Cannot Access Regedit, How to Fix It?

First we'll begin with the method that appears to work the best.

Method 1 - Enabling the Registry with VBScript

Doug Knox, a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional, has created a VBScript that enables or disables the Registry Editor based on the following location in the registry. Of course, since the registry editor is disabled, you can't change it manually, so Doug wrote a Visual Basic Script to accomplish the task.

HKey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System\

Visit Doug's page and download Registry Tools VBScript to your desktop, double-click on it to run it, then reboot your computer and try to open the Registry Editor.

If this fix didn't solve your problem, try method two shown below.

Method 2: Use Symantec's tool to reset shell\open\command registry keys

Sometimes worms and trojans will make changes to the shell\open\command registry entries as part of their infections. This will cause the virus to run each time you try to run an .exe file such as the Registry Editor. In these cases, visit Symantec's website and download the UnHookExec.inf file to your desktop. Right-click on it and choose Install. Restart your computer and then try to open the Registry Editor.


Method 3: Rename Regedit.com to Regedit.exe
Some viruses and other malware will load a regedit.com file that is many times a zero byte dummy file. Because .com files have preference over .exe files when executed if you type REGEDIT in the run line, it will run the regedit.com instead of the real regedit.exe file.

Delete the regedit.com file if its a zero byte file to restore access to REGEDIT. In some cases, such as the W32.Navidad worm, you'll need to rename the REGEDIT file to get it to work.



Method 4: Windows XP Professional and Group Policy Editor

If you have Windows XP Professional and access to an administrative user account, you could change the registry editor options in the Group Policy Editor.

1. Click Start, Run
2. Type GPEDIT.MSC and Press Enter
3. Go to the following location
   
   
   • User Configuration
   • Administrative Templates
   • System
     
4. In the Settings Window, find the option for "Prevent Access to Registry Editing Tools" and double-click on it to change.
5. Select Disabled or Not Configured and choose OK
6. Close the Group Policy Editor and restart your computer
7. Try opening REGEDIT again

Although there are a few other ways, the above ways I have used with great success in re-enabling the REGEDIT command. If you are interested in more ways to reactive the REGEDIT command, you may want to visit a site called Killian's Guide, that goes into more detail on a variety of ways to get the registry editor to work again.

My CNET colleague Sarju Shah over at Gamespot has put together a great rundown of Web browsers you can run inside of the latest video games. The four solutions tested include PlayXpert, Steam, Rogue, and Xfire

Why run these instead of your standard browser? Simple, these browsers have been designed to run as lean and mean as possible, and play nice with an application that's running in full-screen mode. They also feature niceties you won't find in your standard Web browser like hot keys that can make them appear or disappear in an instant, and transparency that lets you continue to play a game in full screen while looking up things like cheat codes and walkthroughs, right on top of the action.

Shah has put four different solutions through their paces, and has screenshots that will show you what each one looks like in various games. Worth noting is that all of the included options are PC only, which means Mac and console gamers are out of luck.

In-game browsers let you surf the Web while keeping you from having to alt+tab to another application. Pictured here is PlayXpert running on top of Bethesda's Fallout 3.

Do people who pay $299 to $399 for a Linux notebook suffer greater levels of buyer’s remorse compared to those buying Windows machines?

According to MSI’s U.S. sales director Andy Tung this seems to be the case:

“We have done a lot of studies on the return rates and haven’t really talked about it much until now. Our internal research has shown that the return of netbooks is higher than regular notebooks, but the main cause of that is Linux. People would love to pay $299 or $399 but they don’t know what they get until they open the box. They start playing around with Linux and start realizing that it’s not what they are used to. They don’t want to spend time to learn it so they bring it back to the store. The return rate is at least four times higher for Linux netbooks than Windows XP netbooks.”
[Emphasis added]

So, people are attracted by the price, get the machine home, unpack it and fire it up. They then quickly figure out that the system isn’t booting up into Windows as expected and realize that while the price is right, they’d rather pay more for what they are used to. Put another way, what’s happening is that the wrong kind of users are being attracted to these machines based solely on price, but these folks aren’t willing to put in the effort to learn how to use Linux and find free alternatives to the software that they are used to paying for.

I’ve touched on the idea that this could be a stumbling block for Linux several times before, so it’s interesting to see an OEM confirming this. It also echos Wal-Mart’s Linux PC trials, which ended after Wal-Mart concluded that Linux wasn’t what their customers wanted. I wonder if Wal-Mart came to this conclusion based on returns.

