Media Access Key (MAK) Not Saving in Registry- Help Me Please!

[larrs]

I have used Tivo-To-Go for about a year and a half now and love it. However, sometime around the time Windows pushed Service Pack 3 (XP) to my computer, I started having problems that thanks to this forum I have traced to zero length binary values in the registry entry for Tivo to Go, my MAK just will not save in the registry no matter how many times I enter it. I have delted and reinstalled Tivo Dektop (2.5.1 and 2.6.2) numerous times and Tivo even changed my MAK thinking that might help. It hasn't. I still get the MAK doesn't match error every time. I am at my wit's end and am close to reinstalling Windows (oh the horror) or buying a new cheap computer just for Tivo to Go. Any suggestions appreciated.

By the way, in another thread, I saw an entry about making sure protected services is running. It is.

[Rdian06]

Not sure if this will help, but worth a try.

Run regedit and navigate to the registry key containing the registry value in question.

With the registry key selected (folder icon in the left pane), go to the edit menu and choose Permissions.

Make sure the Everyone user has Full Control permissions for this key. If they don't then add them and check Full Control for that user.

If the key has sub-keys (i.e. sub folder icon's within it), then you'll also want to hit the Advanced button, checkmark "Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects" and then click Apply.

Good luck.

[larrs]

Not sure if this will help, but worth a try.

Run regedit and navigate to the registry key containing the registry value in question.

With the registry key selected (folder icon in the left pane), go to the edit menu and choose Permissions.

Make sure the Everyone user has Full Control permissions for this key. If they don't then add them and check Full Control for that user.

If the key has sub-keys (i.e. sub folder icon's within it), then you'll also want to hit the Advanced button, checkmark "Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects" and then click Apply.

Good luck.

Didn't help. Anyone know if I can edit the keys manually in the registry?

[Rdian06]

Regedit has a binary edit mode where you essentially get a little hex editor though since I don't use Tivo Desktop, I have no idea what the format of the value should be.

[larrs]

Regedit has a binary edit mode where you essentially get a little hex editor though since I don't use Tivo Desktop, I have no idea what the format of the value should be.

Can anyone read their entry and tell me how to format?

[larrs]

OK, I have installed Dektop on my laptop and it works. I can also see the mess that is the registry entries. Is there anyway to copy this data and paste it into the registry in the main computer?

[CuriousMark]

OK, I have installed Dektop on my laptop and it works. I can also see the mess that is the registry entries. Is there anyway to copy this data and paste it into the registry in the main computer?

Export that key to a *.reg file. Then run the reg file on the other computer and it will be imported.

[larrs]

Export that key to a *.reg file. Then run the reg file on the other computer and it will be imported.

I'll try it tonight. Is a .reg file not the entire registry?

Maybe I need a bit more detailed instructons--Thanks

[CuriousMark]

I'll try it tonight. Is a .reg file not the entire registry?

Maybe I need a bit more detailed instructons--Thanks

Not necessarily. If you need details, Google is your friend.

[Rdian06]

I'll try it tonight. Is a .reg file not the entire registry?

Maybe I need a bit more detailed instructons--Thanks

Right click on the key (the folder icons in the left pane of regedit) and choose Export. Then it will prompt you to save to a .reg file. The .reg file will contain the key, all subkeys and all values of the key and subkeys.

Move the .reg file to your problem computer and double click the file to trigger an import. Confirm the import and you should be done.

.reg files are text file formatted registry scripts. They can be used to both add and remove keys and values.

Actual binary registry files are called hives and they don't have a particular extension. You also can't manipulate them directly while they are loaded into Windows.

[larrs]

Well, it did not work. I did verify the sharingkey data copied successfully and matched what is on the laptop- it still gives the same error that the keys in desktop and on the tivos does not match.

I guess reloading windows is in my future?

[larrs]

Interestingly, if I try to enter the MAK into desktop (on the computer with the problem) it immediatley reads "zero length binary value" in place of reg binary after importing. I also went through the whole string of numbers after importing and it matches what is in the sharingkeys entry in the computer that is working.

PUZZLING

[CuriousMark]

Before doing that try running the system file checker from a command window.
sfc /scannow

[larrs]

Before doing that try running the system file checker from a command window.
sfc /scannow

No change. Same result after running this. It looks like the reinstall is going to happen this weekend....

[larrs]

unfortunately, the only solution that worked was a complete reload of the operating system. Luckily, based on a bunch of research and backing up my drivers, etc. it was relatively painless.

After the reload, everything works perfectly.