[RESOLVED] USB ports enable/disable by code

In this registry key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR

I want to modify by code the value of Start to 3 or 4 to enable/disable the USB ports.

However, my googling for a solution has left me somewhat confused. What's the most straightforward solution?

A member here took the time to write something up on that:

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...plete-Tutorial

Where I work that is secured by group policy and cannot be updated without some type of hack. Management doesn't want anything going out the door via that method.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TysonLPrice

A member here took the time to write something up on that:

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...plete-Tutorial

Where I work that is secured by group policy and cannot be updated without some type of hack. Management doesn't want anything going out the door via that method.

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All right, I assume I must use:

SaveSetting appname, section, key, setting

but I'm not sure I can identify the parameters.

Probably key is "start" and value is 3 but how about appname and section? Which part of

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR

is appname and which is section, where do I have to split it?

SaveSetting won't work... it writes to a specific section of the registry... if you want to get to other hives or other sections, you need to use the API calls... in the linked thread, it starts with post #8.

-tg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by techgnome

SaveSetting won't work... it writes to a specific section of the registry... if you want to get to other hives or other sections, you need to use the API calls... in the linked thread, it starts with post #8.

-tg

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Thank you.

I've finally successfully used the code from post #8 in

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...g-Registry-Key

I've just realized the value must be REG_DWORD rather than REG_SZ and for this reason the USB port wasn't actually enabled when the value was set to 3.
How do I build the strKey value in this case?

This is what my code looks like:

VB Code:

'The call to enable USB ports:
 
    regUpdateValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR", "start", "3"
 
Public Sub regUpdateValue(ByVal lngRootKey As Long, ByVal strRegKeyPath As String, ByVal strRegSubKey As String, varRegData As Variant)
    Dim lngKeyHandle As Long, lngDataType As Long, lngKeyValue As Long, strKeyValue As String
  
    lngDataType = REG_DWORD
    
    '~~> Querying the key path
    lngRetVal = RegCreateKey(lngRootKey, strRegKeyPath, lngKeyHandle)
    
    '~~> Making it Null terminated
    strKeyValue = Trim(varRegData) & Chr(0)
    
    '~~> Setting the value
    lngRetVal = RegSetValueEx(lngKeyHandle, strRegSubKey, 0&, lngDataType, ByVal strKeyValue, Len(strKeyValue))
             
    '~~> Closing the key
    lngRetVal = RegCloseKey(lngKeyHandle)
    
End Sub

I've modified it as follows:

VB Code:

'Enable USB ports
    regUpdateValue HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR", "start", 3
    
Public Sub regUpdateValue(ByVal lngRootKey As Long, ByVal strRegKeyPath As String, ByVal strRegSubKey As String, varRegData As Variant)
    Dim lngKeyHandle As Long, lngDataType As Long, lngKeyValue As Long
  
    lngDataType = REG_DWORD
    
    '~~> Querying the key path
    lngRetVal = RegCreateKey(lngRootKey, strRegKeyPath, lngKeyHandle)
    
    '~~> Setting the value
    lngRetVal = RegSetValueEx(lngKeyHandle, strRegSubKey, 0&, lngDataType, varRegData, Len(varRegData))
             
    '~~> Closing the key
    lngRetVal = RegCloseKey(lngKeyHandle)
    
End Sub

But then I started regedit and instead of the value there was the string "32 bit DWORD value not valid"

Quote:

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Originally Posted by krtxmrtz

What's the most straightforward solution?

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Probably the RegWrite method of the WshShell object:

Code:

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CreateObject("WScript.Shell").RegWrite "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR\Start", 3&, "REG_DWORD"

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bonnie West

Probably the RegWrite method of the WshShell object:

Code:

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CreateObject("WScript.Shell").RegWrite "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\USBSTOR\Start", 3&, "REG_DWORD"

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You're right! Thanks.