Show computer name on Windows desktop computer icon

Question

I know how to do this in Windows XP, as explained in this answer, but it seems that LocalizedString in HKLM\CLSID\{20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D} is locked in Windows 7. Every time I try to edit it, I get the following error, Cannot edit LocalizedString: Error writing the value's new contents

Does anyone know how I can edit this to show the computer name on the desktop’s "Computer" icon?

Solution 1

@Synetech, thanks a lot for pointing me to the not so obvious, I probably would have never seen it had not been for your help (upvoted your answer), and yes I was already running as admin, I have UAC set to elevate without prompt for admins (also tried running "as administrator", running from cmd prompt started as admin, etc, etc, but nothing worked) but didn't work

Fix: Turns out, that key is stupidly configured (imho), neither System, nor Administrators had write access to that key, I had to take ownership of the key then give administrators write access to be able to modify it.

Solution 2

That key is protected. To write to it, you need to give yourself write permission to it.

Solution 3

Open regedit with the Sysinternals command line utility PsExec with -i -d -s switches:

Example: "C:\Program Files\Sysinternals Suite\PsExec.exe" -i -d -s C:\Windows\regedit.exe

(This works even with the «Legacy» registry entries for example...)

PsExec: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897553

Hope this help. Let us know.

Comments

[Jason]

I tried simmilar approach psexec -i -s cmd then ran regedit from there, but didn't work, as I stated in my own answer, I found out that neither administrators nor system had write access to this key

[climenole]

May be the wrong switches...

[Jason]

wrong switches?

[climenole]

Finally you find it! Good news :)

[climenole]

l instead of i ... (I do it the 1st time I used PsExec... :-S )

[Jason]

got you, I guess I'm old school, having the console there before I launch that and other commands and perhaps see if I get some error make me feel warm and fuzzy :)

[Synetech]

Hmm, curious that somebody decided to rescind an up-vote today after almost a year without explanation. I can’t address any problems or provide help if no comment is left. sigh

[Synetech]

Turns out, that key is stupidly configured (imho), neither System, nor Administrators had write access to that key, I had to take ownership of the key then give administrators write access to be able to modify it. Um, yes, that’s what I said.

[Jason]

@Synetech actually, that's what you said after I figured it out the hard way, thanks to hints from both you and climenole (and upvoted both answers), but whatever

[Synetech]

Okay; I don’t know what happens behind the scenes, I can only see the timestamps. Cheers.