Editing windows registry using PowerShell

CFEngine Enterprise supports Windows and Windows Registry manipulation. In CFEngine policy you can both read from and write to the registry. I needed a way to test these features, and I prefer ssh access over GUI, so I made this short reference.

View

See keys (folders) at a path:

Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\"

See all properties (values) in key:

Get-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\"

See specific property in key:

Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "VERSION"

Create

Create a new key (folder) at a path:

New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\" -Name "CFEngine"

Create new values (strings) inside key:

New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "VERSION" -Value "3.12.1" -PropertyType "String"
New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "EDITION" -Value "Enterprise" -PropertyType "String"

Edit

Edit an existing a value (string):

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "VERSION" -Value "3.12.2"

See the result:

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "VERSION"

Delete

Delete a property (value):

Remove-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine" -Name "EDITION"

Delete a key and any subkeys:

Remove-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine" -Recurse

Example

Full example with output:

PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\"


    Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE


Name                           Property
----                           --------
Intel
Microsoft
Notepad++                      (default) : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++
ODBC
OpenSSH
SNIA
WOW6432Node
Classes
Clients
Policies
RegisteredApplications         File Explorer             :
                               SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Capabilities
                               Internet Explorer         : SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Capabilities
                               Paint                     :
                               SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Paint\Capabilities
                               Windows Address Book      : Software\Clients\Contacts\Address Book\Capabilities
                               Windows Disc Image Burner : Software\Microsoft\IsoBurn\Capabilities
                               Windows Media Player      : Software\Clients\Media\Windows Media
                               Player\Capabilities
                               Windows Photo Viewer      : Software\Microsoft\Windows Photo Viewer\Capabilities
                               Windows Search            : Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Capabilities
                               Wordpad                   :
                               Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Wordpad\Capabilities



PS C:\Users\Administrator> New-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\" -Name "CFEngine"


    Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE


Name                           Property
----                           --------
CFEngine


PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\"


    Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE


Name                           Property
----                           --------
CFEngine
Intel
Microsoft
Notepad++                      (default) : C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++
ODBC
OpenSSH
SNIA
WOW6432Node
Classes
Clients
Policies
RegisteredApplications         File Explorer             :
                               SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Capabilities
                               Internet Explorer         : SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Capabilities
                               Paint                     :
                               SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Paint\Capabilities
                               Windows Address Book      : Software\Clients\Contacts\Address Book\Capabilities
                               Windows Disc Image Burner : Software\Microsoft\IsoBurn\Capabilities
                               Windows Media Player      : Software\Clients\Media\Windows Media
                               Player\Capabilities
                               Windows Photo Viewer      : Software\Microsoft\Windows Photo Viewer\Capabilities
                               Windows Search            : Software\Microsoft\Windows Search\Capabilities
                               Wordpad                   :
                               Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Wordpad\Capabilities



PS C:\Users\Administrator> New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "VERSION" -Value "3.12.1" -PropertyType "String"



VERSION      : 3.12.1
PSPath       : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\
PSParentPath : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
PSChildName  : CFEngine
PSDrive      : HKLM
PSProvider   : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry



PS C:\Users\Administrator> New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "EDITION" -Value "Enterprise" -PropertyType "String"



EDITION      : Enterprise
PSPath       : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\
PSParentPath : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
PSChildName  : CFEngine
PSDrive      : HKLM
PSProvider   : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry



PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-Item -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\"


    Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE


Name                           Property
----                           --------
CFEngine                       VERSION : 3.12.1
                               EDITION : Enterprise


PS C:\Users\Administrator> Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\" -Name "VERSION"


                               VERSION      : 3.12.1
                               PSPath       : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CFEngine\
                               PSParentPath : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
                               PSChildName  : CFEngine
                               PSDrive      : HKLM
                               PSProvider   : Microsoft.PowerShell.Core\Registry



PS C:\Users\Administrator>