Importing a .reg file in 32-bit and 64-bit

[Guest nuttinbutspam@gmail.com]

I need to import a .reg file on 32-bit and 64-bit systems. The .reg

file contains settings for a 32-bit-only program. In a 32-bit

environment the settings are stored at "HKLM/Software/CompanyName/

ProductName", but on a 64-bit system, the settings are stored at "HKLM/

Software/Wow6432Node/CompanyName/ProductName".

 

I understand the idea of the "Wow6432Node" registry key: 32-bit apps

in a 64-bit environment that read and write to the "Software" key, are

automatically redirected (behind the scenes) to the "Sofware/

Wow6432Node" key. Unfortunately, this seems to only work when the 32-

bit app itself accesses the registry.

 

Is there a mechanism in the .reg file syntax or in the "reg add"

command line syntax to ALWAYS treat the .reg file as if it were a 32-

bit application accessing the registry? Currently I have 2 .reg files

(one for each architecture), but that could get messy. I mean, just

imagine if I accidentally imported a "Wow6432Node" on a 32-bit system.

I have seen several scripts use the existence of this key to determine

what the architecture is. Given, this is a horrible idea for detecting

the architecture, but it nevertheless presents the possibility of

corrupting the registry.

 

TIA for any help,

-Jack

[Guest Carlos]

RE: Importing a .reg file in 32-bit and 64-bit

 

Hi,

Launch the 32-bit version of Windows Explorer

(C:\Windows\SysWOW64\explorer.exe) and run your .reg file from there.

What I do is to run the .reg files from ZTreeWin, which happens to be a

32-bit file manager (resembling the old DOS XTree) in order to redirect them

to the Wow6432Node.

Carlos

 

"nuttinbutspam@gmail.com" wrote:

> I need to import a .reg file on 32-bit and 64-bit systems. The .reg

> file contains settings for a 32-bit-only program. In a 32-bit

> environment the settings are stored at "HKLM/Software/CompanyName/

> ProductName", but on a 64-bit system, the settings are stored at "HKLM/

> Software/Wow6432Node/CompanyName/ProductName".

>

> I understand the idea of the "Wow6432Node" registry key: 32-bit apps

> in a 64-bit environment that read and write to the "Software" key, are

> automatically redirected (behind the scenes) to the "Sofware/

> Wow6432Node" key. Unfortunately, this seems to only work when the 32-

> bit app itself accesses the registry.

>

> Is there a mechanism in the .reg file syntax or in the "reg add"

> command line syntax to ALWAYS treat the .reg file as if it were a 32-

> bit application accessing the registry? Currently I have 2 .reg files

> (one for each architecture), but that could get messy. I mean, just

> imagine if I accidentally imported a "Wow6432Node" on a 32-bit system.

> I have seen several scripts use the existence of this key to determine

> what the architecture is. Given, this is a horrible idea for detecting

> the architecture, but it nevertheless presents the possibility of

> corrupting the registry.

>

> TIA for any help,

> -Jack

>

[Guest nuttinbutspam@gmail.com]

Re: Importing a .reg file in 32-bit and 64-bit

 

Thanks for replying. I should have mentioned that I can write a script

to import the different .reg files depending on the architecture. I

don't think there will be a more efficient way than running a script

unless it is built in to Windows. I just don't feel like writing a

script (imho, I shouldn't have to). Thanks though, I will have to

check out ZTreeWin!

 

Pseudocode:

IF ( Is64bit ) THEN

import 64-bit .reg settings

ELSE

import 32-bit .reg settings

ENDIF

 

 

 

 

On Feb 29, 3:44 pm, Carlos <Car...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi,

> Launch the 32-bit version of Windows Explorer

> (C:\Windows\SysWOW64\explorer.exe) and run your .reg file from there.

> What I do is to run the .reg files from ZTreeWin, which happens to be a

> 32-bit file manager (resembling the old DOS XTree) in order to redirect them

> to the Wow6432Node.

> Carlos

>

> "nuttinbuts...@gmail.com" wrote:

> > I need to import a .reg file on 32-bit and 64-bit systems. The .reg

> > file contains settings for a 32-bit-only program. In a 32-bit

> > environment the settings are stored at "HKLM/Software/CompanyName/

> > ProductName", but on a 64-bit system, the settings are stored at "HKLM/

> > Software/Wow6432Node/CompanyName/ProductName".

>

> > I understand the idea of the "Wow6432Node" registry key: 32-bit apps

> > in a 64-bit environment that read and write to the "Software" key, are

> > automatically redirected (behind the scenes) to the "Sofware/

> > Wow6432Node" key. Unfortunately, this seems to only work when the 32-

> > bit app itself accesses the registry.

>

> > Is there a mechanism in the .reg file syntax or in the "reg add"

> > command line syntax to ALWAYS treat the .reg file as if it were a 32-

> > bit application accessing the registry? Currently I have 2 .reg files

> > (one for each architecture), but that could get messy. I mean, just

> > imagine if I accidentally imported a "Wow6432Node" on a 32-bit system.

> > I have seen several scripts use the existence of this key to determine

> > what the architecture is. Given, this is a horrible idea for detecting

> > the architecture, but it nevertheless presents the possibility of

> > corrupting the registry.

>

> > TIA for any help,

> > -Jack