error while reading registry value
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hi all.
i know this problem has been discussed before on this forum but i think the latest was over a year ago with no resolution. (that i can find anyway)
so as im now having this problem, i cant pinpoint a time scale as to when it started as ive been on and off with listening to music lately.
the error
error while reading registry value hkey_local_machine/software/microsoft/currntversion/mmdevices/audio/render/{a925ae74-600c-4cd0-8f9f-308a7ae83bdb}/properties/{a45c254e-df1c-4efd-8020-67d146a850e0},2: the system cannot find the file specified
ive tried un installing. installing with admin rights. turning off firewall, anti virus. uninstalling audio drivers. deleting registry keys. manually adding registry keys. tried different versions of apo and peace all with same result.
apart from reinstalling windows, i think (i may be wrong) ive tried every solution going.
please somone prove me wrong
running windows 11.
ive wracked my brain and cant think of any changes or installed anything (apart from windows updates and gfx drivers) at all really to cause the issue.
thank you in advance for any help.
{a45c254e-df1c-4efd-8020-67d146a850e0},2 is the description of an audio device which the Device Selector / Configurator and Configuration Editor tries to retrieve from the Windows registry. Knowing this there can be a few issues:
1. The audio device is removed so the key value doesn't exist any longer.
2. The audio device still exists but both apps don't have access to the Windows registry.
3. The audio device still exists but it should have been removed.
thank you for the help.
i think i have checked all the devices in the registry.
tried removing all bluetooth devices even all audio devices with same result.
if it is a bluetooth problem why whichever device a choose , be it usb or bluetooth does it throw the error? or is it just the device selector or configurator thats the issue?
the only issue i can see is the registry entry that the error is saying it cant find is not actually in my registry. i have tried maually entering the entry but i dont kno any values that should be entered.
anyone have an entry i can import?
thank you again peter for the help
Last edit: Robert ODonnell 2 days ago
Good questions. First of all, one can't import a device as every device gets a unique id (GUID). The issue is that the Device Selector seems to see a device where it isn't in the Windows registry. I don't have an explanation for this. Unfortunately the developer of Equalizer APO seldom responds so we can't ask him (if he knows this in the first place).
Forgot to ask, does the Device Selector shows itself? Or pops up the error and shuts down?
on the settings page it gives error as soon as i click on device selector. then the selector shows itself after i click ok on the error code, but i can only click on cancel as the playback devices are blank
There's something quite wrong. The Device Selector isn't able to build up a list of audio devices. Why the erroneous device and its pop up error message prevent the building up of the total list, I don't know. Looking at your screenshot it looks like list of "empty" device lines. Perhaps the devices are there without showing their specs. You can test this by clicking on the empty lines.
An empty list could suggest an erroneous device but also a rights issues. The Device Selector may not have access to the Windows registry. Try running this app as administrator (right menu -> Run as administrator) from the Equalizer APO menu in the Windows start menu .
I think the developer of Equalizer APO hasn't considered the possibility that a device can be an issue. Now the problem becomes that you're not able to install Equalizer APO on any device. Even, with empty lines you don't know the device of a particular line.
Although I've helped so many Equalizer APO users and Peace users (as developer of this app), I still don't know the answer to this erroneous device issue. It seems that 1.1.2 or 1.2.1 suffers less from this. You could try both versions.
Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, I never had an issue with Equalizer APO working with it over 10 years.
something very wrong and quite annoying. (im one of those that cant give up till its sorted and have spent many hours on this. and if it wasnt for people like you i think many things wouldnt get fixed so thank you for all you do)
as you can see the device list on the main screen is populated with my audio devices, then when clicked it says apo is not installed on that device. then i click the device selector then i get the error.
nothing is clickable in the device selector after the error apart from cancel.
ive tried run as admin. even running as admin from the install folder with same results.
im sure ive allready tried v1.1.2 but just going to try it now.
thank you again
That's in the Peace app. Peace retrieves the list of devices by "asking" Windows so no errors. Equalizer APO tries to retrieve a list by accessing the Windows registry causing the issue, either rights issue or erroneous device. But I don't understand why there is a rights issue or an erroneous device in the first place.
Good try by running the Device Selector as admin. That rules out a rights issue, I think. It must be that device with GUID a925ae74-600c-4cd0-8f9f-308a7ae83bdb. Could you search the Windows registry with this specific GUID? Perhaps there's remnant of a removed device which Equalizer APO picks up.
Just been through the source code of Equalizer APO. The developer seems filling the list in the Device Selector after a successful retrieval of all devices. Any retrieval issue will result into an empty list, rendering the Device Selector as unusable. He should have retrieved the list through Windows instead of the registry. And he should have shown the devices which are alright instead of jumping out at the first error. I guess this it a bit of rand 😃
no results with a925ae74-600c-4cd0-8f9f-308a7ae83bdb.
but when i search for the file the error says it cant find, it finds it. showing as a microphone?
a45c254e-df1c-4efd-8020-67d146a850e0 is a GUID which every device has so the mic is the first one found. This particular GUID is a unique id for the device description "label". Don't know why it needs a GUID instead of just labeling it with "Audio device description".
So Equalizer APO finds a non-existing device GUID. That's so weird. I can't explain that. Perhaps cleaning up the Windows registry helps?
O, looking at your screenshot I see the GUID of the device starts with "66bdef6e". Perhaps that's the GUID you need to search with.