Can I delete the registry key under Software\Microsoft\Registration?

Giraffe20 210 Reputation points
2026-09-12T19:58:53.2066667+00:00

I just deleted some of the subkeys in the folder under Software\Microsoft\Registration because they were for a deleted app that was still showing up in File Explorer under Open With. Can I delete the parent folder, Registration?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings
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Answer accepted by question author
EmilyS726 266.1K Reputation points Independent Advisor
2026-09-12T20:34:22.49+00:00

No, keep the parent key/folder please. But the parent Registration key is a shared Microsoft registry location and could be used by other software now or later.

Also, Software\Microsoft\Registration is not normally the primary location Windows uses to build the File Explorer “Open with” list. Those associations are commonly stored under locations such as:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts<extension>\OpenWithList

and

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts<extension>\OpenWithProgids

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Answer accepted by question author
Marcin Policht 107.3K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2026-09-12T20:34:16.6066667+00:00

In short - no - you should not delete the parent Registration folder. The Registration folder is a core Windows registry location. Operating system components and other active applications use it. Deleting the entire parent folder can break system features or cause errors. You might only delete specific subkeys that belong to the old app.


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hth

Marcin

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