Exporting a single registry entry

[PcktRcktsAA]

im trying to export a single registry key from my windows XP installation so i can have the proper sytax to create a .reg file for importing later on.

however, i seem to only be able to save the entire branch, and not just the single key. the key i need is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath, but when I try to export this key, it saves the entire HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion branch, and everything in it, not just the single key.

any ideas?

 

[mikecel79]

Open regedit and click on the actualy KEY you want to export. Not the entire folder. Then go to File>Export. You must have the folder selected for it to do what you are explaining.

 

[PcktRcktsAA]

Originally posted by: mikecel79
Open regedit and click on the actualy KEY you want to export. Not the entire folder. Then go to File>Export. You must have the folder selected for it to do what you are explaining.

this is what i am doing, but it will not work. they key i need is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DevicePath.

I navigate all the way to the key I need. Highlight the key, then select file -> export. And instead of copying that DevicePath key, it copies the entire CurrentVersion branch.

So either it just wont work that way, or I am complete missing something here 😕

 

[eelw]

I'm confused on what you are looking to do, why don't you want to copy the entire branch? As you mentioned, you want to import this key later. So the file that you create when you export the reg key, you double click on the *.reg file to import it. There is nothing else that you need to do.

 

[PcktRcktsAA]

i dont want to copy the whole branch. the ONE key that i referenced is the ONLY key in the entire branch that i am going to need to import into other machines later on. if i import the entire branch, it will mess up every computer that it is imaged with, because each computer will be different.

the reason i want to export this key is so that i have the proper syntax when i import it to the other machines. it wilil be verbatim, so there is no better way to do it rather than just have an exported copy of this key.

the problem is that the reg file that it creates is a copy of the entire currentversion branch, which i dont want. like i said before, if i import that to any other machine other than this one, it will create problems.

hope that clears it up. 😉

 

[spyordie007]

The reason you arent getting the answer you are looking for is because you are confusing everyone with your incorrect terminoligy. You keep saying "key"; a registry key basically is the "entire branch" (and all it's subkeys as well; to put things in your words). What you want is a single registry entry.

To have a registry file that you can use to merge this single registry entry onto other machines export the entire key and than open the resulting .reg file in a text editor and remove all but the entry you want. Merging that with other client's registries will add that entry to their existing key (or create the key with a single entry if the key doesnt exist).

-Erik

 

[PcktRcktsAA]

jeez. my bad. i thought i clarified myself when i mentioned that i specifcally needed the 'DevicePath' entry.

seems like a lot of work for one entry 😉 as even the 'CurrentVersion' key is pretty long. ill see if i can properly narrow the file down to that one entry tho. Thanks,

 

[spyordie007]

no problemo, glad to see you're off on the right path 😉

 

[PcktRcktsAA]

yup, that took care of it. i deleted the key in question and then ran the .reg file and when i looked again, there was the key.

and best of all the text i needed was at teh very TOP of the entire branch key. go figure...