Vernalex.com - Welcome

Have you ever needed to open the registry to a specific location, but it's too bulky to browse? If so then this tool is for you.

When executed VReg will simply open the registry to the root. But, what makes it useful is that by providing it a path as a command-line parameter you can open the registry to the path you want. I have always been confused by Microsoft failed to support command-line parameters on regedit.exe to take you to registry locations, but hopefully this makes up for their oversight.

The program is used by simply running the executable, but to make it useful you should place it in the system path, such as in C:\Windows\System32. And then to open the registry to a path you simply feed it a path as a command-line argument. I personally use Start - Run to do this, but you could just as easily run it from a command prompt or from the Windows Vista / 7 / 8 search boxes. Also, feel free to embed this into your own applications.

In addition to accepting registry paths the program can also accept variable prefixes. There are a number of prefixes pre-defined, but you can also make your own by creating registry strings (REG_SZ) in HKLM\Software\Vernalex\VReg (start vreg with vreg as a parameter and it will bring you there). The value should be the prefix text and the data for the value should be the full registry path.

Parameter	Description
[registry_path]	This is an optional argument, but this program is not very useful without it. Simply provide a registry path as the argument and the registry will open to that location. And the registry path can also be a variable prefix, which I explain in the general use section. Please be certain to surround the path in quotes if it contains spaces.
/Q	Quiet mode. This supresses all prompts that would normally be displayed, so it obviously shouldn't be combined with /?. This is useful when integrating it into your own program.
/?	This returns help information on the command-line parameters.

Examples:
1. vreg HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
Start the program and open registry to the Windows' CurrentVersion key in the local machine handle.

2. vreg "HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion"
Start the program and open registry to the Windows NT's CurrentVersion key in the local machine handle. What this demonstrates is that if the registry path contains a space then be sure to surround it in quotes.

3. vreg LMRUN
Start the program and open registry to the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run key in the local machine handle that is used to startup programs. Likewise you could also use CURUN for the current user handle.

4. vreg SERVICES\spooler
Start the program and open registry to the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Spooler. This is to demonstrate that the prefixes can be followed by additional parts of a path.

5. vreg vreg
Start the program and open registry to the HKLM\Software\VReg. If you want to create custom variable prefixes then do so here.

6. vreg /?
Show the help for the program.

7. vreg SERVICES /?
Show the help for the program. Notice at the bottom that it shows you the path it would have opened if the help parameter wasn't specified. This is useful for testing variable prefixes.

Prefix Variables:

HKLM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKCU = HKEY_CURRENT_USER
HKCC = HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
HKCR = HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
HKU = HKEY_USERS
LM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
CU = HKEY_CURRENT_USER
CC = HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
CR = HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
U = HKEY_USERS
RUN = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
LMRUN = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
CURUN = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
RUNONCE = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
LMRUNONCE = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
CURUNONCE = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
CURRENT = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
CONTROLSET = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
CONTROL = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
SERVICES = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
ENUM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum
SYSTEM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM
SETUP = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup
CLS = HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID
LMCLS = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\CLSID
CUCLS = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID
CLAS = HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
LMCLAS = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes
CUCLAS = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes
LMWIN = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
CUWIN = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows
LMWINNT = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT
CUWINNT = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT
PROFILES = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\ProfileList
WINLOGON = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Winlogon
POLICY = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy
LMPOLICY = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy
CUPOLICY = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Group Policy
OUTLOOK = HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem
VREG = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Vernalex\VReg
VERNALEX = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Vernalex

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I rewrote the way it jumps to subfolders in RegEdit so now it is much faster (although less dramatic).

This is the first release of this program. The program is freeware. I am sure the program has some minor bugs so let me know if you find them.

Program Name: VReg
Download: Vernalex.com or Download.com
Current Version: 1.2.1 (final/release)
Release Date: 2014/03/05
Notes: VReg will work on 32bit and 64bit operating systems. I really only tested it on Windows 7, but it should work on Windows XP, 7, 2003, 8, 8.1, Vista, 2008, 2012 and newer. Please let me know if you find this program useful, and also let me know if you have any features you would like to see in a newer version. If there are additional variables you want me to hardcode into the software that you think would help others, as an example, then let me know.