Cannot Use the Reg.exe Command to Locate a Registry Key That Contains a Forward Slash Character (823468)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
  • Microsoft Windows XP Professional

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Reg.exe command to locate or use a registry key that contains a forward slash character (/), you may receive the following error message:
Error: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value

CAUSE

This problem occurs because, when you specify a registry path that contains a forward slash character, the Reg.exe command truncates the portion of the registry path that is before the forward slash character.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows XP. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Hotfix information

A supported fix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to computers that are experiencing this specific problem. This fix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, Microsoft recommends that you wait for the next Windows XP service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the fix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services phone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

NOTE: In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The typical support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this fix has the file attributes (or later) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel. 
   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   08-Jul-2003  15:26  5.1.2600.1243      48.128  Reg.exe

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section. This problem was first corrected in Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/28/2005
Keywords:kbHotfixServer kbQFE kbQFE kbWinXPsp2fix kbWinXPpreSP2fix kbfix kbbug KB823468 kbAudEndUser kbAudITPRO
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