how do you access Windows system directory on XP?
What do you mean by that ? Just go into Windows / System32 directory… it’s easy as that…
Cheers !
Hi Omar,
I’m assuming you’re logged in with admin status – these choices may not be available otherwise.
There may be more than one way to get at this, but the most obvious one is in the Control Panel, Folder Options.
Under the View tab, make sure the option to “Show hidden files and folders” is ticked. That should cover 99 percent of what you need, but if you want to get daring and have access to all files and folders, also un-tick the option to “Hide protected OS files”.
Best,
Mike
..... also un-tick the option to "Hide protected OS files"
Only the brave go in there! ;D Unless you really know what you are doing, stay away from the OS files! I speak from experience remembering back when I was just a little baby “techie” ;D
Good luck and tread cautiously.
Why do you want to access the Windows directory? There may be a better and safer way to do what you want.
if you have a look at my other topic in this forum, that will answer your question.
Basically adaware keeps finding “altnet” reg key. I have deleted it so many times, but it keeps showing up-next time i scan with adaware.
The manual instructions for removal-see below-suggest accessing the windows directory. If you know of any other way to fix the problem, i would love to hear it.
If they advise you to clean your registry and access Windows System directory, and 99% you should do that after booting into SAFE mode, then you should do that. There is no other way to fix some things, than to access system directory.
You can find in our previous replies to you on how to do that.
Cheers !
P.S. Try to run Bazooka Scanner. That little tool is freeware, but it will not clean anything for you. It just gives you very good explanation what directories you have to access to clean certain spyware or adware… very good program, and it can trace some things that Ad-Aware and Spybot misses…
I have tried to delete the “altnet” reg key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altnet
using regedit, in safe mode. When i tried deleting it, it said “error when deleting key”
Were you logged in as Administrator ?
And also, this is from Microsoft web page:
Error Message: An error occurred deleting registry key 'value':Explanation:
The indicated registry key could not be removed for registry replication. The error code specified in the error-message text indicates the cause of the failure.User Action:
To translate the error code in the message, type net helpmsg [error code] on the command line. The action to take depends on the cause.
Try that to see what happens…
Well there’s always the brute-force method:
- boot to safeMode and log in as the REAL “Administrator”
- Open the alternative Registry-Editor (on Win2000 it’s called “Regedt32.exe”; might be similar on XP or google)
- navigate to the relevant key & highlight it; if you still can’t delete it there, then in the menue go Security → Permissions: give yourself, Administrator, system or anythign else that is listed there FULL rights → save changes, then delete the RegKey
As said above: Only fools rush in there…! ;D
→ First: Make a backup of your registry or at least of the keys to be deleted
P.S.: A very good prog to decently backup&restore the registry & other vital system files is “EruNT” → google
As said above: Only fools rush in there..!
Not just fools… sometimes newbies does that and they shouldn’t touch system files if they don’t know exactly what they are doing…
Sasha, I never found Bazooka very useful. Or it does not detect nothing (I use Ad-aware, SpyBot, SpywareBlaster and PestPatrol), the updates are rare… Do you really think it does not useless? :
Well, bazooka helped me few times when I went to customer’s. It recognized few spyware things as well as browser hijackers that Ad-aware and Spybot couldn’t even report…
I’m happy with Bazooka. Again, Bazooka won’t claan anything for you, it will just give you an explanation how to do cleaning manually.
that sound very useful, a quick question:
you said the following:
“then in the menue go Security → Permissions: give yourself, Administrator, system or anythign else that is listed there FULL rights → save changes, then delete the RegKey”
could you please explain, which menu do you mean? How do you access the menu.
Thank you as well for the other suggestion. I will try them!
Oh well,
regedt32 is something else in Win XP
maybe you’ll find the security functions in XP’s normal “regedit.exe”
Menu: near the top of the window in regedt32/REGEDIT you should find a line of words/commands: this I call a menue)
something like “Registry” “Edit” “Security/Permissions” …
some will only be active when you’ve marked a RegKey
As I don’t have neither XP nor an english version of WIN, I can’t advise you further …
- wait for someone else to step in or better:
- read up on Registry & RegEditors in XP here with Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/141377/EN-US/
Have a look at the picture. The highlited item is (I think) what whocares ment.
If my brains just would allow me to remember the English word for it ;D
how confident are you, that i will be able to delete the “altnet” reg key, by following your instructions?
well if you get the correct regeditor, AND find the right buttons, AND “Gates-allowed”, you should be able to delete it…
Can’t really say, though, if the above is applicable …
AND I can’t promise that it won’t come back via hidden malware or your surfing behaviour… (My Crystal ball is broken & I don’t sit in front of your PC)
;D ;D
→ Make a Registry-backup and just try it
I followed your instructions, went into safe mode, as administrator, allowed all the permissions/full control.
I tried to delete the altnet reg key and said “cannot delete Altnet: Error while deleting key”
This altnet, won`t die easly!
Any other suggestions?
Delete on next Boot using MoveOnBoot 1.95