Strange symbols found in Registry Editor

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  1. Posts : 45
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (Version 21H2 - OS Build 19044.1889)
       #1

    Strange symbols found in Registry Editor


    I wasn't sure which place to put it in, so I put it in General Support.

    I was about to find out why my Desktop Wallpaper's not changing - again - and when I went into Reg Edit, I saw this:

    Does anyone know what this could mean?

      My Computer


  2. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #2

    According to some ancient and possibly irrelevant posts, this kind of thing can happen for a variety of reasons that ranges from bugs in the certificate manager (wrong hive for that, though) to malware. Veteran TenForums poster ztruker posted back in 2009 about this kind of thing for Sevenforums. There's a relatively current thread on this at social.technet.microsoft.com that attributes such keys to "badly-behaved applications," too. Whatever it is, it's probably not good news, though. Hope you get it figured out!
    --Ed--
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 45
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (Version 21H2 - OS Build 19044.1889)
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Well I've recently installed a program called Who Is On My Wifi - after seeing a car suspiciously parked outside our house with its engine on (but parked about 1/2 a meter away from the curb) with 2 lads in there looking at their machines (didn't have a good look what they were doing); I live at the end of a Lane which leads into some woods.

    After I'd turned my router off they drove away.

    So I installed that in case they came back again. So I was wondering if that might be the cause of it?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #4

    The social.technet item explains how to match up Registry Keys with SIDs (unique IDs) which may be used to tie them to resources, including applications. You could read that item and see if it provides some useful information to check the SIDs on the offending items.
    HTH,
    --Ed--
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 45
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (Version 21H2 - OS Build 19044.1889)
    Thread Starter
       #5

    I don't see how I can do the 'wmic useraccount get name' when the "name" of it is "�؏�؏ᡗE", but other than that, I hardly have a clue what that person is on about, sorry.

    I'm considering doing another System Restore or a Repair Install instead :/
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4,752
    Windows 11 Pro 64 Bit 22H2
       #6

    Also, if there are bad sectors on your HDD and some files are corrupt, it will come out like this.
    Press the Win key+X and choose Command Prompt (Admin) here type
    chkdsk /R and press enter. Now type a Y for Yes and restart your computer. Check Disk will start at next bootup and it will take a while.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 33
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #7

    I can pile on that it's a HD corruption issue, I had a pen drive recently checked out, I was using as a permanently attached one out of sight for critical backups, in any case I looked at it, one directory inside it had hundreds of scrambled nonsense for directories.

    In the registry.... YIKES, that's an immediate backup and wipe and drop fresh OS for me.

    The guys outside wise, might be coincidence, but....
    Change your WI-FI password and limit the bandwidth and # of devices it can use, if those settings are available in your router config, plus decrease the power % output (range) if it doesn't affect your use in the house?

    Unfortunately it's easy to hack a wi-fi password, and no I am not providing details.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4,224
    Windows 10
       #8

    You can cut'n'paste even weird characters from regedit.exe into the command prompt or PowerShell windows. But you can get the SID information directly from regedit, simply by right-clicking the questionable entries. Having now pondered the suggestion of disk corruption as a contributing factor, though, that could indeed be involved. Have you run chkdsk on your system drive? It's a pretty good telltale when it comes to detecting file-level disk corruption.
    HTH,
    --Ed--
      My Computers


  9. Posts : 45
    Windows 10 Home 64-bit (Version 21H2 - OS Build 19044.1889)
    Thread Starter
       #9

    I tried running a chkdsk /R, but it got stuck at around 16% and never got any further than that (how many hours would I have to wait if it's just that it needs a long time to scan?). I've started getting BSOD's now - which I've created a thread about here: Starting with BSOD after noticing strange symbols in registry - Windows 10 Forums
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 31,471
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #10

    Gaz1701 said:
    I tried running a chkdsk /R, but it got stuck at around 16% and never got any further than that (how many hours would I have to wait if it's just that it needs a long time to scan?). I've started getting BSOD's now...
    Chkdsk takes as long as it needs. With /R you are re-checking bad blocks. If there are a significant number and it's a 1TB drive it can be as long as 24 hours. I speak from experience, having dropped a 'live' 1TB external HDD - the loud 'ting' as the heads hit the platter meant I had created some bad blocks of my own
      My Computers


 

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