Mystery key

[flarn2006]

I've got

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ 9>1"%

[Dude111]

Well some of us have deleted that entry and things are fine so i reckon it really isnt needed....

[RetroOS]

Here's another interesting one:

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\[cryptic name]\[cryptic name]\Offline\[various folders and files]

I have not included the cryptic names, but used [] where they would be.

I've seen this on every install of Windows 98SE that I can remember...

Perhaps they are linked?

[chromatic47]

I have not included the cryptic names, but used [] where they would be.

I've seen this on every install of Windows 98SE that I can remember...

Perhaps they are linked?

Possible especially if one of the cryptic names is 9 digits long.

[Dude111]

I dont have that entry in my APPLICATION DATA folder

[Lecco]

Mine :

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\E52EBYNK\66T5GMED\Offline

Registry :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\G13?:8<02

1Żč, CC 0C F2 CC

[the xt guy]

I've checked two of my three Win 98 computers and I don't have any encrypted entry such as that in my APPLICATION DATA folder (but then, I don't have WEB FILES or IE installed either, thanks to 98 lite.)

Edited January 25, 2009 by the xt guy

[ShadeTreeLee]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\G25266428]
"rbf¢"=hex:64,c4,68,64

Some have something like the above, some don't. I've seen it for some 5 years now, I think it comes about from some faulty inf file so even if you don't have it today you might tomorrow. It's not a virus or maleware, just a screw up somewhere. I've never heard of anyone that suffered because they deleted it from their registry - EVER. All 98 groups go thru this from OMG!!! to the fizzile, drizzle end.

[code65536]

/me is surprised that nobody has considered that this could just be the unintentional result of a bug.

I've seen this sort of weird key before. And I've seen similar random garbage keys in XP, too. Chances are, some program passed a stale pointer (very easy mistake to make if pointer lifetimes are not perfectly managed) when setting a registry key, and instead of pointing to a valid string value, it pointed to garbage, and garbage was what was set in the registry (if you pass garbage as a subkey name, you'll also get the garbage location as shown). This theory might not be correct, but sure seems plausible (likely, even).

But I admit, the conspiracy theories are amusing.

[Dude111]

Whats interesting is no one can find anything out about these entries!

[MDGx]

So I was doing some registry pruning and once again stumbled upon this oddly titled key and value. Every time I see it it makes me go hmm. The full key is this:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\J9<000000]

"é "=hex:05,40,45,45

...and it has been there since a clean install of Win98se.

Google turns up nothing, so does anybody know, what gives with J9, and why would it ever be less than 000000? And further, what is up with that funky binary value? Somehow it seems a shame to delete this bit of cryptic until I understand its inscrutable purpose.

Anonymous author of numerous unofficial 98SE fixes has the answer to this question:

Mystery key, J9<000000

This key is no mystery. It is used by DirectX to store the DVD drive's region information and number of changes left (if it is a drive with an RPC-1 firmware). The actual registry location and key name are different for different versions of DirectX etc. and also different under WinXP.

HTH

[chromatic47]

This key is no mystery. It is used by DirectX to store the DVD drive's region information and number of changes left (if it is a drive with an RPC-1 firmware). The actual registry location and key name are different for different versions of DirectX etc. and also different under WinXP.

Ah so. Thanks!

[iamtheky]

I know anonymous is a reliable source and all but its not quite in the same location as the drive region setting.

With all info provided I still lean towards a time code for some demoware, or malware.

Initial Region Selection in Windows 98

In Windows 98, the following registry key should be created and set to the desired default DVD region for the system:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion \DefaultDVDRegion (binary)

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/dvdregion.mspx

Edited February 2, 2009 by iamtheky

[Dude111]

What is the WEB folder for in the Windows Directory? (Can it be removed)

[Dave-H]

What is the WEB folder for in the Windows Directory? (Can it be removed)

It contains (amongst other things) all the hypertext template (.htt) files for the web views of Windows Explorer, Control Panel, My Computer, Printers etc. etc.

You might be able to remove it if you haven't got Webview on, I've never tried, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Try just renaming the folder (to W~B for instance) and see what effect it has when you restart.

If it's disastrous you can always boot into DOS and rename it back again.

If it warns you that files are in use when you try to rename it in Windows, I would leave well alone!

Edited February 3, 2009 by Dave-H