I’ve not handled a Linux MSI Wind netbook but I’m also willing to put a few bucks down as a bet that MSI haven’t put in enough effort into making the the system user-friendly to those not coming from a Linux background. If returns really are four times higher for Linux compared to XP then something is really wrong with the way that the OS is being presented to newbies. Sure, some will never overcome the activation energy required to embrace a new OS (which is exactly the problem that Windows Vista is having ), but for most users Linux would make an ideal OS for a netbook. Sure, it’s not Windows and never will be, but it’s not hard to find applications (free applications) that will make the OS workable.

How do you sell Linux-based systems cheaper than the Windows counterparts without attracting the wrong kind of buyer? How do you get people to accept a multitude of operating systems being available for PCs in the same way as on their cell phones?

[UPDATE: Ed Bott picks up on this story. Overall I agree with what Ed says, especially when it comes to people valuing their time and that people are happy with what they already know (but that's an argument that plays right into the hands of those who want to stick with XP and not make the shift to Vista). However, I am bothered by one point he makes:

"And this is for a product that is targeted at early adopters who are far more technically sophisticated than average; the MSI Wind is a tiny, dirt-cheap portable PC that has been selling like gangbusters to the digital elite and gadget freaks since its launch in June."

I can find nothing to indicate that these netbooks are being bought exclusively by "early adopters who are far more technically sophisticated than average." These netbooks are dirt cheap and I think that this makes the device attractive to average users - if these devices were aimed at early adopters I'd expect the price to be a lot higher.

Ed also mentions "rough edges and usability gotchas" but I think that we need to be careful here - we have no data relating to why the Linux systems are being returned.

I also think that we need to be careful how much we read into these returns numbers. I would imagine that even when dealing with four times the returns on an XP netbook, we're still looking at quite low numbers in real terms.]

Due to the level of public scrutiny of securing customer data at the moment in Ireland I wanted to reach out and share with you a an easy way to best secure all of your data on Laptops and PCs.

Simon McCourt, our local Security Technology Specialist has written a short article (below) on Windows Vista BitLocker - which is our out of the box full drive encryption solution that is “best practice” in preventing data falling into the wrong hands, in the event of a computer being lost or stolen. You get BitLocker as a feature of both Windows Vista Enterprise and Windows Vista Ultimate editions.

While most organisations will be concerned about the loss of sensitive information, such as intellectual property, company financial data etc., perhaps the greatest concern is the risk to customers’ personal information, which is subject to legal protection under the Data Protection Acts 1988 & 2003. Not only should organisations be acutely mindful of their responsibilities to their customers with respect to personal data, but they should also be keenly aware of the risk to their bottom line; any person suffering damage through the mishandling of their personal information is entitled to claim compensation through the Courts, as outlined in Section 7 of the Data Protection Acts, 1988 and 2003.

In a nutshell, BitLocker is a fully Active Directory-integrated technology that encrypts the entire hard drive, protecting data on lost or stolen machines. It’s even effective in 'offline' attacks, whereby an attacker tries to boot the machine using a non-Windows operating system in an attempt to bypass Windows security. With effective full drive encryption in place, it’s simply not possible to access data without proper authorisation. All that is lost when a computer goes missing is the cost of the hardware itself and the time it takes to get the user in question back up and running. (Assuming an effective data backup/restore process is in place, user impact can be greatly minimised.)

A recent case that achieved high visibility was that of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS). In response to a number of security incidents in the UK government involving lost and stolen laptops, NICS made a decision to roll out Windows Vista with BitLocker. Microsoft is currently rolling out 4,500 of NICS’ laptops over a three-month project duration, testament to the fact that Windows Vista with BitLocker can be deployed very quickly.

Public references below:

Read the NICS news story

Read the UK government news story

While there are other vendors who have drive encryption offerings, it’s important to highlight the fact that implementing these 'bolt-on' solutions can be a very expensive approach – software costs can be high, not to mention there is significant ongoing management overhead associated with solutions that have to be layered on to Windows. As BitLocker is fully Active Directory-integrated, it is far easier to manage and can be rolled out using Microsoft zero touch deployment technologies, such as System Centre Configuration Manager.

See below for a quick overview of BitLocker. You can also check out a 35 minute video here.

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BitLocker Drive Encryption

BitLocker Drive Encryption is an integral security feature of Windows Vista that provides considerable offline protection for data and the operating system. BitLocker helps ensure that data stored on a computer running Windows Vista is not revealed if the computer is tampered with when the installed operating system is offline. It optionally uses a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to provide enhanced protection for data and to help ensure the integrity of early startup components. This can help protect data from theft or unauthorised viewing by encrypting the entire Windows volume.

Overview of BitLocker Drive Encryption Functionality

BitLocker offers a seamless end-user experience with systems that have a compatible TPM microchip and basic input/output system (BIOS). A compatible TPM is defined as a version 1.2 TPM with the appropriate BIOS required to support the Static Root of Trust Measurement, as defined by the Trusted Computing Group (https://www.trustedcomputinggroup.org). The TPM interacts with BitLocker to help provide seamless protection at system startup.

