question about reg query command

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adam Sandler
  • Start date Start date
A

Adam Sandler

Hello,

I'm trying to use reg.exe to check to make sure some registry key
values are correct. I want to do this all from a batch file. Let's
say I have the hypothetical registry key of HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin
Scripting Guide\Test and Test's value is 5. I want the batch file to
compare the key's actual value

My first thought was I'd have to get what is returned by REG QUERY
into a variable so a comparison could be performed against it...

IF %RETURNVALUE% EQU 5 (
echo Passed!
) ELSE (
echo Failed!
)

When I enter
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" I get this
back:

REG_SZ Test 5

So at least I know I'm using reg.exe correctly. Here's where I get
stuck... how do I get what's returned by REG QUERY into a variable???
I've tried:

set RETURNVALUE=reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting
Guide\Test"

and this:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" >
%RETURNVALUE%

Both examples fail miserably. Any help is greatly appreciated -
thanks!
 
Adam said:
Hello,

I'm trying to use reg.exe to check to make sure some registry key
values are correct. I want to do this all from a batch file. Let's
say I have the hypothetical registry key of HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin
Scripting Guide\Test and Test's value is 5. I want the batch file to
compare the key's actual value

My first thought was I'd have to get what is returned by REG QUERY
into a variable so a comparison could be performed against it...

IF %RETURNVALUE% EQU 5 (
echo Passed!
) ELSE (
echo Failed!
)

When I enter
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" I get this
back:

REG_SZ Test 5

So at least I know I'm using reg.exe correctly. Here's where I get
stuck... how do I get what's returned by REG QUERY into a variable???
I've tried:

set RETURNVALUE=reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting
Guide\Test"

and this:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" >
%RETURNVALUE%

Both examples fail miserably. Any help is greatly appreciated -
thanks!
Click to expand...

Try something like

for /f "tokens=3" %%a in (
'reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test"'
) do set RETURNVALUE=%%a
 
In said:
Hello,

I'm trying to use reg.exe to check to make sure some registry
key values are correct. I want to do this all from a batch
Click to expand...
[ ]
When I enter
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" I
get this back:

REG_SZ Test 5

So at least I know I'm using reg.exe correctly. Here's where I
get stuck... how do I get what's returned by REG QUERY into a
variable???
I've tried:

set RETURNVALUE=reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting
Guide\Test"

and this:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" >
%RETURNVALUE%

Both examples fail miserably. Any help is greatly appreciated -
thanks!
Click to expand...

If you don't actually need to use an environment variable, but
simply need to confirm the valuename and data is present, perhaps
a different approach will be suitable.

======= screen cap =========
C:\TEMP>reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\_TEST" /v test

! REG.EXE VERSION 2.0

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\_TEST
test REG_SZ 5


C:\TEMP>reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\_TEST" /v test | find /i "test" | find "5"
test REG_SZ 5

C:\TEMP>echo %errorlevel%
0

C:\TEMP>reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\_TEST" /v test | find /i "test" | find "4"

C:\TEMP>echo %errorlevel%
1

C:\TEMP>reg query "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\_TEST" /v TOAST | find /i "test" | find "5"

Error: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value

C:\TEMP>echo %errorlevel%
1
======= end screen cap =========

Thus a simple errorlevel test can confirm expected data is present.

(reg.exe v2.0, W2K)
 
Adam said:
I'm trying to use reg.exe to check to make sure some registry key
values are correct. I want to do this all from a batch file. Let's
say I have the hypothetical registry key of HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin
Scripting Guide\Test and Test's value is 5. I want the batch file to
compare the key's actual value
Click to expand...
Hi Adam,

the definitions of hive, rootkey, subtree, key, subkey, entry, value,
data and type seem to be a bit ambigous.
When I use reg query I usually use the nomenclature of the help
"reg query /?" (and there are subtle version/language discrepancys)

In general a combination of for and find/findstr are best to parse. I
looked through my set of reg query examples and found a lot of
different uses.
Depending on the values you are after:
- single values (ev. with multi word entry names)
- the standard entry listed with (NO NAME)
- enumerations or
- sets of entries
different approaches are required.
My first thought was I'd have to get what is returned by REG QUERY
into a variable so a comparison could be performed against it...

IF %RETURNVALUE% EQU 5 (
echo Passed!
) ELSE (
echo Failed!
)

When I enter
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide\Test" I get this
back:

REG_SZ Test 5
Click to expand...
Is that right? Or really
Test REG_SZ 5
or
(NO NAME) REG_SZ Test 5

That is important to specifiy the correct tokens parameter in the for.

You may take a look at some reg query uses I have posted:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=author:matthias.tacke "reg.query"

HTH
 
Phil,

Thanks for your help... your suggestion is EXACTLY what I was trying to
do. At any rate, I've never really done looping with dos-like syntax
before (I usually use Perl or VBscript if I'm tryingsuch things). What
does the "tokens=3" %%a mean?

Thanks!
 
Adam said:
Phil,

Thanks for your help... your suggestion is EXACTLY what I was trying to
do. At any rate, I've never really done looping with dos-like syntax
before (I usually use Perl or VBscript if I'm tryingsuch things). What
does the "tokens=3" %%a mean?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The result of 'reg query' contains three tokens:

REG_SZ Test 5

So the '"tokens=3" %%a' part of the 'for /f' command basically says
'assign the third token of the result to metavariable %%a'; and this
value of %%a is subsequently assigned to the environment variable
RETURNVALUE.
 
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