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Author Topic: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)  (Read 9025 times)

Daleus

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IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« on: January 22, 2008, 09:15 AM »
I have for years been looking for a simple search and replace utility for the Windows Registry.  I want to be able to enter a simple alpha numeric string and then replace with one that is almost identical. Currently, I do the search and replace by hand, using the default regedit settings in XP.  No special "types" have to be searched.

Essentially, what I do at work is use Ghost to snap an image of a machine the way we set 'em up for campus here.  When the same model comes in, I can just drop the image on the new harddrive.  However, because these are networked machines, they have to be assigned a unique machine name.  This is the part I do by hand.

Granted the task takes all of 90-120 seconds, but sometimes I enter a typo which can cause all sorts of weird behaviour.

Another possible function to be included, or perhaps saved for a separate util, would be the ability to search for the same key, and bookmark it some how, so that I can return to the specific keys at will.

My final requirement would be for these to be so-called "portable" apps, in that they require no "installation" and can simply be copied to a USB key drive and run from there.  These would be dangerous tools to leave on a client's computer.

I have run across numerous utilities that do one or the other job, or both.  Invariably, such programs are also bloated with numerous features for which I have no use, they are time limited or usage and limited, and the author wants a payment which I consider to be out of line with what the program can do.

Also, I don't imagine for a minute that I've tracked down every instance of registry tool on the net, so if someone knows of such a util that's free, and portable, I'd sure appreciate some pointers!

Cheers!

Daleus, Curmudgeon-at-Large

Tekzel

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2008, 11:25 AM »
I'm not sure if this will work for you, but I use:

http://www.resplendence.com/registrar

To do this task.  While not technically a portable program, I found that I could install the lite version, copy the installed directory and then uninstall it then run it mostly portably off my tech tool hard drive (usb).  Im pretty sure it creates the program directory under the software key but to be honest that doesn't bother me and I have never bothered to check.

Ehtyar

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2008, 06:09 PM »
Registry Workshop is both the most popular registry explorer application (in my experience) and is portable. It is also well priced at $30US for a single user license.

Ehtyar.

f0dder

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2008, 05:01 AM »
Hm, doesn't Ghost come with a tool for setting unique Machine ID?

There's also the option of using Microsoft's sysprep before making the image, but I've never played with that...
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Daleus

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2008, 02:16 PM »
Hm, doesn't Ghost come with a tool for setting unique Machine ID?

There's also the option of using Microsoft's sysprep before making the image, but I've never played with that...


As reported by my fellow wage-slaves, there are insurmountable issues with both Ghost and SysPrep.  I'm looking for my own solution at this point.  Additionally, my employer is very tight on the purse strings and so paying for a new tool isn't an option.  Frankly, the problem isn't big enough to have to buy software. I just thought it might be something someone would to tackle, in return for my undying thanks ;)

If I was any type of coder, I would do it myself.  In fact, I might just give it a crack with AutoIt, as I've already seen several miracles performed by AutoIt scripts already.

Thanks for the reps!

Daleus, Curmudgeon-at-Large

f0dder

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2008, 06:18 PM »
Afaik, sysprep is free, as long as you have a genuine & validated windows?

Sysinternals' NewSID could perhaps be of help?
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Daleus

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2008, 06:27 AM »
Afaik, sysprep is free, as long as you have a genuine & validated windows?

Sysinternals' NewSID could perhaps be of help?


Good find f0dder!

I read through the product description and I am going to have a go with it to see how it performs in our environment.  However, based upon what I read, this probably isn't what I'm looking for.

NewSID is (of course) made to work in/for a Microsoft Networking environment, whereas, we use Novell as our network solution.  There is no requirement (that I know of - must investigate) to change the Security Identifier which would be the main reason to use this.  Changing the computer name seems to be an added side effect, "should you choose to use it". ;)

Now, those are assumptions made on my part.  We've never discussed SID's before, and my ten year old Novell training never mentioned the use of SIDs either, but I will have to double check this.  If the SIDs are irrelevant in a Novell environment, then this could be auseful tool.

Thanks for the pointer!
Daleus, Curmudgeon-at-Large

f0dder

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2008, 06:39 AM »
Hm, dunno if the SIDs are irrelevant in a Novell setting (christ, are there people still running that? :P), but just for good measures I wouldn't leave machines on a LAN with identical SID.

Even if NewSID does the trick for you, it would still be nice to have an efficient portable registry tool :P
- carpe noctem

tinjaw

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2008, 08:50 AM »
If you are using Ghost, then use Ghostwalker to change SIDs.

skrommel

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2008, 08:03 AM »
 :) How about RegReplace at http://www.delphi32.com/vcl/4080 ?

Skrommel

f0dder

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2008, 08:18 AM »
:) How about RegReplace at http://www.delphi32.com/vcl/4080 ?

That could come in handy - but a 64bit version (or a couple of special Wow* API calls) is necessary for it to be usable on 64-bit windows...
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psionics

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Re: IDEA: Portable Registry Tool(s)
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2008, 03:37 PM »
a registry program here.. a portable apps which is useful when hunting some virus and any such (the real site's links is dead)