BitLocker also offers the option to lock the normal startup process until the user supplies a personal identification number (PIN) or inserts a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive that contains a startup key. These additional security measures provide multifactor authentication and higher assurance that the computer will not start or resume from hibernation until the user presents the correct PIN or USB flash drive.

Figure 1 shows a summary of the BitLocker components.

Figure 1. Summary of components in BitLocker

BitLocker enhances data protection by bringing together two major functions: full drive encryption and the integrity checking of early startup components.

Full Drive Encryption

Drive encryption helps mitigate unauthorised data access by unauthorised users from breaking the Windows Vista file and system protection on lost or stolen computers. This protection is achieved through the encryption of the entire Windows Vista volume and any additional volumes on the hard drive. With BitLocker, all user and system files are encrypted, including the system memory paging and hibernation files.

Integrity Check of Early Startup

An offline attack is a scenario in which an attacker starts an alternative operating system to gain control of a computer system. Integrity checking the early startup components helps to ensure that data decryption is performed only if those components appear unmodified and that the encrypted drive is located in the original computer. BitLocker stores measurements of core startup components in the TPM chip. Every time the computer is started, Windows Vista verifies that the startup components have not been modified. If the files have been modified, Windows Vista alerts the user and refuses to release the key required to access the Windows partition. The system then goes into a recovery mode, prompting the user to provide a recovery key to allow access to the startup volume.

The system also uses recovery mode if a disk drive is transferred to another system. Recovery mode requires a recovery key that is generated when BitLocker is enabled, and that key is specific to one computer. As a result, BitLocker is intended for enterprises with a management infrastructure in place to store the recovery keys, such as Active Directory. Otherwise, the potential exists for data loss if a computer enters recovery mode and the recovery key is unavailable.

BitLocker can also be used on computers without a compatible TPM. Using BitLocker in this way provides the volume encryption capabilities but not the added security of integrity validation on early startup files. Instead, a USB flash drive provides the encryption key at startup.

Follow these simple steps to take ownership of the file.

Step 1: Open command prompt (Press Start+R, Type cmd and Enter).

Step 2: In command prompt, type: takeown /f (Full path of the file and file name) and press Enter
Example: takeown /f C:\Windows\System32\mfpmp.exe

Step 3: Again in command prompt, type:
icacls (Full path of the file and file name) /grant (user name):F and press Enter
For example, icacls C:\Windows\System32\mfpmp.exe /grant DENNIS:F

Now You Can delete or rename the file. If you still can't, you may need to reboot and try again. This is one technique for taking ownership for any file.

New Arrivals	2-Line Corded Phones	4-Line Corded Phones	Hybrid Systems
2-Line Cordless Phones	4-Line Corded / Cordless Phones	Conference Phones	Syspine Business System Phones

The back end of business telephone systems -- the hardware and software that runs office telephones -- really matters. But it's the handset and base, the actual physical apparatus of office phones, that can either help or hurt your actual business. Buying business phones can be complex, so knowing the key points helps when buying business telephones.

Covered in this guide to office phones:

1. Basic desktop business phones
2. Buying multi-line business telephones
3. Wireless office telephones
4. When to consider buying speaker phones
5. Headsets for business phone use

Action Steps for Business Phones

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Tips & Tactics for Finding Business Phones

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• The best business phone is one your people will use. When considering office phones, don't overbuy features you yourself don't fully understand. If you don't get it, no one else will either.
• Don't skimp and buy consumer brand phones, even if they will work on your system. A few months of office use and they'll be kaput. Better to look into buying used office telephones instead, if price is a problem.
• Newer office phones come with wireless hardware built in, like Bluetooth, that will let your business phones communicate with nearby cellular phones or laptops.

With proper respect for the views of fellow PCW blogger Zack Stern, none of his six reasons why I am supposed to spend $359 on an ebook reader really impressed me

The apologetics necessary to make Kindle--a name perilously close to "kindling"--sound like a good deal reminds me of the excuses made when Larry Ellison was planning to introduce a $500 PC. Back then, it seemed like a good price, but achieving it required some major tradeoffs. In the end, Ellison failed, but today we have lots of $500 PCs that traded nothing to reach the price point. Prices just came down.

Even if I thought Kindle was a really great idea--and I don't--$359 is way too pricey, especially as a business toy. There's a recession going on! When it's over, however, a nicer Kindle might cost a more-interesting $99.

It's no secret why Amazon is so Kindle-crazed: Electronic books are a major preoccupation in the publishing industry, which would love to replace its addiction to wood pulp with a closer relationship to ol' Reddy Kilowatt. Then they can charge us (over time) just as much for books that they no longer have to print.

