RegDeleteKey

Windows 95: The RegDeleteKey function deletes a subkey and all its descendants.

Windows NT: The RegDeleteKey function deletes the specified subkey. The subkey to be deleted must not have subkeys.

LONG RegDeleteKey(
  HKEY hKey,         // handle to open key
  LPCTSTR lpSubKey   // address of name of subkey to delete
);
 

Parameters

hKey

Handle to a currently open key or one of the following predefined reserved handle values:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKEY_USERS
Windows NT: HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA
Windows 95 and Windows 98: HKEY_DYN_DATA

The key specified by the lpSubKey parameter must be a subkey of the key identified by hKey.

lpSubKey

Pointer to a null-terminated string specifying the name of the key to delete. This parameter cannot be NULL.

Windows NT: The specified key must not have subkeys.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is ERROR_SUCCESS.

If the function fails, the return value is a nonzero error code defined in WINERROR.H. You can use the FormatMessage function with the FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM flag to get a generic description of the error.

Remarks

If the function succeeds, RegDeleteKey removes the specified key from the registry. The entire key, including all of its values, is removed.

To open the key, use the RegCreateKeyEx or RegOpenKeyEx function. Do not use the RegCreateKey or RegOpenKey functions.

Windows CE: With Windows CE, you can not RegDeleteKey a key which an application currently has open.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
  Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Windows CE: Requires version 1.0 or later.
  Header: Declared in winreg.h.
  Import Library: Use advapi32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT.

See Also

Registry Overview, Registry Functions, RegCloseKey, RegCreateKeyEx, RegOpenKeyEx