How to read (Default) key value from registry using C#

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Hi,

I want to read the value in (Default)from Registry. This is under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\"

I'hv tried like different ways like below ,but its returning NULL.

C#

RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine;
key.OpenSubKey(@"\SOFTWARE\Classes\ADs\Clsid");

string InstallPath = string.Empty;
InstallPath = (string)key.GetValue(".");                    ---- Way1
InstallPath = (string)key.GetValue("");                     ---- Way2
InstallPath = (string)key.GetValue("(Default)",string.Empty);---- Way3
InstallPath = key.GetValue(".",null).ToString();       --- Way4 // error cann't assign to an object


string InstallPath = (string)key.GetValue("");               ---- Way5

please guide, how can i get the value of (Default)

Thanks in advance:)

Posted 22-Jan-13 2:10am

litu kumar

Updated 22-Jan-13 2:23am

Orcun Iyigun

v2

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Sandeep Mewara 22-Jan-13 9:18am

Ia there any key named (Default)? I doubt it.

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Richard MacCutchan · Answer 1 · 2013-01-22T03:26:00

Solution 1

According to the MSDN documentation[^] you can get this value by specifiying an empty string (as in Way 2 above), and from personal experience I know this works. You need to check that the items you are trying to access actually exist, and also that you have the requisite privilege level to read them.

Posted 22-Jan-13 3:26am

Richard MacCutchan

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 22-Jan-13 12:20pm

Correct, a 5.
—SA

Quirkafleeg · Answer 2 · 2013-01-22T03:33:00

A little breakdown:

C#

RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"SOFTWARE\Classes\ADs\Clsid");

2 things here:
1) You can combine the first two lines into one. If not, you must assign the key to itself, i.e.

C#

key = key.OpenSubKey(...

2) Remove the first backslash (before "SOFTWARE") - otherwise you'll get an "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error

Now, you can use this:

C#

InstallPath = (string)key.GetValue(null);

3) Finally, don't forget to close the key when you have finished with it!

Alan N · Answer 3 · 2013-01-22T03:42:00

The so called default value is really an unnamed value but RegEdit always displays it as "(Default)".

The presence of an assigned, i.e. non null, default value can be detected by looking for an empty string, i.e. "", in the array returned by RegistryKey.GetValueNames().

The value may be read with either RegistryKey.GetValue("") or RegistryKey.GetValue(null). If unassigned then the value will be null and RegEdit will display "(value not set)".

Alan.

How to read (Default) key value from registry using C#

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