Remember when record companies told us that with volume shipments CD prices would drop back to what vinyl LPs then sold for? I don't think Kindle will be a big driver toward less-expensive books.

It might, however, turn Amazon into the text-equivalent of the iTunes Music Store, allowing it to replace the humans who work in its many warehouses--which all seem to be located in places where people work really cheap--with our old friend the electron.

As for Zack's six-pack of Kindle spin, here's one small businessperson's response. Zack's reasons are in boldface:

1. It takes less space than books.

So does my iPod, iPhone, and many of the new webpad sub-notebook PCs. I very much like listening to Audible audiobooks, so that is how I carry my electronic library. I also like the feel of paper and the ability to throw a paperback across the room to frighten the cats when one starts growling at another. No, I don't hit the cats, and for heaven's sake, don't heave your Kindle. I also read books in the bathtub and don't believe the Kindle can swim.

2. Abandon your laptop: It reads your docs.

Abandoning my laptop is out of the question, so Kindle is an extra device to carry, not a replacement. I am looking at a webpad for some applications, where its smaller size and lower weight (compared to my MacBook Pro) might be an advantage. But, the Kindle is, essentially, a single-tasker, something TV chef Alton Brown has taught me to despise.

3. See clearly on the new screen.

Swell, Amazon welcomes us to a universe in 16 shades of gray. That's better than the pervious version's black-and-white display. Next?

4. Abandon your laptop: Download blogs and browse the Web.

Kindle doesn't excel in online functionality and, again, I already have an iPhone for the sort of limited web browsing I do on the run. Yes, I understand Kindle would be better for reading a book on an airplane than a notebook PC would be. But, I like books, a prejudice may people have and Kindle will have a hard time overcoming.

5. Look up information in new ways.

I guess it's nice that Kindle allows me to search for a word or phrase across my entire electronic library. As for it providing access to Wikipedia and other references, so does my iPhone and all the webpads I've seen. And both of those do way more than kindling, er, Kindle does.

6. It reads while you are driving.

Does it also see me when I'm sleeping and knows if I'm awake? Even Zack admits he may not get used to having a synthetic voice read aloud to him and falls back on being able to download Audible books to the Kindle. No, that's what my iPod is for. It's also, as earlier mentioned, smaller than Kindle.

I think a gadget needs to clear a much taller hurdle to be of interest to business instead of a mere consumer toy. I don't think Kindle can jump, thought it's always better to get the boss to buy something when you're not willing to pay for it out of your own pocket.

A Lost, damaged, or stolen phone can be very costly and time consuming. Insurance carriers are well aware of this and, as a result, can take advantage of the consumer. As with any contract, it is important that consumers are aware of the ins and outs before purchasing Mobile Phone Insurance. Below are some tips you should know before purchasing Mobile Phone Insurance:

1. Shop around for the best rate. Many options are available for purchasing Mobile Phone Insurance. The most common options are through the service provider or dealer where the phone was purchased. There are also several cell phone insurance companies who offer wireless phone protection programs. Another option is listing the phone under your homeowner’s insurance plan. If this is the route you choose, make sure you keep them abreast of any replacements or upgrades.
2. Make sure the deductible is not greater than what it would cost you to replace the phone. If your deductible is $50 and that is about the cost of a replacement phone then you may want to ask yourself if you an insurance policy for your mobile phone. Take the value of your phone into consideration. Mobile Phone Insurance is most beneficial for the more expensive phones such as the Blackberry or Treo. The cost to replace these phones easily cost over $200.
3. Understand what is covered under the Mobile Phone Insurance policy. Although most policies cover lost, damaged, and stolen phones, the policy may have certain exclusions. For example, the policy may not provide replacements if they determine you were negligent. Insurance carriers could also deny a claim based on who was in possession of the phone. If you are purchasing insurance for a phone that will be used by someone other than you, make sure you discuss this with the insurance agent. It is also important to understand what the insurance company considers damaged. A phone with a scratched screen, yet still in working condition, may not be considered damaged, and therefore, not covered under your policy.
4. What kind of replacement phone will you get? When a phone is lost, damaged, or stolen insurance companies will send you an exact or comparable model of the phone you are replacing. In most cases, however, you will receive a refurbished phone. The refurbished phone may come with minor scratches or some other cosmetic defect.
5. Are you responsible for charges incurred for a lost or stolen phone? You must notify your service provider immediately to report a lost or stolen phone since you will be responsible for any charges incurred until the service provider has suspended your service. If you decide not to replace your phone, you are still responsible for paying the monthly service fee until the contract has expired.
6. Know how many lines are covered under your policy? When seeking to insure multiple phones, make sure you select an insurance company that will cover multiple lines under one policy. This will be extremely cost effective.