One rather minor issue we see from time to time is the Windows 8 prompt to fill out additional phone & modem info every time you launch ACT!. This appears to have no effect on ACT! performance, but it can be a nuisance to fill/close out each time.
The consensus on this error is that Microsoft implemented Skype integration with the new Windows 8, and changed up the outdated modem options. ACT! needs a bit of registry tweaking to get used to the change.
[box style=”alert”]Always, always, always back up the registry before making any changes![/box]
This solution was discovered by user Nomphra on the ACT! forums. It has been tested and confirmed at Twelve/Three’s Lab.
During ACT! launch, it looks for a registry key named HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionTel
In Windows 8, this key has been re-named to HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionTelephonyCountry/region List. However, for the purposes of ACT! knowing whether or not to ask this question every time, the structure of this key does not appear to matter. Therefore the solution is to simply export the new key from the Windows 8 registry, modify the exported file so that all references to Country/region List are changed to just Country List, then re-import.
- Open the start menu and type regedit.exe in the search box, and launch.
- Smart Idea: Backup the registry before making changes! File -> Export, Save
- Browse to directory HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionTelephonyCountry/region List
- Right-click on the key and export to a file. Save it to your desktop.
- Right-click on the registry file on your desktop and select Edit.
- The file should then open in Notepad. Go to the Edit menu and select Replace…
- In the Find what: box, enter /region (forward-slash, then the word “region” in lower-case).
- Leave the Replace with: box empty, then click on the Replace All button.
- Save the file and close Notepad.
- Right-click the file again, but this time select Merge.
- This will effectively copy the content of the Windows 8 Country/region List key into a duplicate key with the name Country List, which ACT! seems to use as a check point for whether or not to ask for the phone information.