caused the error and this means you will have to repair Windows after you remove it.

For detailed instructions on how to repair Windows XP without having to format your hard drive look for my article titled "Repairing Windows XP Without Formatting Your Hard Drive."