finding registry settings

you can see this PAQ that i asked
https://www.experts-exchange.com/jsp/qShow.jsp?ta=visualbasic&qid=10229058 

If crazyman's PAQ is satisfactory for you, that's great. If not, leave me a comment.

Here's a good class for registry stuff..

http://www.cyd.liu.se/~freqv416/clsRegistry.cls

I got a little bit out of it. At least now I know I need to use the Windows API. But I'm not really sure which ones I need to use to retrieve and modify settings, or how to use them properly. I'm now wondering if this question is too involved to be asking in this format?

You could also try my PAQ
https://www.experts-exchange.com/Computers/Programming/Visual_Basic/Q.10221876.html

It shows all the api functions and how to query the registry, both on a local machine and across a network.

.. or you could give it a shot and download my class from the url i gave you, it's really that simple. ;)

. or you can use this. Don't know who wrote it, it came from the net somewhere, but it's free to use as you like:

'---------------------------------------
Option Explicit

'Types Definition
Private Type SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
    nLength As Long
    lpSecurityDescriptor As Long
    bInheritHandle As Long
End Type

'API Declarations
Private 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
Private Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" (ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegQueryValueEx Lib "advapi32" Alias "RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, ByRef lpType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, ByRef lpcbData As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegSetValueEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpData As String, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function RegDeleteValue Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegDeleteValueA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String) As Long
Private 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
Private Declare Function RegDeleteKey Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias "RegDeleteKeyA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String) As Long

'Types Enum Definition
Public Enum T_KeyClasses
    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
    HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
    HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG = &H80000005
End Enum

'Constants Definition
Private Const SYNCHRONIZE = &H100000
Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL = &H1F0000
Private Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1
Private Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
Private Const KEY_CREATE_LINK = &H20
Private Const KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY = &H4
Private Const KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS = &H8
Private Const KEY_EVENT = &H1
Private Const KEY_NOTIFY = &H10
Private Const READ_CONTROL = &H20000
Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ = (READ_CONTROL)
Private Const STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE = (READ_CONTROL)
Private Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_ALL Or KEY_QUERY_VALUE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY Or KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS Or KEY_NOTIFY Or KEY_CREATE_LINK) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
Private Const KEY_READ = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_READ Or KEY_QUERY_VALUE Or KEY_ENUMERATE_SUB_KEYS Or KEY_NOTIFY) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
Private Const KEY_EXECUTE = (KEY_READ)
Private Const KEY_WRITE = ((STANDARD_RIGHTS_WRITE Or KEY_SET_VALUE Or KEY_CREATE_SUB_KEY) And (Not SYNCHRONIZE))
Private Const REG_BINARY = 3
Private Const REG_CREATED_NEW_KEY = &H1
Private Const REG_DWORD = 4
Private Const REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN = 5
Private Const REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN = 4
Private Const REG_EXPAND_SZ = 2
Private Const REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR = 9
Private Const REG_LINK = 6
Private Const REG_MULTI_SZ = 7
Private Const REG_NONE = 0
Private Const REG_SZ = 1
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES = &H2
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_SET = &H4
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_NAME = &H1
Private Const REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY = &H8
Private Const REG_OPTION_BACKUP_RESTORE = 4
Private Const REG_OPTION_CREATE_LINK = 2
Private Const REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE = 0
Private Const REG_OPTION_RESERVED = 0
Private Const REG_OPTION_VOLATILE = 1
Private Const REG_LEGAL_CHANGE_FILTER = (REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_NAME Or REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_ATTRIBUTES Or REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_LAST_SET Or REG_NOTIFY_CHANGE_SECURITY)
Private Const REG_LEGAL_OPTION = (REG_OPTION_RESERVED Or REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE Or REG_OPTION_VOLATILE Or REG_OPTION_CREATE_LINK Or REG_OPTION_BACKUP_RESTORE)

'Delete e Registry Key with all his contained Values
Public Sub DeleteRegistryKey(rClass As T_KeyClasses, Path As String)
    Dim res As Long

    res = RegDeleteKey(rClass, Path)
End Sub

'Delete a Value from the Registry
Public Sub DeleteValue(rClass As T_KeyClasses, Path As String, sKey As String)
    Dim hKey As Long
    Dim res As Long

    res = RegOpenKeyEx(rClass, Path, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey)
    res = RegDeleteValue(hKey, sKey)
    RegCloseKey hKey
End Sub

'Creates a New Registry Key
Public Sub CreateRegistryKey(rClass As T_KeyClasses, Path As String)
    Dim hKey As Long
    Dim res As Long
    Dim y As SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES
    Dim Operation As Long

    res = RegCreateKeyEx(rClass, Path, 0, "", 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, y, hKey, Operation)
    RegCloseKey hKey
End Sub

