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General discussion

Vista Registry Question

Dec 8, 2010 1:05AM PST

I would like to delete something from my registry and want verification before I do so. I have an integrated webcam in my monitor that used to work fine. Then my kid plugged in an external usb webcam and neither has worked since. It is not a hardware problem as Dell replaced monitor and same problem. In Device Manager I have removed the webcam driver under imaging and also there is one under sound probably for the integrated mic for the webcam? either way I deleted both and they re-create upon a new boot. I have searched the registry and found that there is a reference to that external webcam that my son plugged in because it was pluggged into a usb and it seems the reference is referencing that it expects it in that usb? either way, we never want to use that external webcam, we want to go back to using the integrated webcam w/mic in monitor, so I'd like to remove any reference of the other in my registry in case that is causing CONFLICT. I don't know much about deleting things in a registry other than I have to be careful, so the reference to this xbox live vision external webcam is in a registry folder called (36FC9E60-C465-11CF-8056-44455354000} and then in a subsequent folder called 0009. Do I delete the {36FCE.....folder? or the 0009 folder? or just an entry or two within the 009 folder??? I am un-sure of how much to delete. Once I delete that registry reference, I will delete the webcam drivers in device manager again and reboot and see if it only recognizes the integrated webcam as I want it to rather than a possibly conflict with the other.

Discussion is locked

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Did you try the easy way?
Dec 8, 2010 3:07AM PST

System restore to the day it worked.

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Please supply advice regarding the REGISTRY
Dec 8, 2010 5:07AM PST

I don't want to do or cannot do a system restore, because 1. it would have been some time ago as we don't use the webcam often (maybe even many months) and I'm a person who keeps my system up to date with other new drivers (vid, sound, and also vista updates) so even if I knew when the webcam worked, i wouldn't want to undue other things that are up to date and work great. I am not a novice when it comes to computers, I restore other peoples computers for a living, and have gone into the registry and done deletions before. I just wanted clarify prior to doing it this time.

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Then how I handle this.
Dec 8, 2010 6:28AM PST

I have varying levels of how I handle this. Let's start with the "can't lose the machine level" first.

1. The HHD in the machine is backed up with CLONEZILLA to some USB HDD.

With a safe copy we are now free to delete keys and more.

2. The maker's support.

NO ONE KNOWS WHAT REGISTRY ITEMS THESE MAKERS USE. You can demand that tech support at Microsoft (or here) know what keys to delete or change but the ugly truth is that the product makers know what they did and they may not tell us.

3. The INSPECTION METHOD.

It's painful, takes hours but I have for a price installed Process Monitor from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx

Now that we can watch the system we can see what keys are accessed and then we know what to try changing.

I could bet that you thought this was a well defined process or a "do that" problem but it is not.

4. The usual support answer.

"Reinstall the factory load."

Even I hate that one because it can highlight that the owner has no backups.
Bob