Verify if a Registry Key exists on Remote Machines

Question

_{Thursday, February 17, 2011 7:20 AM}

I am looking for a simple script to check if a registry key exists on remote machines. I have the code to perform an action based on a list of machines (Which has been done and published hundreds of times). What I am looking for now is a way to check the existance of a key on a remote machine.http://www.virtualrealm.com.au - XNA Game Programming News and Resources from Downunder.

All replies (11)

_{Friday, February 18, 2011 3:03 AM ✅Answered}

Hi,

Thanks for posting in Microsoft TechNet forums.

Based on my research, try the following sample powershell script:

$host = “RemoteComputer”

$Hive = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryHive]“LocalMachine”;

$regKey = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey($Hive,$host);

$ref = $regKey.OpenSubKey(“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall”);

if (!$ref) {$false}

else {$true}

Resource:

Check for remote registry existance with Powershell

http://techibee.com/sysadmins/check-for-remote-registry-existance-with-powershell/265

Best Regards

Dale Qiao
TechNet Subscriber Support in forum. If you have any feedback on our support, please contact [email protected]

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_{Thursday, February 17, 2011 7:41 AM}

Maybe this help you:
http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/PSRemoteRegistry

Example:

Get-RegValue -ComputerName “10.10.10.2” -Key "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" -Value fDenyTSConnections

If don't exists then return nothing.

_{Thursday, February 17, 2011 5:56 PM}

Hi

I had to do something similar have a look at my code here … http://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/8b49a002-f051-4014-99d7-33fc4b80c35e

Basically using [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey and enumerating all the values beneath it to find a key with certain values in it.

Hope it helps.

J

_{Sunday, February 20, 2011 1:19 PM}

The PSRemoteRegistry has two test functions you can use:

Test-RegKey and Test-RegValue

You can download it from here: http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/PSRemoteRegistry

Shay Levy [MVP]
PowerShay.com
PowerShell Toolbar

_{Monday, February 21, 2011 11:08 PM | 1 vote}

Going through the Script this morning and I was having some problems with it. I have found that $host is a constant, Here is the changed script for those that follow.

# Script to verify the existance of a Registry Key on Remote Machines

$remoteComputer= "DevelopmentMachine"

$regkey = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey([Microsoft.Win32.RegistryHive]::LocalMachine, $remoteComputer) 
$ref = $regKey.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall");

if (!$ref) {$false}
else {$true}

http://www.virtualrealm.com.au - XNA Game Programming News and Resources from Downunder.

_{Tuesday, February 22, 2011 4:03 PM}

Correct, $host is an automatic variable. It is created and maintained by Windows PowerShell.

Shay Levy [MVP]
PowerShay.com
PowerShell Toolbar

_{Thursday, March 31, 2011 4:18 PM}

I'm reading the registry in this same way. my script works on one win serv 2k8 r2 box, but not another. when it fails on this other win 2k8 box i get:

Exception calling "OpenRemoteBaseKey" with "2" argument(s): "The network path was not found.

"

At C:\Users\myprofile\AppData\Local\Temp\7a9e6036-9a2b-49aa-aa42-7157a933e148.ps1:43 char:65

+ $ProductName = ([Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey <<<< ('LocalMachine', $hostname).OpenSubKey('SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\Cu

rrentVersion').GetValue('ProductName'))

+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException

+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DotNetMethodException

Any ideas as to why it errors with the above on one win2k8r2 box, and not on the other?

Thanks

** **

_{Thursday, March 31, 2011 4:22 PM}

firewall or service not started?

can you connect remotely with regedit?

_{Tuesday, June 24, 2014 9:56 AM | 1 vote}

This means that the remoteregistry service is stopped.

You can enable this by group policy, or earlier on in the script run this command:

Get-Service -ComputerName $computer -Name RemoteRegistry |Start-Service

(where $computer is the name of the computer)

_{Tuesday, September 2, 2014 1:47 PM | 1 vote}

Yes this really means that RemoteRegistry is stopped or Disabled.

So use below sequence to set it automatic or manual (This example set it to automatic) and then start it : 

$computer= "Hostname of Remote machine"
Set-Service -ComputerName $computer -Name RemoteRegistry -StartupType Automatic
Get-Service -ComputerName $computer -Name RemoteRegistry | Start-Service

(First command line is about the hostname of the computer you are targetting)

Thanks to all for contribution.

_{Saturday, April 11, 2015 7:45 AM}

Hi Stejo,

You can use below command in powershell.

sc.exe \\XX.XX.XX.XX start "RemoteRegistry"

where XX.XX.XX.XX system IP.

Naveen Basati