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Does anybody have any good reference programs that he/she could share that deal with Working with the Registry under Win 2000 Pro ?
I need to search for a key (a string of about 27 digits) and delete all occurances
Comments/Suggestions/Advice Welcome
You could always try that great institution of learning and instruction known to the wise as MSDN, but perhaps the secrets it contains are too great for you! Your mind could explode!
here's a link to the actual section you'll need
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...asp?frame=true
responding to a post where someone is looking for help with "search on google" or "search msdn" is really annoying. a lot of people around here don't understand that the board can be used for research and people aren't being lazy by coming here looking for an answer.
Yes but after the first time a question has been properly answered, then it can be searched for and re-read....Quote:
Originally posted by FillYourBrain
responding to a post where someone is looking for help with "search on google" or "search msdn" is really annoying. a lot of people around here don't understand that the board can be used for research and people aren't being lazy by coming here looking for an answer.
And once a question has been answered more than say 50 times there's not really a need to ask again
EVERY question has already been asked. Nothing you have ever said is truly original. <--already been said.
the point is a message board's general purpose is conversation. Pick out just about any thread and it can be shown to have been talked about before. there is way too much high and mighty "don't bother me, use a search enginge" attitude as if you're conversation is more relevant than someone else's
I disagree.....there are problems & requests for guidance (which are always worthwhile) and then there are questions which come up week by week without fail and are only asked because the person asking hasnt bothered to look for the answer with a search.....I agree that icarus response might be a bit OTT, but it can be frustrating seing the same basic questions one after another.... ....Quote:
Originally posted by FillYourBrain
EVERY question has already been asked. Nothing you have ever said is truly original. <--already been said.
the point is a message board's general purpose is conversation. Pick out just about any thread and it can be shown to have been talked about before. there is way too much high and mighty "don't bother me, use a search enginge" attitude as if you're conversation is more relevant than someone else's
You can agree or disagree....but when you have answered the same group of questions over and over again, you might feel differently..
Thanks for the posts, and NOT saying go to google.com :)
I DO know of google and all it's powers but I was looking to the board for HIGHER learning and people with experience.
I went to google and downloaded someone's registry class wrapper, it looks good but there is no documentation as to how to use it ! [sarcasm] Great ! [/sarcasm]
here
Have some time reading those....if you have any specific problems please post some code
All those API functions are fine but, what I'm looking to do is :
Search for a key (a string of about 27 digits) and delete all occurances of it, through the Local_Machine
None of the wrappers of functions seem to be able to search through the Reg, it's works only when you know the exact path
Thoughts ?
Seems simple enough. Two minutes research found
RegEnumKeyEx()
Put it in a loop and watch the returns.
Or is there something I am missing?
I have this code from MSDN and it includes novacain's mentioned function.
To Search for a Value and a Key and delete all occurances of it, through the Local_Machine...What part is relevant ?
I guess you can tell I don't have much API experience
Any help appreciated
Code:// QueryKey - Enumerates the subkeys of key, and the associated
// values, then copies the information about the keys and values
// into a pair of edit controls and list boxes.
// hDlg - Dialog box that contains the edit controls and list boxes.
// hKey - Key whose subkeys and values are to be enumerated.
void QueryKey(HWND hDlg, HANDLE hKey)
{
CHAR achKey[MAX_PATH];
CHAR achClass[MAX_PATH] = ""; // buffer for class name
DWORD cchClassName = MAX_PATH; // size of class string
DWORD cSubKeys; // number of subkeys
DWORD cbMaxSubKey; // longest subkey size
DWORD cchMaxClass; // longest class string
DWORD cValues; // number of values for key
DWORD cchMaxValue; // longest value name
DWORD cbMaxValueData; // longest value data
DWORD cbSecurityDescriptor; // size of security descriptor
FILETIME ftLastWriteTime; // last write time
DWORD i, j;
DWORD retCode, retValue;
CHAR achValue[MAX_VALUE_NAME];
DWORD cchValue = MAX_VALUE_NAME;
CHAR achBuff[80];
// Get the class name and the value count.
RegQueryInfoKey(hKey, // key handle
achClass, // buffer for class name
&cchClassName, // size of class string
NULL, // reserved
&cSubKeys, // number of subkeys
&cbMaxSubKey, // longest subkey size
&cchMaxClass, // longest class string
&cValues, // number of values for this key
&cchMaxValue, // longest value name
&cbMaxValueData, // longest value data
&cbSecurityDescriptor, // security descriptor
&ftLastWriteTime); // last write time
SetDlgItemText(hDlg, IDE_CLASS, achClass);
SetDlgItemInt(hDlg, IDE_CVALUES, cValues, FALSE);
SendMessage(GetDlgItem(hDlg, IDL_LISTBOX),
LB_ADDSTRING, 0, (LONG) "..");
// Enumerate the child keys, until RegEnumKeyEx fails. Then
// get the name of each child key and copy it into the list box.
