Search the users registry for a specific key

[ghudson]

How can I search a users registry for a specific key? I want to test if the below key exists and if false, I need to alert the user with a message box. Thanks in advance for your help!

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Custom.exe

 

[mission2java_78]

How can I search a users registry for a specific key? I want to test if the below key exists and if false, I need to alert the user with a message box. Thanks in advance for your help!

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\Custom.exe

Simple,

You try to set a value (binary, string, etc) into one of the keys...if you try to set a value in a key and you raise an exception (throw an error) you simply catch that exception and inform the user the value in the registry does not exist. The error happens when you try to set a registry value but you end up finding out the registry does not exist.

Jon

 

[ghudson]

How do I try to set a value (binary, string, etc) into one of the keys?

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[mission2java_78]

How do I try to set a value (binary, string, etc) into one of the keys?

Thanks in advance for your help!

At the top of a module at the declaration section

Option Compare Database

Option Explicit

   Public Const REG_SZ As Long = 1
   Public Const REG_DWORD As Long = 4

   Public Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
   Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
   Public Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
   Public Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003

   Public Const ERROR_NONE = 0
   Public Const ERROR_BADDB = 1
   Public Const ERROR_BADKEY = 2
   Public Const ERROR_CANTOPEN = 3
   Public Const ERROR_CANTREAD = 4
   Public Const ERROR_CANTWRITE = 5
   Public Const ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY = 6
   Public Const ERROR_ARENA_TRASHED = 7
   Public Const ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED = 8
   Public Const ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETERS = 87
   Public Const ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS = 259

   Public Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1
   Public Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
   Public Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = &H3F

   Public Const REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE = 0
   
   Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" _
   (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegCreateKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegCreateKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, _
   ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal lpClass As String, ByVal dwOptions _
   As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, ByVal lpSecurityAttributes _
   As Long, phkResult As Long, lpdwDisposition As Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegOpenKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegOpenKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, _
   ByVal ulOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, phkResult As _
   Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegQueryValueExString Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As _
   String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, ByVal lpData _
   As String, lpcbData As Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegQueryValueExLong Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As _
   String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As _
   Long, lpcbData As Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegQueryValueExNULL Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As _
   String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, ByVal lpData _
   As Long, lpcbData As Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegSetValueExString Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, _
   ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpValue As _
   String, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
   Declare Function RegSetValueExLong Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
   "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, _
   ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpValue As Long, _
   ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
   Global g_OpSys As String

Here is a function that will set the value, you provide the key and name.

Public Function SetValueEx(ByVal hKey As Long, sValueName As String, lType As Long, vValue As Variant) As Long
       Dim lValue As Long
       Dim sValue As String
       Select Case lType
           Case REG_SZ
               sValue = vValue & Chr$(0)
               SetValueEx = RegSetValueExString(hKey, sValueName, 0&, lType, sValue, Len(sValue))
           Case REG_DWORD
               lValue = vValue
               SetValueEx = RegSetValueExLong(hKey, sValueName, 0&, lType, lValue, 4)
           End Select
   End Function

Function QueryValueEx(ByVal lhKey As Long, ByVal szValueName As _
   String, vValue As Variant) As Long
       Dim cch As Long
       Dim lrc As Long
       Dim lType As Long
       Dim lValue As Long
       Dim sValue As String

       On Error GoTo QueryValueExError

       ' Determine the size and type of data to be read
       lrc = RegQueryValueExNULL(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, lType, 0&, cch)
       If lrc <> ERROR_NONE Then Error 5

       Select Case lType
           ' For strings
           Case REG_SZ:
               sValue = String(cch, 0)

   lrc = RegQueryValueExString(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, lType, sValue, cch)
               If lrc = ERROR_NONE Then
                   vValue = Left$(sValue, cch - 1)
               Else
                   vValue = Empty
               End If
           ' For DWORDS
           Case REG_DWORD:
   lrc = RegQueryValueExLong(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, lType, lValue, cch)
               If lrc = ERROR_NONE Then vValue = lValue
           Case Else
               'all other data types not supported
               lrc = -1
       End Select

QueryValueExExit:
       QueryValueEx = lrc
       Exit Function

QueryValueExError:
       Resume QueryValueExExit
   End Function

Opens and sets a key value

Public Sub SetKeyValue(sKeyName As String, sValueName As String, vValueSetting As Variant, lValueType As Long)
       Dim lRetVal As Long         'result of the SetValueEx function
       Dim hKey As Long            'handle of open key

       'open the specified key
       lRetVal = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sKeyName, 0, KEY_SET_VALUE, hKey)
       lRetVal = SetValueEx(hKey, sValueName, lValueType, vValueSetting)
       RegCloseKey (hKey)
   End Sub

I use the following function for a third party tool to change my default printer to a pdf distiller, you will not need this function but it shows you how to call other functions:

Function SetupPdfForPrint(ByVal sReportFile As String, ByVal keyVal) 'FOR WINDOWS NT/2000 PDF PRINTING
'- Updates the registry for the correct pdffilename
'- also sets bExecViewer = 0 just in case
'  (so the Acrobat program is not launched after the file is created)
    'SetKeyValue "Software\Adobe\Acrobat PDFWriter", "bExecViewer", "0", REG_SZ
    'SetKeyValue "Software\Adobe\Acrobat PDFWriter", "PDFFileName", sReportFile, REG_SZ
    'SetKeyValue "Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory", "bExecViewer", "0", REG_SZ
    'SetKeyValue "SOFTWARE\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory", "PDFFileName", sReportFile, REG_SZ
    SetKeyValue "Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory\FinePrinters\FinePrint pdfFactory Pro\PrinterDriverData", "ShowDlg", keyVal, REG_DWORD
    SetKeyValue "Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory", "OutputFile", sReportFile, REG_SZ
End Function

I also needed to create this for my benefit to reset a key value

Function ResetKeyValue(ByVal keyVal)
'this function resets the dialog box that pops up for fine print
'pdf factory.  By reset we mean the dialog box does NOT come up
'if the key value is 0 the dialog box comes on
'if the key value is 4 the dialog box disappears
SetKeyValue "Software\FinePrint Software\pdfFactory\FinePrinters\FinePrint pdfFactory Pro\PrinterDriverData", "ShowDlg", keyVal, REG_DWORD
End Function

The last function is not needed...just returns the OS of the end user:

Function GetOpSys()
    GetOpSys = g_OpSys
 End Function

HTH

 

[tembenite]

Remote Computer?

Okay, is there a way to use this to query a value from a remote computer (that I have admin access to)? I don't need to change anything, just query the value from a remote computer. If anyone could help me adapt this code for that pupose, I would very greatly appreciate it. Most of this is pretty abstract for me. Thanks!

 

[tembenite]

For People Looking for more information on editing the registry

Check out the website here . This shows a version of the above code, but it is better documented. There are also a number of example functions to demonstrate different parts of the registry.