[RESOLVED] [2008] Writing to registry

[youngbucks]

Ive been trying to get my application to write to the registry and no luck watsoever. I keep on getting "Access is Denied", ive tried multiple ways of writing to the registry but it seems my installer needs evelvation on vista. Is there a way to elevate my installer to run as admin?
Or is there a way to write to registry without needing elevation?

Im trying to create this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\*MySponsorsName*\*MyAppName*
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\*MySponsorsName*\*MyAppName*\Install path (subkey)

[.paul.]

its in Project-->Properties-->Application-->View UAC Settings--> app.manifest

there are instructions in the manifest file

[kleinma]

Be aware that if you remove the line it tells you to remove in the app manifest to enable registry virtualization, that any settings written to HKLM, will be PER USER ACCOUNT on the PC, and not global to the system.

virtualization actually stores the values in the HKCU key, and virtualizes them for the given profile to make windows think its in HKLM. Same goes for file virtualization. The actual files sit in your user directory, even when they appear to be in program files.

[youngbucks]

Thanks =)

[youngbucks]

Once again Its still failing to write:S
This is what im using:

'////////////////////////////////////////////////
        'WRITING APP TO THE REGISTRY
        '////////////////////////////////////////////////
        InstallLog("Writing Game to Registry")
        Dim regKey As RegistryKey
        regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SOFTWARE", True)
        regKey.CreateSubKey("Pointblanc")
        regKey.Close()
        If My.Computer.Registry.GetValue("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE", _
"Pointblanc", Nothing) Is Nothing Then
            InstallLog("Failed to write to registry.")
        Else
            InstallLog("Writing to registry successfull.")
        End If

[kleinma]

what did you edit in the manifest file?

[youngbucks]

Sigh this is why i hate vista, i try this and it works fine on xp. I highlighted what i changed in red.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<asmv1:assembly manifestVersion="1.0" xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" xmlns:asmv2="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <assemblyIdentity version="1.0.0.0" name="MyApplication.app" />
  <trustInfo xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v2">
    <security>
      <requestedPrivileges xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
        <!-- UAC Manifest Options
            If you want to change the Windows User Account Control level replace the 
            requestedExecutionLevel node with one of the following.

        <requestedExecutionLevel  level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false" />
        <requestedExecutionLevel  level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />
        <requestedExecutionLevel  level="highestAvailable" uiAccess="false" />

            If you want to utilize File and Registry Virtualization for backward 
            compatibility then delete the requestedExecutionLevel node.
        -->
        <requestedExecutionLevel  level="highestAvailable" uiAccess="false" />
      </requestedPrivileges>
      <applicationRequestMinimum>
        <defaultAssemblyRequest permissionSetReference="Custom" />
        <PermissionSet class="System.Security.PermissionSet" version="1" Unrestricted="true" ID="custom" SameSite="site" />
      </applicationRequestMinimum>
    </security>
  </trustInfo>
</asmv1:assembly>

[.paul.]

you need this one

<requestedExecutionLevel level="requireAdministrator" uiAccess="false" />

[kleinma]

you can also remove it totally to use virtualization.

[youngbucks]

I tried that one also and still no luck. That was the first thing i put into my manifest.
Edit* Im trying to avoid having to remove that line knowing the consequences. Any other advice?

[youngbucks]

Ok its finally creating the subkey and now i have one last request. I need help creating a subkey that will point to the installation directory of my application.

[kleinma]

are you writing this key as part of installation, or is this something your application does?

If it is your app, you can simply use Application.StartupPath to get the directory where the running exe is located. If it is during install time, I believe there is a variable that represents the install directory. I don't use MSI installers, so I am not 100% sure on that one.

[youngbucks]

Im making an installer for my game and i need to create a string value that will point to the installation directory so that when you go to add/remove programs you can uninstall it from there. It already created the subkey, i just want it to create one string value.

[.paul.]

you want it to create one string value during installation? or as a part of your application?

[youngbucks]

I want it to create on string value. Like this for example:

[.paul.]

when do you want it to create the string value? during installation or not?
you can check if the string value exists in form load + write it if it doesn't.

if you want your installer project to write the string value, i'm not sure how you'd do that

[youngbucks]

I want the installer to create the string value during installation. This is how my installer works. It extracts the files it has compiled to c:\temp and copies them to c:\*MYgamename* and then it deletes the temporary files. What im trying to to is, during installation, get the installer to create a string value named "install path" that points to c:\*MyGameName* . I searched it up in google and these were my results http://www.google.ca/search?client=f...=Google+Search but i cant seem to get any of them to work.

[youngbucks]

I found the script i need, can someone help me write this to write the string value correctly please because im now having a migrane from this thing:

Dim objSubKey As RegistryKey
        Dim sException As String
        Dim objParentKey As RegistryKey
        Dim bAns As Boolean
 
 
        Try
 
            Select Case ParentKeyHive
                Case RegistryHive.ClassesRoot
                    objParentKey = Registry.ClassesRoot
                Case RegistryHive.CurrentConfig
                    objParentKey = Registry.CurrentConfig
                Case RegistryHive.CurrentUser
                    objParentKey = Registry.CurrentUser
                Case RegistryHive.DynData
                    objParentKey = Registry.DynData
                Case RegistryHive.LocalMachine
                    objParentKey = Registry.LocalMachine
                Case RegistryHive.PerformanceData
                    objParentKey = Registry.PerformanceData
                Case RegistryHive.Users
                    objParentKey = Registry.Users
 
            End Select
 
 
            'Open 
            objSubKey = objParentKey.OpenSubKey(SubKeyName, True)
            'create if doesn't exist
            If objSubKey Is Nothing Then
                objSubKey = objParentKey.CreateSubKey(SubKeyName)
            End If
 
 
            objSubKey.SetValue(ValueName, Value)
            bAns = True
        Catch ex As Exception
            bAns = False
 
        End Try
 
        Return True
 
    End Function

I only want the simplest part of it that will create the subkey and write the string value after.

[kleinma]

Are you sure you are not going about this with a little TOO much thought?

To write a value to the key you mentioned, use this code:

Dim valueToWrite As String = "c:\program files\warrock"
'WRITE VALUE
My.Computer.Registry.SetValue("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\K2 Network\War Rock", "install path", valueToWrite)

substitue the valueToWrite variable with whatever method you use to get the given install path value. Then write it to the reg using the second line of code.

The reading the value is very similar:

        
'READ VALUE
Dim myValue As String = My.Computer.Registry.GetValue("HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\K2 Network\War Rock\", "install path", String.Empty).ToString
MessageBox.Show(myValue)

[youngbucks]

Thanks alot man it worked. I guess i was thinking about it too hard that the simplest solution didnt come to me.

[kleinma]

The My namespace in VB provides a ton of common functionality for windows programming, all wrapped up in any easy to access library. It doesn't solve every problem, and sometimes it is easier to use standard framework classes, but when you can use the My namespace, it generally cuts down several lines of code you would have had to otherwise write.