wscript.shell -> RegDelete ()

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Hi everybody,
How would I delete a registry value with a name "abc\def\ghi" using
RegDelete(). Having a back slash in the names makes the RegDelete() think
that it is a registry key hierarchy an not a value name.

Regards,
Sajan
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Re: wscript.shell -> RegDelete () by Torgeir

Torgeir
Fri May 27 12:19:11 CDT 2005

Kallely Sajan wrote:

> Hi everybody,
> How would I delete a registry value with a name "abc\def\ghi" using
> RegDelete(). Having a back slash in the names makes the RegDelete() think
> that it is a registry key hierarchy an not a value name.
Hi,

Backslash in registry values is a known issue (and not allowed) in WSH.

Two workarounds:

A)
You can delete keys (with subkeys) and values with a registry file.

Delete key:
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Brix\Testapp2]

Delete value:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Brix\Testapp2]
"abc\\def\\ghi"=-

NOTE: One backslash in the value name must be represented by two
backslashes in the registry file (because backslash is an escape
character in registry files)

You can use FSO to create this registry file on the fly, and then
import it silently with regedit /s, like this:

'--------------------8<----------------------
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")

sTempRegFile = oFSO.GetSpecialFolder(2).ShortPath & "\" & oFSO.GetTempName

Set fRegFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTempRegFile, True)

fRegFile.WriteLine "REGEDIT4"
fRegFile.WriteLine
fRegFile.WriteLine "[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Foo]"

' Inside a quoted string, you need to use two quotes to get one effective.
fRegFile.WriteLine """abc\\def\\ghi""=-"

' always end registry files with a blank line.
fRegFile.WriteLine
fRegFile.Close

oShell.Run "regedit.exe /s " & sTempRegFile, 0, True
oFSO.DeleteFile sTempRegFile, True
'--------------------8<----------------------



B)
Use WMI's StdRegProv (Standard Registry Provider) and it's DeleteValue
method. WMI comes default with WMe/W2k/WXP, can be installed on W9x/WNT.

WMI Class StdRegProv:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/wmisdk/wmi/stdregprov.asp

See "Delete Registry Values" here:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/scripts/os/registry/default.mspx




--
torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx
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Re: wscript.shell -> RegDelete () by Kallely

Kallely
Fri May 27 12:27:40 CDT 2005

As I couldn't get RegDelete() working, I went for the workaround of using
WMI DeleteValue() method. This one works just fine.

Thanks for your time

Regards,
Sajan

"Kallely Sajan" <sajankl@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:erGakwtYFHA.3840@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Hi everybody,
> How would I delete a registry value with a name "abc\def\ghi" using
> RegDelete(). Having a back slash in the names makes the RegDelete() think
> that it is a registry key hierarchy an not a value name.
>
> Regards,
> Sajan
>
>


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Re: wscript.shell -> RegDelete () by Kallely

Kallely
Fri May 27 12:29:18 CDT 2005

Thanks for your help

Sajan

"Torgeir Bakken (MVP)" <Torgeir.Bakken-spam@hydro.com> wrote in message
news:%23rINMCuYFHA.3320@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Kallely Sajan wrote:
>
> > Hi everybody,
> > How would I delete a registry value with a name "abc\def\ghi" using
> > RegDelete(). Having a back slash in the names makes the RegDelete()
think
> > that it is a registry key hierarchy an not a value name.
> Hi,
>
> Backslash in registry values is a known issue (and not allowed) in WSH.
>
> Two workarounds:
>
> A)
> You can delete keys (with subkeys) and values with a registry file.
>
> Delete key:
> [-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Brix\Testapp2]
>
> Delete value:
> [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Brix\Testapp2]
> "abc\\def\\ghi"=-
>
> NOTE: One backslash in the value name must be represented by two
> backslashes in the registry file (because backslash is an escape
> character in registry files)
>
> You can use FSO to create this registry file on the fly, and then
> import it silently with regedit /s, like this:
>
> '--------------------8<----------------------
> Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
> Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
>
> sTempRegFile = oFSO.GetSpecialFolder(2).ShortPath & "\" & oFSO.GetTempName
>
> Set fRegFile = oFSO.CreateTextFile(sTempRegFile, True)
>
> fRegFile.WriteLine "REGEDIT4"
> fRegFile.WriteLine
> fRegFile.WriteLine "[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Foo]"
>
> ' Inside a quoted string, you need to use two quotes to get one effective.
> fRegFile.WriteLine """abc\\def\\ghi""=-"
>
> ' always end registry files with a blank line.
> fRegFile.WriteLine
> fRegFile.Close
>
> oShell.Run "regedit.exe /s " & sTempRegFile, 0, True
> oFSO.DeleteFile sTempRegFile, True
> '--------------------8<----------------------
>
>
>
> B)
> Use WMI's StdRegProv (Standard Registry Provider) and it's DeleteValue
> method. WMI comes default with WMe/W2k/WXP, can be installed on W9x/WNT.
>
> WMI Class StdRegProv:
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/wmisdk/wmi/stdregprov.asp
>
> See "Delete Registry Values" here:
>
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/scripts/os/registry/default.mspx
>
>
>
>
> --
> torgeir, Microsoft MVP Scripting and WMI, Porsgrunn Norway
> Administration scripting examples and an ONLINE version of
> the 1328 page Scripting Guide:
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/default.mspx


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