Editing the Windows Registry

This viewlet shows how to edit the Windows Registry.  The particular edit which is shown is one which is used to remove Internet Explorer's Content Advisor password, but the procedure is similar for all Registry edits.  The purpose of this viewlet is to familiarize the user with navigating the Registry to a given location.

The edit that is to be made is the removal of a value in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ratings.  In the literature HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is frequently abbreviated HKLM.

The edit begins by opening the Registry editor (regedit.exe) by going to Start, clicking Run, entering regedit  in the run box and clicking OK.

The first entry in the target location is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.  In order to navigate within that location, click on the plus sign to the left of its name and the contents expand.  Find the next entry (SOFTWARE) in the expanded list and click the plus sign to its left to expand it.  Proceed through the remaining locations in order until the Ratings folder is reached.

To display the value in that folder which is to be deleted, click on the folder and its contents are displayed in the right pane of the Registry editor.  Scroll down to the Software folder and click it to display its contents.  Scroll down through these contents to the Microsoft folder and click to expand.   Continue similarly through Windows, CurrentVersion, Policies, and Ratings folders.

One the Ratings folder is opened, on the right pane will display the target value, Key.  Right-click on the value name and select "Delete" from the context menu that appears.  Confirm that deletion is desired.   Close the Registry Editor by clicking Registry, then Exit.