Windows XP includes powerful commandline admin utilities including reg which allows powerful scripting of the registry.
reg /?Console Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG Operation [Parameter List]
Operation [ QUERY | ADD | DELETE | COPY |
SAVE | LOAD | UNLOAD | RESTORE |
COMPARE | EXPORT | IMPORT ]Return Code: (Except of REG COMPARE)
0 – Succussful
1 – FailedFor help on a specific operation type:
REG Operation /?
Examples:
REG QUERY /?
REG ADD /?
REG DELETE /?
REG COPY /?
REG SAVE /?
REG RESTORE /?
REG LOAD /?
REG UNLOAD /?
REG COMPARE /?
REG EXPORT /?
REG IMPORT /?Console Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG QUERY KeyName [/v ValueName | /ve] [/s]
KeyName [\Machine\]FullKey
Machine – Name of remote machine, omitting defaults to the current machine
Only HKLM and HKU are available on remote machines
FullKey – in the form of ROOTKEY\SubKey name
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey – The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY
/v query for a specific registry key
ValueName – The name, under the selected Key, to query
if omitted, all values under the Key are queried
/ve query for the default value or empty value name
/s queries all subkeys and valuesExamples:
REG QUERY HKLM\Software\Microsoft\ResKit /v Version
Displays the value of the registry value VersionREG QUERY HKLM\Software\Microsoft\ResKit\Nt\Setup /s
Displays all subkeys and values under the registry key SetupConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG ADD KeyName [/v ValueName | /ve] [/t Type] [/s Separator] [/d Data] [/f]
KeyName [\\Machine\]FullKey
Machine Name of remote machine – omitting defaults to the current
machine Only HKLM and HKU are available on remote machines
FullKey ROOTKEY\SubKey
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY/v The value name, under the selected Key, to add
/ve adds an empty value name
for the key /t RegKey data types
[ REG_SZ | REG_MULTI_SZ | REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN |
REG_DWORD | REG_BINARY | REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN |
REG_NONE | REG_EXPAND_SZ ]
If omitted, REG_SZ is assumed/s Specify one charactor that you use as the separator in your data
string for REG_MULTI_SZ. If omitted, use “\0” as the separator/d The data to assign to the registry ValueName being added
/f Force overwriting the existing registry entry without prompt
Examples:
REG ADD \\ABC\HKLM\Software\MyCo
Adds a key HKLM\Software\MyCo on remote machine ABCREG ADD HKLM\Software\MyCo /v Data /t REG_BINARY /d fe340ead
Adds a value (name: Data, type: REG_BINARY, data: fe340ead)REG ADD HKLM\Software\MyCo /v MRU /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d fax\0mail
Adds a value (name: MRU, type: REG_MUTLI_SZ, data: fax\0mail\0\0)REG ADD HKLM\Software\MyCo /v Path /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d %%systemroot%%
Adds a value (name: Path, type: REG_EXPAND_SZ, data: %systemroot%)
Notice: Use the double percentage ( %% ) inside the expand stringConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG DELETE KeyName [/v ValueName | /ve | /va] [/f]
KeyName [\\Machine\]FullKey
Machine Name of remote machine – omitting defaults to the current machine
Only HKLM and HKU are available on remote machines
FullKey ROOTKEY\SubKey
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY
ValueName The value name, under the selected Key, to delete
When omitted, all subkeys and values under the Key are deleted
/ve delete the value of empty value name
/va delete all values under this key
/f Forces the deletion without propmtExamples:
REG DELETE HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp\Timeout
Deletes the registry key Timeout and its all subkeys and valuesREG DELETE \\ZODIAC\HKLM\Software\MyCo /v MTU
Deletes the registry value MTU under MyCo on ZODIACConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG COPY KeyName1 KeyName2 [/s] [/f]
KeyName [\\Machine\]FullKey
Machine Name of remote machine – omitting defaults to the current machine
Only HKLM and HKU are available on remote machines
FullKey ROOTKEY\SubKey
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY
/s Copies all subkeys and values
/f Forces the copy without propmtExamples:
REG COPY HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp HKLM\Software\MyCo\SaveMyApp /s
Copies all subkeys and values under the key MyApp to the key SaveMyAppREG COPY \\ZODIAC\HKLM\Software\MyCo HKLM\Software\MyCo1
Copies all values under the key MyCo on ZODIAC to the key MyCo1
on the current machineConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG SAVE KeyName FileName
KeyName ROOTKEY\SubKey
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY
FileName The name of the disk file to save. If no path is specified, the
file is created in the current folder of the calling processExamples:
REG SAVE HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp AppBkUp.hiv
Saves the hive MyApp to the file AppBkUp.hiv in the current folderConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG RESTORE KeyName FileName
KeyName ROOTKEY\SubKey (local machine only)
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key to restore the hive file into.
Overwriting the existing key’s values and subkeys
FileName The name of the hive file to restore
You must use REG SAVE to create this fileExamples:
REG RESTORE HKLM\Software\Microsoft\ResKit NTRKBkUp.hiv
Restores the file NTRKBkUp.hiv overwriting the key ResKitConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG LOAD KeyName FileName
KeyName ROOTKEY\SubKey (local machine only)
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKU ]
SubKey The key name to load the hive file into. Creating a new key
FileName The name of the hive file to load
You must use REG SAVE to create this fileExamples:
REG LOAD HKLM\TempHive TempHive.hiv
Loads the file TempHive.hiv to the Key HKLM\TempHiveConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG UNLOAD KeyName
KeyName ROOTKEY\SubKey (local machine only)
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKU ]
SubKey The key name of the hive to unloadExamples:
REG UNLOAD HKLM\TempHive
Unloads the hive TempHive in HKLMConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG COMPARE KeyName1 KeyName2 [/v ValueName | /ve] [Output] [/s]
KeyName [\\Machine\]FullKey
Machine Name of remote machine – omitting defaults to the current machine
Only HKLM and HKU are available on remote machines
FullKey ROOTKEY\SubKey
If FullKey2 is not specified, FullKey2 is the same as FullKey1
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY
ValueName The value name, under the selected Key, to compare
When omitted, all values under the Key are compared
/ve compare the value of empty value name
/s Compare all subkeys and values
Output [/oa | /od | /os | /on]
When omitted, output only differences
/oa Output all of differences and matches
/od Output only differences
/os Output only matches
/on No outputReturn Code:
0 – Succussful, the result compared is identical
1 – Failed
2 – Successful, the result compared is differentExamples:
REG COMPARE HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp HKLM\Software\MyCo\SaveMyApp
Compares all values under the key MyApp with SaveMyAppREG COMPARE HKLM\Software\MyCo HKLM\Software\MyCo1 /v Version
Compares the value Version under the key MyCo and MyCo1REG COMPARE \\ZODIAC\HKLM\Software\MyCo \\. /s
Compares all subkeys and values under HKLM\Software\MyCo on ZODIAC
with the same key on the current machineConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG EXPORT KeyName FileName
Keyname ROOTKEY\SubKey (local machine only)
ROOTKEY [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC ]
SubKey The full name of a registry key under the selected ROOTKEY
FileName The name of the disk file to exportExamples:
REG EXPORT HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp AppBkUp.reg
Exports all subkeys and values of the key MyApp to the file AppBkUp.regConsole Registry Tool for Windows – version 3.0
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corp. 1981-2001. All rights reservedREG IMPORT FileName
FileName The name of the disk file to import (local machine only)
Examples:
REG IMPORT AppBkUp.reg
Imports registry entrys from the file AppBkUp.reg