Creating Expanded String-valued Entries

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Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Scripting Guide

Expanded strings are strings that can include variables; these variables are resolved when an application or a service uses the value. For example, the value of an entry that references a file might include the variable %systemroot%. When a service, such as the Event Log, references the entry, the %systemroot% variable is replaced by the name of the directory containing the Windows system files (for example, C:\Windows). On a different computer, one with Windows installed on drive D, this same registry value might be replaced by D:\Windows.

If you need to create an entry that includes a value that might change, such as the path environment variable or the location of the current user's profile, you can use the SetExpandedStringValue method.

Scripting Steps

Listing 16.11 contains a script that creates an expanded string-valued registry entry in the System Admin Scripting Guide subkey created by the script in Listing 16.8. To carry out this task, the script must perform the following steps:

  1. Create a constant that holds the hexadecimal number corresponding to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE subtree.

  2. Create a variable and set it to the computer name.

  3. Use a GetObject call to connect to the WMI namespace root\default, and set the impersonation level to "impersonate."

  4. Create variables in which to specify the following:

    • Subkey in which the entries will be created.

    • Name of the expanded string-valued registry entry being created.

    • Expanded string value of the registry entry being created.

  5. Use the SetExpandedStringValue method to create the new entry with the expanded string value.

Listing 16.11 Creating Expanded String-valued Entries

   
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Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
strComputer = "."
Set objReg=GetObject("winmgmts:{impersonationLevel=impersonate}!\\" & _
 strComputer & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
 
strKeyPath = "SOFTWARE\System Admin Scripting Guide"
strValueName = "Expanded String Value Name"
strValue = "%PATHEXT%"
objReg.SetExpandedStringValue _
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,strKeyPath,strValueName,strValue