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Question

Can't access regedit...

Apr 23, 2020 10:16PM PDT

So long story short, I tried to change which hard drive my computer automatically installs files to..
I went to the registry to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
I then changed all the "C" locations to "M" which is the hard drive I wanted to have files automatically installed to.
So..
Restarted my computer and I can access cmd prompt but not as administrator.
Can't access task manager
Can't access regedit to undo what I did.
Any ideas? Or am I screwed.. basically exe files don't work at all.
Thanks for any help!

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Also
Apr 23, 2020 10:21PM PDT

Also, I'm using Windows 10
I have Windows downloaded on a smaller hard drive that only has windows on it. As far as I remember my c drive is only files..as a last resort is there a way I can download windows on one of my other two hard drives? Would that do anything?

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Re: can't run regedit
Apr 23, 2020 11:56PM PDT
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Continued
Apr 24, 2020 10:35AM PDT

I'm not home but here's A couple potential problems I see coming..
I own the windows 7 cd and it forced me to upgrade to windows 10. Is that cd of any use?
I tried using chrome last night and it wouldn't work, do you think internet explorer would still work, or will I not be able to get on the internet to try what was mentioned above?

Is there any way to use another computer and connect my hard drive with Windows on it to the other computer and access the registry that way?

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Re: continued
Apr 24, 2020 10:43AM PDT

1. No, it's only useful if you want to back to factory conditions.
2. Easy to try. Since it's unclear why Chrome didn't work, it's impossible to say yes or no. However, you can make that Windows 10 install disk or stick on any other PC or laptop, so it's not relevant anyway.
3. No.

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Continued
Apr 24, 2020 11:19AM PDT

I'm thinking that I can't access any exe files that are installed in my "c" hard drive. Can't access the registry, task manager, or chrome..I'm assuming my internet explorer is also installed on my "c" hard drive and therefore won't be accessible. All programs on my "m" drive work, but there isn't many there as it's a new hard drive.
Do you think I could download internet explorer on my other computer, put it on a flash drive, then install it onto my "m" drive and gain access to the internet that way?

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Re: download
Apr 24, 2020 12:28PM PDT

Post was last edited on April 24, 2020 12:28 PM PDT

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Rather, if you have another computer handy ...
Apr 29, 2020 6:45AM PDT

... use MS's Media Creation Tool to download an installation DVD image (or USB stick image) for the Windows 10 you are (were) running and use that then as a repair disk.

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Answer
WOW did YOU ever screw up!
Apr 25, 2020 5:13AM PDT

Your Windows installation has to be on your system (CHappy drive. When you want to change this to another installed drive on your PC, that drive must contain the Windows installation and you do not change its location in the registry but instead the BIOS.

Now, if you wish to change the drive location of other folders in your libraries, like "Documents," "Pictures," "Downloads," etc., you can do that in the regular windows user interface on "My PC." Just right-click on the library entry as displayed in "My PC," go to "Properties," and then go to the "Location" tab and you can change the location to whichever drive and folder you wish. Note that most programs through which you download files (web browsers, FTP and email clients, etc.) allow you to set the download location as a setting in the application itself.

The "regedit" executable is part of the Windows operating system.

It is a good idea, but not imperative, to install all of your programs on the system drive, which if it is 256 GB or above should have plenty of space for all of them AND your system.

But it is very dangerous to go messing with your registry without backing it up first, or if you don't actually understand what you are doing.

You may have left yourself in a situation where you will have to do a fresh install of Windows 10 from media. If you do this right you will lose no data but I am afraid you might need to reinstall all your applications. You can use a different computer to download Windows Installation Media from Microsoft and it should recognize your existing license from your current installation.

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Continued
Apr 25, 2020 6:41AM PDT

Yeah, I know I screwed up. ?
So, I have Windows 10 on a USB and booted from it. I can't do a system restore because I never made a restore point.

What should I do now? I see I can access the command prompt in here, can I use that to change what I did in the registry?

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Continued
Apr 25, 2020 7:29AM PDT

I was able to access the registry
Where I originally messed with the registry was
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
I'm pretty sure I changed all the "C:\" on this list to "M:\" they now say "X:\"
Can I just change them all back to "C:\" ?
Do I need to save the changes somehow or just exit out?

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Just change them back to C:
Apr 25, 2020 10:42AM PDT

Change them back to C:
Be sure you change them all. I don't know if the X: or M: designation you set previously has changed things elsewhere in the Registry, but you'll find out when you change the ones you know about back to C:
Good luck.