SetCursor(LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_WAIT));
for (i = 0, retCode = ERROR_SUCCESS;
retCode == ERROR_SUCCESS; i++)
{
retCode = RegEnumKeyEx(hKey,
i,
achKey,
MAX_PATH,
NULL,
NULL,
NULL,
&ftLastWriteTime);
if (retCode == (DWORD)ERROR_SUCCESS)
{
SendMessage(GetDlgItem(hDlg, IDL_LISTBOX),
LB_ADDSTRING, 0, (LONG) achKey);
}
}
SetCursor(LoadCursor (NULL, IDC_ARROW));
// Enumerate the key values.
SetCursor(LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_WAIT));
if (cValues)
{
for (j = 0, retValue = ERROR_SUCCESS;
j < cValues; j++)
{
cchValue = MAX_VALUE_NAME;
achValue[0] = '\0';
retValue = RegEnumValue(hKey, j, achValue,
&cchValue,
NULL,
NULL, // &dwType,
NULL, // &bData,
NULL); // &bcData
if (retValue == (DWORD) ERROR_SUCCESS )
{
achBuff[0] = '\0';
// Add each value to a list box.
if (!lstrlen(achValue))
lstrcpy(achValue, "<NO NAME>");
wsprintf(achBuff, "%d) %s ", j, achValue);
SendMessage(GetDlgItem(hDlg,IDL_LISTBOX2),
LB_ADDSTRING, 0, (LONG) achBuff);
}
}
SetCursor(LoadCursor(NULL, IDC_ARROW));
}
If you can't work out how to search the registry from that code, to delete what I presume is a serial number or demo expiry date, then I don't think you should be playing with such an important Windows component.
If you get a version half way there and still have problems post again.
What I'm trying to delete is a product that i can't uninstall the traditional way and has manifested itself in 120 locations in the registry and i don't feel up to deleting 120 times per machine times 30 machines in the office.
bad situation i know !
parsing the registry, even worse, nobody knows how
What kind of program would do that?? Some kind of virus?Quote:
Originally posted by ReggerX
What I'm trying to delete is a product that i can't uninstall the traditional way and has manifested itself in 120 locations in the registry and i don't feel up to deleting 120 times per machine times 30 machines in the office.
The links you have been given should provide waht you need.....Quote:
Originally posted by ReggerX
parsing the registry, even worse, nobody knows how
you know fordy, that hadn't even occurred to me. We're probably helping this guy write a virus here. Registry access/delete should only really be done to a key that you are aware of. Outside of a "registry cleanup" utility you really shouldn't be messing with other program's entries. Even then you have to be really careful.
>>We're probably helping this guy write a virus here
You haven't helped me do anything, I didn't ask for registry API function names, I DO know MSDN exists.
All I asked in the beginning of the threads is
"how to search through the registry looking for Values/Keys"
....Nobody could answer properly or lend a decent helping hand....
If I was writing a program the deletes stuff in the registry, why would I be asking for help on how to SEARCH the registry for specific instances of a Value/KEY ?????? I would just delete a well know path. hmmmm... that makes sense :(
to answer Fordy on what program would do that...
= M$ Office for Small Business.
FillYourBrain, you should ... FillYourBrain that is
dude, calm yourself.
your question was answered by novacain. And there is no need for insults here. Your actions that you are attempting seem fishy, that's all we said.
If we're wrong, what is the reason you wish to search the entire registry and not the key for your own app?
If you are using a version of MS Office 2000 (post Office 97) you must un-install over the 'net to free the serial number or you will not be able register after a re-install.
To clean the reg, have you tried 'regclean'?
http://www.createwindow.com/wininfo/regclean.htm
Again, if you can't write a function that searches thru a file looking for matches to a simple string, IMHO you should not be playing with the registry.
What is it EXACTLY you are searching the reg for?
To spell it out further, use RegEnumKeyEx() to search (increment dwIndex) while it returns a ERROR_SUCCESS, match to string, process.
He's so clever! :pQuote:
Originally posted by ReggerX
FillYourBrain, you should ... FillYourBrain that is