'Get a specific Registry Value (to access the Default Registry Key Value set sKey parameter as "")
Public Function GetRegValue(KeyRoot As T_KeyClasses, Path As String, sKey As String) As String
    Dim hKey As Long
    Dim KeyValType As Long
    Dim KeyValSize As Long
    Dim KeyVal As String
    Dim tmpVal As String
    Dim res As Long
    Dim i As Integer

    res = RegOpenKeyEx(KeyRoot, Path, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey)
    If res <> 0 Then GoTo Errore
    tmpVal = String$(1024, 0)
    KeyValSize = 1024
    res = RegQueryValueEx(hKey, sKey, 0, KeyValType, tmpVal, KeyValSize)
    If res <> 0 Then GoTo Errore
    If (Asc(Mid$(tmpVal, KeyValSize, 1)) = 0) Then
        tmpVal = Left$(tmpVal, KeyValSize - 1)
    Else
        tmpVal = Left$(tmpVal, KeyValSize)
    End If
    Select Case KeyValType
    Case REG_SZ
        KeyVal = tmpVal
    Case REG_DWORD
        For i = Len(tmpVal) To 1 Step -1
            KeyVal = KeyVal + Hex$(Asc(Mid$(tmpVal, i, 1)))
        Next
        KeyVal = Format("&h" + KeyVal)
    End Select
    GetRegValue = KeyVal
    RegCloseKey hKey
    Exit Function
Errore:
    GetRegValue = ""
    RegCloseKey hKey
End Function

'Create or Modify a Registry Value (to access the Default Registry Key Value set sKey parameter as "")
Public Function SetRegValue(KeyRoot As T_KeyClasses, Path As String, sKey As String, NewValue As String) As Boolean
    Dim hKey As Long
    Dim KeyValType As Long
    Dim KeyValSize As Long
    Dim KeyVal As String
    Dim tmpVal As String
    Dim res As Long
    Dim i As Integer
    Dim x As Long

    res = RegOpenKeyEx(KeyRoot, Path, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey)
    If res <> 0 Then GoTo Errore
    tmpVal = String$(1024, 0)
    KeyValSize = 1024
    res = RegQueryValueEx(hKey, sKey, 0, KeyValType, tmpVal, KeyValSize)
    Select Case res
    Case 2
        KeyValType = REG_SZ
    Case Is <> 0
        GoTo Errore
    End Select
    Select Case KeyValType
    Case REG_SZ
        tmpVal = NewValue
    Case REG_DWORD
        x = Val(NewValue)
        tmpVal = ""
        For i = 0 To 3
            tmpVal = tmpVal & Chr$(x Mod 256)
            x = x \ 256
        Next
    End Select
    KeyValSize = Len(tmpVal)
    res = RegSetValueEx(hKey, sKey, 0, KeyValType, tmpVal, KeyValSize)
    If res <> 0 Then GoTo Errore
    SetRegValue = True
    RegCloseKey hKey
    Exit Function
Errore:
    SetRegValue = False
    RegCloseKey hKey
End Function

I have looked at lots of stuff, and am starting to understand it all, but there are still some hurdles. I now know that I need to get a handle to the key I want, and use that. So I have done the following: in a module I placed all the constant values for the root keys (HKEY_USERS etc.) and declared RegOpenKey, RegCloseKey and RegQueryValue (I am not game to try RegQueryValueEx yet, I still don't understand the simple ones!). Then in a form I placed the following code:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim Retval As Long
Dim hKey As Long
Dim Chkres As String
'the word "xanadu" is in here in key1
Chkres = "Software\VB and VBA Program Settings\App1\sect1"
Retval = RegOpenKey(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Chkres, hKey)
Retval = RegQueryValue(hKey, "key1", lpValue, lpcbValue)
Text1.Text = lpValue
Text2.Text = lpcbValue
Text3.Text = hKey
RegCloseKey (hKey)
End Sub
Now the problem is that I do not get what I expect, so (obviously) there is a problem with my code. I know that my key is correct, because in Text3 I get a big number, and if I change Chkres to a key I know not to exist, I get nothing in Text3. So could someone tell me what I have done wrong?

When you open the key you didnt use
KEY_ALL_ACCESS as your security attribute
try

retval = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Chkres, 0, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, hKey)

I have not used RegOpenKeyEx, just the 16 bit version; RegOpenKey. It only has 3 attributes. At present I just want to learn the simple stuff, then try the 32 bit stuff when I understand the basics.