If you work with the registry at all, it is likely that you
have spent some time searching through the registry in Registry Editor, looking
for keys or values. The registry can contain thousands of elements, so finding
the one you seek can be time-consuming.

If you are looking for a command-line alternative to
registry search, whether as an alternative to Registry Editor or to integrate
in batch files or scripts, the Windows 2000 Resource Kit has a solution for
you.

The Regfind.exe tool enables you to search the registry
data, key names, or value names on the local or a remote computer. Regfind.exe
supports numerous arguments to help you refine the registry search, such to
search for specific types of values or malformed REG_SZ and REG_EXPAND_SZ
values.

Besides providing search capability, Regfind.exe also
enables you to replace values in the registry. This capability can be
particularly useful for replacing multiple instances of a value located in
different subkeys. It is a good idea to perform a
search in the registry first, without using the replace argument to identify
what Regfind.exe will change. Also, it is recommended that you back up the
pertinent parts of the registry by exporting the key or subkey
to a registry script file.

Miss a column?

Check out the Windows 2000 Professional archive, and catch up on the most recent editions of Jim Boyce’s column.

Want more Win2K tips and tricks? Automatically sign up for our free Windows 2000 Professional newsletter, delivered each Tuesday!