Sins Creates too many unneccessary Windows Registry entries

Windows XP, Retail Patched

from Stardock Forums
While cleaning the Windows XP registry, I noticed Sins placed hunders and hundreds of keys related to textures and game assets in this registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\UserData\S-1-5-18\
Components\00127AA46723FBF46B58B65D1393963A

The data that particular key holds is a directory and file:

\Sins of a Solar Empire\Textures\Unit_Hud_CursorOver.tga


This continues a few hundred times, with different data. I have seen this registry behavior before with Sega's expansion pack to Rome: Total War, Barbarian Invasion.

Not only is this a silly way to store data, it's problematic for users and if the uninstall process ever gets corrupted, woe to the user (ME) who has to manually uninstall these keys, like I had to do with Barbarian Invasion.

What were you thinking?


4,413 views 3 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
Sins itself does not use the registry at all, so far as I'm aware.  That UserData key must be full of recently used files or something.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Then why would they be under the Installer section?

Another program that does this kind of thing is the Microsoft Office suite - perhaps not the same section, but the same idea. I find it annoying too :(
Elemental: Reforged
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
You might want to check out the stardock installer. Most likely that is the cause of the registry entries.