Editing the Registry on Multiple Computers
To make Registry changes to several computers across the network, you can
use the System Policy Editor (SPE) to create policies that download to each
computer as it logs on to the network. (For information on SPE, see Related
Articles in Windows NT Magazine.) You can also use Regedit's import
feature as a low-tech alternative to the SPE. For example, if you want to change
a specific Registry setting on multiple computers, you can create a Registry
data file with the new setting and import it on each computer you want to
modify. In Clayton Johnson's, "Installing Applications Across the Network,"
April 1997, the author suggests that you use a share that anybody on the network
can connect to and install optional software from. This approach requires that
you visit each workstation and add a new value (AppInstallPath) to the Registry
before the user can take advantage of the share. You can create a .reg file with
the new value and place it on the share. The first time a workstation connects
to the share, the user imports the Registry file, which enables the network
installation feature on the user's computer.
For the example in Clayton Johnson's article, you need to add the
AppInstallPath value to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion key. Following the
instructions in the article, edit the Registry, add the value, and give it the
path of the Apps.inf file. Then use Regedit to export the Registry key to a
file. The file will look similar to the following:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
"DevicePath"=hex(2):25,53,79,73,74,65,6d,52,6f,6f,74,25,5c,69,6e,66,00
"MediaPathUnexpanded"=hex(2):25,53,79,73,74,65,6d,52,6f,6f,74,25,5c,4d,65,64,
69,61,00
"ProgramFilesDir"="D:\\Program Files"
"CommonFilesDir"="D:\\Program Files\\Common Files"
"MediaPath"="D:\\WINNT\\Media"
"AppInstallPath"="\\\\server1\\winnt\\inf\\apps.inf"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App
Paths]
...
Using a text editor, remove everything from the file except REGEDIT4, the
first key, and the AppInstallPath items. This step will leave you with just the
following:
REGEDIT4
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion]
"AppInstallPath"="\\\\server1\\winnt\\inf\\apps.inf"
The file now contains only the new entry, so NT won't overwrite any existing
entries when you import the file. The [HKEY...] line simply identifies the right
location for the new entry.
Name this file something intuitive, such as Appinst.reg, and place it on
the share you are using for software distribution. Create a batch file that runs
Regedit on the .reg file. For example, Appinst.bat could contain regedit/s
appinst.reg. Now when users want to enable their workstation for the network
software installation, all they have to do is go to the network share and run
Appinst. This approach is a vast improvement over visiting each workstation and
editing the Registry by hand.
Registry Editing Over the Web
You can also use a Web browser to edit the Registry, but this practice can
be risky. If someone maliciously or accidentally causes your Web browser to
import a Registry file, that user can corrupt or compromise your system. Listing
1, page 178, shows HTML that uses links to the Registry scripts I created
earlier.
After I created the HTML, I selected the Programs tab from Options under
the View menu in Internet Explorer (IE) to designate Regedit as a viewer for
.reg files. I set the action to be Open with the application command line set to
C:\Winnt\Regedit.exe /s "%1". When you view the HTML file and
double-click the link, the Web server downloads the .reg file to the Web
browser, which runs Regedit on the file (%1). Screen 1 shows the HTLM page in
IE. Obviously, this example is not the most sophisticated HTML front end to the
Registry, but it demonstrates some powerful features.
Never leave your Web browser configured this way when you're browsing the
Internet, but this method has possibilities for intranet use. For example, you
can create a Web page that lets your remote NT users make Registry edits on
their machines simply by going to your Web site, reading the instructions, and
clicking a few buttons.
If you are administering NT computers in a complex production environment,
you'll want to develop some tools for making Registry changes in a safe and
efficient manner. You have several choices mining the NT Registry.