Read from Registry to ListView1

I am trying to populate a 2-column ListView using the registry key and data. I am able to "build" the listview and save to the registry. The first column of the list view is the registry subkey and the second column is the data.

This project sat idle for over 13 years and I am basically self-taught. Things have changed.

List View owner draw is true.
rootB is Public const = "HKCU\software\my sorter."
Registry is read from at this time.
There are currently 2 keys (profiles) where each key has 2 subkeys with assigned values (test mode).
The profile argument is the last saved profile.
There are stray comments that have not been removed - my apologies.
Program has issues at the line "GetSubKeyNames()".

Code:

---

  Private Sub GetREG(ByRef profile As String)
      'If Registry.GetValue(rootB + "\" + profile, "", Nothing) <> Nothing Then

      'clear the ListView box
      ListView1.Items.Clear()

      'rebuild the ListView box
      MessageBox.Show("Profile in argument: " + profile) '===OK.

      Dim RegKey As RegistryKey = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\My Sorter\" + profile)
      For Each Subkey As String In RegKey.GetSubKeyNames()
        'For Each Subkey In Subkeys
        Dim tempkey As RegistryKey = RegKey.OpenSubKey(Subkey)
        MessageBox.Show("subkey name: ", Subkey)
        'ListView1.Items.Add(Subkey, Registry.GetValue(rootB + "\" + profile, Subkey, ""))

        Dim listItem As New ListViewItem(tempkey.ToString)
        listItem.SubItems.Add(Registry.GetValue(rootB + "\" + profile, tempkey.ToString, ""))
        ListView1.Items.Add(listItem)

      Next
      RegKey.Close()

      'Else
      'MessageBox.Show("No GetValue: " + profile)
      'End If

  End Sub

---

Nested parenthesis is nothing new to me and I will be able to do so if given the chance.

which version of .net framework are you using with this?


EDIT: This is .Net 8 and is just dumping to a listbox

Code:

---

        Try
            Using regKey As Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey = Microsoft.Win32.Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("Software\Helium")
                If regKey Is Nothing Then
                    ListBox1.Items.Add("nothing found")
                    Return
                End If

                For Each valName As String In regKey.GetValueNames()
                    Dim valObj As Object = regKey.GetValue(valName)
                    Dim kind As Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueKind = regKey.GetValueKind(valName)
                    Dim displayName As String = If(String.IsNullOrEmpty(valName), "(Default)", valName)
                    Dim displayValue As String

                    If valObj Is Nothing Then
                        displayValue = "(value not set)"
                    ElseIf TypeOf valObj Is Byte() Then
                        displayValue = BitConverter.ToString(DirectCast(valObj, Byte()))
                    Else
                        displayValue = valObj.ToString()
                    End If

                    ListBox1.Items.Add($"{displayName} = {displayValue} ({kind.ToString()})")
                Next
            End Using
        Catch ex As Exception
            ListBox1.Items.Add($"Error reading registry: {ex.Message}")
        End Try

---

@jdelano,

.NET Framework 4.8
Visual Studio 2026 18.6.2 community edition.

@jdelano,

I just noticed you made reference to a ListBox and not a ListView.
Anyhow, thanks for the right direction - it was not GetSubKeyNames but rather GetValueNames.

Almost finished code (more error checking to do):
[CODE]
Private Sub GetREG(ByRef profile As String)
ListView1.OwnerDraw = False
'clear the ListView box
ListView1.Items.Clear()
'rebuild the ListView box
Dim RegKey As RegistryKey = Registry.CurrentUser.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE\My Sorter\" + profile)
If RegKey Is Nothing Then
MessageBox.Show("There is no available profile.", "Profile is empty", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)
Else
For Each Subkey As String In RegKey.GetValueNames()
Dim val As String = Registry.GetValue(rootB + "\" + profile, Subkey, "")

Console.WriteLine("Profile: {0} subkey: {1} value: {2}", profile, Subkey, val)

Dim listItem As New ListViewItem(Subkey)
listItem.SubItems.Add(val)
ListView1.Items.Add(listItem)
Next
End If
RegKey.Close()
End Sub
[\CODE]