How to fix invalid values in Win 10 registry?

Proven ways to get rid of this problem

You certainly tried opening a file but got the message “Invalid value for registry”. It far from outlandish to claim you were not expecting this response, and you certainly did not understand what this message meant either. A registry is simply a database on your computer that stores settings or preferences for various programs and even for your operating system (Windows).

Users of systems running Windows 10 tend to have similar issues with their registry resulting in this error message. This problem, however, is not exclusive to systems running Windows 10; users of older versions of Windows (Windows 8.1, Windows 8 and Windows 7) may also experience the same or similar issues with their system registry.

This error is often encountered after a Windows update or update of applications from the Windows application store. Sometimes when an application is updated through the Windows application store, the registry entries of the previous version may remain intact and cause several unwanted issues.

The reported problem was true in particular for the Microsoft Windows Photo application. Some users complained that when they tried to open a picture (in JPEG or PNG format) with this app but got the error message “Invalid value for registry”. This issue was most likely caused by the presence of the entries of the app’s previous version that came into conflict with those of the new or latest version. These old entries, in theory, are actually supposed to be automatically deleted after you update your applications in Windows or upgrade your operating system but for some strange reason(s) might fail to leave your system.

Resolving this issue

Here we examine various ways of solving this problem depending on its complexity.

Using a superb program to fix it all

Manual cleaning of a system’s registry can be a bit of a nasty business. The sheer size, complexity of most registries, and the processes involved make this already uneasy task a pain for most users. You are also more prone to making errors compared to the work done by a program, and such errors could prove very costly. If you delete the wrong registry entries, your computer may refuse to start up properly or new problems might spring up.

We generally would not advise you to perform any of the manual fixes listed below unless you are completely sure of yourself or sure of what you are doing. This is why we recommend the use of a proven and trusted application like Auslogics Registry Cleaner to clean the registry safely.

Auslogics Registry Cleaner does not just simply clean your registry. It also analyses your registry intelligently while cleaning it and optimizes it to eliminate error and clashes, which results in the restoration of smooth performances and stable operations within your PC.

Deleting Old registry entries of the application

This process solves the existing conflict between the old and new registry entries by simply eliminating the old ones that are actually redundant.

This fix should easily work for those who encountered the error message when they attempted to open a photo file with the Windows app Photos. Create a backup of valuable files or a System restore point. This is to account for the possibility that things could go wrong.

Now, do the following:

• • Press the Windows and R key almost simultaneously to open the program Run
  • In the available search box, type “regedit.exe” without the quotes and click on OK to launch Registry Editor.
  • Locate this key at the left of the display

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModel\Repository\Families\
Microsoft.Windows.Photos_8wekyb3d8bbwe

• Take ownership of this registry key in order to get the required access for deleting it.

1. Right-click on the folder and select Permissions
2. Click on Advanced
3. Select Change
4. Now enter your account name in the provided box and click on Check Names
5. Select OK and you will be returned to the previous window
6. Tick Replace owner on Subcontainers and objects
7. Click on Apply and select OK.
8. Now highlight the account you have just added
9. Tick the box for Full Control under Allow
10. Click on Apply and select OK.

• Carefully locate the old registry keys. The number of old registry keys must be equal to the number of new registry keys.
• Delete these old registry keys one by one.
• Close the Registry Editor and restart your system.

Reinstalling the application

This fix should be attempted only after the previous ones failed to resolve your issue. Reinstalling third-party applications (using Control Panel) is usually a straightforward process when compared to the process of reinstalling a system application.

Users who encountered problems while trying to open a picture file using the Windows Photo app can reinstall this program by following this simplified process:

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard
2. Type Powershell in the box, right click on the result and select Run as administrator in order to launch the program
3. Type the following command to uninstall the Windows Photos appGet-AppxPackage *photos* | Remove-AppxPackage
4. Press Enter and wait for the app to be uninstalled
5. After the uninstallation has been completed, type the following command to reinstall itGet-AppxPackage *windows.photos* |Foreach{Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register “$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml”}
6. Press Enter and wait for the complete execution of the entered command.
7. Restart your system for the changes to take effect and see if your problem has been solved.

If the unlikely event of this fix failing to work occurs, you should consider viewing or opening the photo file with another program. Subsequently, you can decide to change the default program for opening photo files from the Windows Photos app to any new desired program that works well for you.