Read From Registry

Retrieve the value data for a Windows Registry key you specify and place it into a new or existing variable.

The anatomy of the Windows Registry

The Windows Registry contains information, settings, options, and other values for the programs and hardware installed on a Windows system (and for components of Windows itself). For example, when a new program is installed, settings such as its location, version, and how to start it are all added to the Windows Registry.

Registry Editor is the Windows component that allow you to view and edit the Registry. To access it, type Run from the Windows Start Menu, then regedit in the dialog box .

Be sure to take extreme care when editing (or even viewing) the Registry. It's at the very heart of the way Windows works, and changes can cause unexpected results. It's highly recommended to backup the Registry before making modifications so you can always revert to the way things were before.

Every entry in the Windows Registry is built according to a defined structure. Here's the way it works:

  1. Enter the Key and Value for which you would like to retrieve value data.

    • If you enter a Key without specifying a value, the wizard will retrieve the data for the (Default) value (as shown in the Windows Registry Editor).

  2. Enter the name of the variable into which you'd like to place the value data retrieved.

  3. Instruct the wizard how to handle any errors encountered. Read more about error handling.