This a simple tutorial to show you how to use registry keys with VB.net
You can edit them manually using the Windows Registry Editor. To launch it, click on "execute" and type "Regedit"
As you'll see there's a 5 different folders keys (root folder).
- HIVES
The Registry is split into a number of logical sections, or "hives". Hives are generally named by their Windows API definitions, which all begin "HKEY". They are abbreviated to a three- or four-letter short name starting with "HK" (e.g. HKCU and HKLM).
The HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER nodes have a similar structure to each other; applications typically look up their settings by first checking for them in "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Vendor's name\Application's name\Version\Setting name", and if the setting is not found looking instead in the same location under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key. When writing settings back, the reverse approach is used — HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is written first, but if that cannot be written to (which is usually the case if the logged-in user is not an administrator), the setting is stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead. - HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
Abbreviated HKCR, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT stores information about registered applications, such as Associations from File Extensions and OLE Object Class ID's tying them to the applications used to handle these items. On Windows 2000 and above, HKCR is a compilation of HKCU\Software\Classes and HKLM\Software\Classes. If a given value exists in both of the subkeys above, the one in HKCU\Software\Classes is used. - HKEY_CURRENT_USER
Abbreviated HKCU, HKEY_CURRENT_USER stores settings that are specific to the currently logged-in user. The HKCU key is a link to the subkey of HKEY_USERS that corresponds to the user; the same information is reflected in both locations. On Windows-NT based systems, each users' settings are stored in their own files called NTUSER.DAT and USRCLASS.DAT inside their own documents and settings subfolder. - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Abbreviated HKLM, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE stores settings that are general to all users on the computer. On NT-based versions of Windows, HKLM contains four subkeys, SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE and SYSTEM, that are found within their respective files located in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder. A fifth subkey, HARDWARE, is volatile and is created dynamically, and as such is not stored in a file. Information about system hardware drivers and services are located under the SYSTEM subkey, whilst the SOFTWARE subkey contains software and windows settings. - HKEY_USERS
Abbreviated HKU, HKEY_USERS contains subkeys corresponding to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER keys for each user registered on the machine. - HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
Abbreviated HKCC, HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG contains information gathered at runtime; information stored in this key is not permanently stored on disk, but rather regenerated at boot time.
As you'll focus each folder and sub folder you'll find values. Values have different format
Binary Value
REG_BINARY
Raw binary data. Most hardware component information is stored as binary data and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format.
DWORD Value
REG_DWORD
Data represented by a number that is 4 bytes long (a 32-bit integer). Many parameters for device drivers and services are this type and are displayed in Registry Editor in binary, hexadecimal, or decimal format. Related values are DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN (least significant byte is at the lowest address) and REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN (least significant byte is at the highest address).
Expandable String Value
REG_EXPAND_SZ
A variable-length data string. This data type includes variables that are resolved when a program or service uses the data.
Multi-String Value
REG_MULTI_SZ
A multiple string. Values that contain lists or multiple values in a form that people can read are generally this type. Entries are separated by spaces, commas, or other marks.
String Value
REG_SZ
A fixed-length text string.
Binary Value
REG_RESOURCE_LIST
A series of nested arrays that is designed to store a resource list that is used by a hardware device driver or one of the physical devices it controls. This data is detected and written in the \ResourceMap tree by the system and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value.
Binary Value
REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST
A series of nested arrays that is designed to store a device driver's list of possible hardware resources the driver or one of the physical devices it controls can use. The system writes a subset of this list in the \ResourceMap tree. This data is detected by the system and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value.
Binary Value
REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR
A series of nested arrays that is designed to store a resource list that is used by a physical hardware device. This data is detected and written in the \HardwareDescription tree by the system and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value.
None
REG_NONE
Data without any particular type. This data is written to the registry by the system or applications and is displayed in Registry Editor in hexadecimal format as a Binary Value
Link
REG_LINK
A Unicode string naming a symbolic link.
QWORD Value
REG_QWORD
Data represented by a number that is a 64-bit integer. This data is displayed in Registry Editor as a Binary Value and was introduced in Windows 2000.
Advantages of Registry Keys: Here's the aim! Why to use registry keys ? Suppose for example you are making a program where you want to disable the Task Manager, How to do that ? Simply using Registry keys. I'll describe in the following post how to use it with VB.net and then I'll give you samples of Registry keys that let's you take control of your Windows !
For more information about Registry Editor see Microsoft Site
0 comments:
Post a Comment