[THIN] Re: Explorer shell folders in hkey_users\.default\ (reg_sz keys &environment variables)
- From: "Joe Grainger" <jag@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:48:55 +0000
Thank you for the answers guys.
I've experienced issues in the past when using REG_SZ for environment
variables, and hence stick with using REG_EXPAND_SZ.
The original problem I was trying to solve was where a user used an application
which tried to open an an ini file in "c:\documents &
settings\administrator\windows\myinifile.ini"
I loaded the default users ntuser.dat file, searched for instances of the admin
account name, but found nothing.
However, the search did find an entry in the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT with the
incorrect path to the ini file in the administrators profile. There were also
entries in explorer shell folders with the administrators profile path.
This is what lead me to think about running a test using the %userprofile%
environment variable in the reg value.
If I am correct the (default) value created for a registry key is always
REG_SZ. So if an application install creates a registry key and uses the
default value, am I correct in thinking that it will always be REG_SZ and can
not be changed?
eg. An installer creates the "HKLM\software\myapp\config" key and then, using
the default value, assigns it a value of "c:\documents and
settings\administrator\windows\myinifile.ini"
In this scenario, I would have thought it would be better practice for the
value to use an environment variable, %userprofile%, but since the default
value was used by the installer which is of type (REG_SZ), the use of
environment variables is not recommended.
So that leads me to ask, which would be the preferred way to change this in the
registry so that the application still finds the correct key/value, but
changing the value to use an environment variable? (If all installers created
REG_EXPAND_SZ keys where needed and used environment variables, I wouldn't be
asking this question :-)
Luckily we use Powerfuse, so I was fairly trivial to first apply a fix, and
then try and gain a better understanding of the OS afterwards!
Thanks
Joe
>>> joe.shonk@xxxxxxxxx 23/03/2006 16:24 >>>
REG_EXPAND_SZ is required if you wish to have environment variables expanded
when a program or script reads the Data for that Value. Also, if your
looking to configure the default profile, HKCU\.Default is not the key you
need to modify. To modify the Default User, you need to load the ntuser.dat
hive (typically, c:\documents and settings\default user\) and modify that.
HKCU\.Default is the default profile used on the console when no one is logged
in.
Joe
>>> jeremy.saunders@xxxxxxxxxxx 23/03/2006 14:02 >>>
Hi Joe,
If REG_SZ works without giving you problems, then it should be okay for
you. However, I always use REG_EXPAND_SZ simply because Microsoft say you
should. With REG_EXPAND_SZ string values, you can safely use environment
variables for paths that are stored in the registry. This ensures that the
any environment variable used is correctly expanded. Leaving it as a REG_SZ
value can provide inconsistent results depending on how well the
application accessing the keys has been written.
As a note you shouldn't be directly modifying the anything under the "Shell
Folders" key, just the "User Shell Folders" key.
And whilst you can change the REG type, you can delete the REG_SZ and
recreate it as a REG_EXPAND_SZ.
Whilst that's not a difinitive answer, it may give you a guide.
Kind regards,
Jeremy Saunders
Senior Technical Specialist
Integrated Technology Services &
Cerulean
IBM Australia
Level 2, 1060 Hay Street
West Perth WA 6005
Visit us at
http://www.ibm.com/services/au/its
P: +61 8 9261 8412 F: +61 8 9261 8486
M: TBA E-mail:
jeremy.saunders@xxxxxxxxxxx
"Joe Grainger"
<jag@xxxxxxxxxxxx
o.uk> To
Sent by: <thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
thin-bounce@freel cc
ists.org
Subject
[THIN] Explorer shell folders in
23/03/2006 07:42 hkey_users\.default\ (reg_sz keys
PM & environment variables)
Please respond to
thin
Hi all,
I've researched this one briefly, using google, tweaking keywords, and
limiting search results by domain. (e.g. using site:microsoft.com)
Viewing the contents of the registry, the default key value is always
REG_SZ, and can't be changed.
On Windows 2003 Server, because the default value is REG_SZ, can you modify
a default value to include an environment variable?
E.g Replacing "c:\documents and settings\administrator\recent" with
"%userprofile%\recent"
I have found Microsoft Knowledge Base articles which do state that to use
environment variables, you have to use the REG_EXPAND_SZ value type.
However I can't find a definitive answer to my question before I run any
tests.
Thanks!
Joe
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