How to Fix the “Cannot Find Regedit.exe” Error in Windows
Regedit.exe is the application file for Registry Editor, which is an app with which users tweak the registry. However, some users can’t open that app because of a regedit.exe error. Those users have reported this error message pops up when they try to launch Registry Editor: “Windows cannot find C:\Windows\regedit.exe.”
This registry app error can arise in Windows 11/10 and earlier platforms of the same OS series. It effectively blocks registry access for users who need to resolve it. These are some of the ways to fix the “cannot find regedit.exe” error in Windows 11/10.
1. Run a Full Antivirus Scan
The “cannot find regedit.exe” error can sometimes be due to malware targeting the Registry Editor. So, we recommend all users who need to resolve this issue first run a full antivirus scan. If you haven’t got any antivirus software installed, try running a Windows Security scan as follows:
2. Scan and Repair System Files
Scanning system files is a potential solution for the “cannot find regedit.exe” error confirmed to work by some. Those users resolved the issue with the System File Checker Command Prompt utility. you’re able to scan and repair system files with that SFC tool like this:
3. Enable Registry Editor Access in Group Policy Editor
Windows Pro and Enterprise editions have a Group Policy Editor tool that includes aPrevent access to registry editing toolsoption. If you’re a Pro or Enterprise user, check if that policy setting is enabled and causing the issue at hand. This is how you could enable Registry Editor access with Group Policy Editor:
4. Edit the Path Environment Variable
A wrongly configured or missing path environment variable can cause the “cannot find regedit.exe” error. Some users may need to edit an environment variable to resolve this issue. To do so, follow these steps for editing the Path variable:
5. Restore the Registry Editor’s Default Registry Values
This error can occur because some of the Registry Editor’s registry values have been altered. So, restoring the default registry values for the regedit.exe could be a solution for some users. You can restore those values to default without the Registry Editor app by setting up a script as follows:
6. Perform a System Restore
Restoring Windows to an earlier date can fix corrupted files. If you have the System Restore tool turned on, that might be worth a try. it’s possible to roll back Windows as outlined in our guide forcreating restore points in Windowsand utilizing System Restore. Select a restore point predating the “cannot find regedit.exe” error on your PC if you can.
You may need to reinstall some software after performing system restoration. Software installed after any restore point’s date is not preserved. Click theScan for affected programsoption for whatever restoration point you chose to see what software it removes.
7. Reset Windows
This last resolution will restore Windows 11/10 to a factory default configuration, which will likely resolve the “cannot find regedit.exe” issue. However, this is the last thing you should try since resetting Windows will also remove software packages that weren’t preinstalled. Our guide aboutfactory resetting a Windows PCincludes the steps for applying this fix.
Edit the Registry With Registry Editor Once More
We hope and expect the potential resolutions in this guide will fix the “cannot find regedit.exe” error on your PC. Those possible solutions don’t come with a 100 percent guarantee, but they’ll probably get that issue sorted in most cases. Try applying them all as ordered above to get the Registry Editor working again.
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