1. DavidR quote: This really is an MS issue. The error 0xc0000005 is an access violation or 'Access is denied.' Are you trying to do this from a limited user account or the administrator account ?
Answer: Administrator account.
2. DavidR quote:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=707007&SiteID=1Answer: Running C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\regedit.exe or any other copy of regedit.exe, wherever it might be placed, leads to the same error, as long as I don't change the file name. (Still same error when typing REGEDIT using only caps in the "Start > Run:" box, this one is cute). (Also funny, my Win XP valid copy is not Duch, it is English)
2. Polonus quote: This has to do with an error in Sound Blaster driver. There is a problem there, re-install the corrupt driver.
Answer: Hi Polonus, and Thank you! I have a SoundBlaster drive indeed, and I installed the latest driver for Windows XP for SoundBlaster 16, at your advice, v.5.2.3718.0, 10/1/2002, by Microsoft. Darn it, no change in the regedit problem. Also, I use this sound drive, with the same hardware configuration, on other Hard Disks with Windows XP SP2 and 2k SP4, but I have no regedit problem.
3. Bob quote: Those errors are also often caused by faulty ram.
Answer: Hi Bob, and Thank you! I have several Hard Disks in this PC, some with Windows XP SP2, some with 2k SP4, and I don't have this problem on any other Hard Disk, in any other configuration, using always the same RAM.
4. DavidR quote: If it is a worm that has changed the permissions or is effecting this it is likely to be effecting two other files, taskmgr.exe and msconfig.exe. The obvious reason for this is to stop you killing the worm/virus process, startup entry and registry keys. For this reason I have an folder C:\Emergency Utilities, with the three files with slight differences to circumvent this problem so you can still run the programs:
regedit.com, the .exe changed to .com as that still works but takes priority over an exe file.
taskmgr1.exe, the slight name change should also get round the problem.
msconfig1.exe, the same name change as above.
Answer: I also have a folder EmergencyUtils with Copy_of_MSConfig.exe, Copy_of_Regedit.com, Copy_of_Taskmgr.exe, as per
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ToolsQuit.htm and Doug Knox,
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_emerutils.htm. As I mentioned in my first post, I can run regedit if I change the filename or the extension to .com. So I have a work-around. But I still am striving to find the bug that causes this error.
Also, quote from
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/ToolsQuit.htm These viruses terminate regedit.exe / msconfig.exe / taskmgr.exe.
W32.HLLW.Kefy
Backdoor.IRC.Yoink.A
W32.HLLW.Cydog@mm
Backdoor.Volac.dr
W32.Kwbot.R.Worm
W32.Erkez.B@mm
W32.Spybot
W32.Mytob.LD@mm
The following viruses delete Regedit.exe, Regedt32.exe, Msconfig.exe, Taskmgr.exe
W32.Petch.B
W32.HLLW.Maax.B@mm
5. DavidR quote: I don't know if the other two files are also effected.
Answer: They are not affected.
6. BUT: as in this post, from somebody else back in 2004:
http://discussions.virtualdr.com/archive/index.php/t-156941.html, I have this problem with other programs, notably any executable named setup.exe. If for example I make a txt file, david.txt and then I compress it into an SFX, self-executable archive, and I rename the rezulting .exe file to setup.exe, when I try to run this setup.exe, instead of getting back david.txt, I get the same error!!! As David said, "If it is a worm that has changed the permissions or is effecting this it is likely to be effecting ... other files. The obvious reason for this is to stop you killing the worm/virus process, startup entry and registry keys."
Thank you all very kindly, and please lets not give up,
Adrian