How to safely remove orphaned values in the Windows registry?

Question

I had an application installed on my windows machine which I removed, but it has left an orphaned drive icon under "My Computer". Having dug through the registry, to find it by name, it seems to be associated with a GUID that occurs in other parts of the registry. I'd like to write a quick C program to do the job, once I understand what it is I need to remove. I understand the API, but what is all that cr*p in the registry? Short question: what registry values do I need to remove to reliably delete the unused drive icon? Longer question: where do I find out how the windows registry is organised at that level, to achieve the required result? I've looked on MSDN, but either the information I require is not there, or I don't know what I'm looking for (I'm not a windows programmer, but I do know a little about coding...). RTFM answers welcome, I'd just like to know which FM to R...

Answer 1

Have you tried tools like CCleaner?

Answer 2

Try RevoUninstaller if CCleaner does not help and you have not already coded something for this yet.

Answer 3

Short anser to the longer question: No such documentation exists. The registry is a rather ad-hoc pile of data, shared between many developers in- and outside Microsoft.

Answer 4

TFM - About the Registry
TFM - COM Registry Entries
TFM - Shell Extensions
TFM - Registering Verbs for File Extensions
TFM - Registering Preview Handlers
TFM - Registering Programs with Client Types

As easy as eating pancakes