Many registry settings are protected from changes, making registry changes in Windows 7 impossible. If you ever encounter the error message: “Cannot edit,create, delete, modify registry key” or , then you will have to grant your user account permission to modify the registry.

Cannot edit: Error writing the values new contents

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There are also other error messages that are related to the same problem:

Cannot create, edit delete registry key

  • Cannot create key: You do not have the requisite permissions to create a new key under Registry Key
  • Cannot create value: Error writing to the registry
  • Cannot edit Registry Value. Error writing the value’s new contents
  • Cannot delete Registry Key: Error while deleting key

Error creating, renaming, editing, creating, deleting registry key

  • Error Creating Value
  • Error Renaming Key or Value
  • Error Editing Value
  • Error Creating Key
  • Error Deleting Values
  • Error Deleting Key

Other registry errors

  • Registry Access Error
  • The Registry Editor cannot rename Registry Key or Value. Error while renaming key or value
  • Unable to delete all specified values

How to edit protected registry files properly?

To solve the problem, you will have to give yourself permissions to modify the registry entry.

1. Step Right-click on the registry entry that you want to modify and click on permissions:

Registry Entry Change Permissions

2. Step Select your username and give yourself “Full Control”:

Registry Permissions: Full Control

Now, you should already be able to modify the registry and apply your registry changes.

(Optional) Replace owner of registry entry

If you still can’t apply any registry changes in Windows 7, you can replace the owner of the registry entry with your own user account. Then you will be the owner of the file and can do whatever you want with it.

1. Step To do that repeat step 1 above and open the permissions window of the registry key, then click on “Advanced”:
Advanced Registry Permissions

2. Step Go to the tab “Owner” and assign ownership of the registry entry to yourself. Make sure to check the option “Replace owner on subcontainers and objects” (this will apply the registry permissions recursively and assign ownership of subitems to your account as well).

Assign registry ownership