How do you immediately update a registry?

I am trying to update the following the Path registry using the code below. I can see the changes when running regedit, but for some reason my app does not immediately see the changes for 10+ minutes. My app uses Domino Com to send emails and I need to change the path registry to point to where the Notes.ini and id files are located. Any ideas?

Private Sub Path()

SaveSettingString HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment", "Path", "h:\lotus\notes;"

End Sub

'APIs
Public Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCreateKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpData As Any, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long

'Sub to save settings
Public Sub SaveSettingString(hKey As Long, strPath As String, strValue As String, strData As String)
Dim hCurKey As Long
Dim lRegResult As Long

lRegResult = RegCreateKey(hKey, strPath, hCurKey)

lRegResult = RegSetValueEx(hCurKey, strValue, 0, REG_SZ, ByVal strData, Len(strData))

If lRegResult <> ERROR_SUCCESS Then
'there is a problem
End If

lRegResult = RegCloseKey(hCurKey)
End Sub