3rd Request: How to Fix my Reg Keys

Once upon a time ago, a friend "hacked" my registry in order to
prevent unwanted MS Updates from being "offered." He created empty
folders in the registry with the update number. After that, WU no
longer displayed them as options.
I'd like to fix this istuation.
Looking at the Updates section of my Registry, I see a number of
keys which do not have values or data -- just the empty folders, and
no subfolders within them.
A list follows.

How do I know which keys to "remove" so that WU again offers me
the updates my computer needs?

<*((((><{


================================================== =============
Details of Keys starts here:

Keys in HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Updates\WIndows XP\SP2\ ...
all have the same Value, Name, Type, and Data:
Value 0
Name: <NO NAME>
Type: REG_SZ
Data:
KB821557
KB823559
KB823980
KB824146
Q323255
Q328310
Q329048
Q329115
Q329170
Q329390
Q329441
Q329834
Q331953
Q810565
Q810577
Q810833
Q811493
Q811630
Q814033
Q815021
Q817287
Q817606


<*((((><{



<*((((><{

You can always do a windowsupdate from IE from the Tools menu.

Fishy wrote:

> Once upon a time ago, a friend "hacked" my registry in order to
> prevent unwanted MS Updates from being "offered." He created empty
> folders in the registry with the update number. After that, WU no
> longer displayed them as options.
> I'd like to fix this istuation.
> Looking at the Updates section of my Registry, I see a number of
> keys which do not have values or data -- just the empty folders, and
> no subfolders within them.
> A list follows.
>
> How do I know which keys to "remove" so that WU again offers me
> the updates my computer needs?
>
> <*((((><{
>
>
> ================================================== =============
> Details of Keys starts here:
>
> Keys in HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Updates\WIndows XP\SP2\ ...
> all have the same Value, Name, Type, and Data:
> Value 0
> Name: <NO NAME>
> Type: REG_SZ
> Data:
> KB821557
Hi

This is how a typically key looks like for this type of keys:

--------------------8<----------------------
REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Wind ows XP\SP2\KB123456]
"Description"="Windows XP Hotfix - KB123456"
"InstalledBy"="xyz"
"InstalledDate"="8/7/2004"
"UninstallCommand"="some command here removed"
"Type"="Update"
--------------------8<----------------------

If you just have 0's in such a key, just delete the key.


Note that the hotfixes are defined one more place in the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix


So if you delete a key in the list you supplied, you should delete
the key with same name (if found) at that second location.



--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx

Also - Belarc Advisor www.belarc.com may give quick access to a list of the
'apparently broken' non-existent patches, which would give you a working
list to search the registry on - generally, any flagged items in the Hotfix
section should be reinstalled.

--
Noel Paton (MS-MVP 2002-2005, Windows)

Nil Carborundum Illegitemi
http://www.btinternet.com/~winnoel/millsrpch.htm
http://tinyurl.com/6oztj

Please read http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm on how to post messages to NG's

"Torgeir Bakken (MVP)" <Torgeir.Bakken-> wrote in message
news:...
> Fishy wrote:
>
>> Once upon a time ago, a friend "hacked" my registry in order to
>> prevent unwanted MS Updates from being "offered." He created empty
>> folders in the registry with the update number. After that, WU no
>> longer displayed them as options. I'd like to fix this istuation.
>> Looking at the Updates section of my Registry, I see a number of
>> keys which do not have values or data -- just the empty folders, and
>> no subfolders within them. A list follows. How do I know which keys to
>> "remove" so that WU again offers me
>> the updates my computer needs? <*((((><{
>>
>>
>> ================================================== =============
>> Details of Keys starts here:
>>
>> Keys in HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Updates\WIndows XP\SP2\ ... all have the
>> same Value, Name, Type, and Data: Value 0
>> Name: <NO NAME>
>> Type: REG_SZ
>> Data: KB821557
> Hi
>
> This is how a typically key looks like for this type of keys:
>
> --------------------8<----------------------
> REGEDIT4
>
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Updates\Wind ows XP\SP2\KB123456]
> "Description"="Windows XP Hotfix - KB123456"
> "InstalledBy"="xyz"
> "InstalledDate"="8/7/2004"
> "UninstallCommand"="some command here removed"
> "Type"="Update"
> --------------------8<----------------------
>
> If you just have 0's in such a key, just delete the key.
>
>
> Note that the hotfixes are defined one more place in the registry:
>
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Hotfix
>
>
> So if you delete a key in the list you supplied, you should delete
> the key with same name (if found) at that second location.
>
>
>
> --
> torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
> Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
> the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scr...r/default.mspx