reading the registry valuedata type

According to Microsoft, WMI is the only way to do it....well rather than an API call
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/2000/server/scriptguide/en-us/sas_wsh_oiuk.mspx

I use this, check with QueryValueEx function, it will return the type

You have to slightly modify for your purpose, this just give you an idea






Option Explicit

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' Registry constants
Public Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL = &H1F0000
Public Const SYNCHRONIZE = &H100000
Public Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1
Public Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
Public Const KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY = &H4
Public Const KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS = &H8
Public Const KEY_NOTIFY = &H10
Public Const KEY_CREATE_LINK = &H20

Public Const REG_EXPAND_SZ = 2

Public Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG = &H80000005
Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Public Const HKEY_DYN_DATA = &H80000006
Public Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Public Const HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA = &H80000004
Public Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
Public Const REG_SZ = 1
Public Const REG_DWORD = 4
Public Const ERROR_SUCCESS = 0&
Public Const ERROR_NONE = 0
Public Const ERROR_BADDB = 1
Public Const ERROR_BADKEY = 2
Public Const ERROR_CANTOPEN = 3
Public Const ERROR_CANTREAD = 4
Public Const ERROR_CANTWRITE = 5
Public Const ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY = 6
Public Const ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETER = 7
Public Const ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED = 8
Public Const ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETERS = 87
Public Const ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS = 259
Public Const REG_CREATED_NEW_KEY = &H1
Public Const REG_OPENED_EXISTING_KEY = &H2

Public Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = &H3F
Public Const REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE = 0

Public Const KEY_VAL = "SOFTWARE\keycode"
 
Type SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
    nLength As Long
    lpSecurityDescriptor As Long
    bInheritHandle As Boolean
End Type

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' Functions Declaration
Public Declare Function RegOpenKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCreateKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegCreateKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal reserved As Long, ByVal lpClass As String, ByVal dwOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, lpSecurityAttributes As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES, phkResult As Long, lpdwDisposition As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As Any, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegOpenKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegOpenKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal ulOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, phkResult As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegQueryValueExNULL Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, ByVal lpData As Long, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegQueryValueExString Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegQueryValueExLong Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As Long, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValueExString Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpValue As String, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValueExLong Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpValue As Long, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValue Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Public Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpData As Any, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long

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' Get registry setting
Public Function RegistryGetSetting(ByVal StringVal As String) As String
    Dim LReturn As Long
    Dim HWndSoftware As Long
    Dim Value
    Dim DefaultVal

    On Error Resume Next
    DefaultVal = ""
    LReturn = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, KEY_VAL, 0&, KEY_QUERY_VALUE, HWndSoftware)
    If LReturn <> ERROR_SUCCESS Then
        RegistryGetSetting = DefaultVal
    Else
        LReturn = QueryValueEx(HWndSoftware, CStr(StringVal), Value)
        RegistryGetSetting = IIf(LReturn = ERROR_SUCCESS, Value, DefaultVal)
    End If
    RegCloseKey (HWndSoftware)
End Function

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' Class private function
Private Function QueryValueEx(ByVal lhKey As Long, ByVal szValueName As String, vValue As Variant) As Long
    Dim cch As Long
    Dim Lrc As Long
    Dim LType As Long
    Dim LValue As Long
    Dim SValue As String
 
    On Error GoTo QueryValueExError
    Lrc = RegQueryValueExNULL(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, LType, 0&, cch)
    If Lrc <> ERROR_NONE Then Error 5
    Lrc = -1
    Select Case LType
        Case REG_SZ:
            SValue = String(cch, 0)
            Lrc = RegQueryValueExString(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, LType, SValue, cch)
            vValue = IIf(Lrc = ERROR_NONE, Left$(SValue, cch), Empty)
            If Asc(Right(vValue, 1)) = 0 Then vValue = Mid(vValue, 1, Len(vValue) - 1)
           
        Case REG_DWORD:
            Lrc = RegQueryValueExLong(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, LType, LValue, cch)
            If Lrc = ERROR_NONE Then vValue = LValue
    End Select
 
QueryValueExExit:
    QueryValueEx = Lrc
    Exit Function
QueryValueExError:
    Resume QueryValueExExit
End Function