Read binary value from registry

The returned Object is not seems to be understood in JavaScript.
If you try :
var WshShell = new ActiveXObject("WScript.Shell");
var bKey = WshShell.RegRead ("HKCU\\Control Panel\\Desktop\\UserPreferencesMask");
alert(typeof bKey)


You'll get "unknown" , I guess the answer is to use VBScript instead, although I haven't tried it.

i'd rather not

I hardly think it's a matter of prefrences at this point, but I'll be happy for you to get surprised.. :)

The problem is that REG_BINARY returns A VBArray of Integers
So you need VBS to read it.

Here an example (store it with extension *.vbs ):


Dim WshShell, bKey
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
bKey = WshShell.RegRead("HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\UserPreferencesMask")
'WScript.Echo WshShell.RegRead("HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\UserPreferencesMask")
Dim bVal
Dim i
For i = 0 To Ubound(bKey)
  bVal = bVal + Hex(bKey(i))
Next
WScript.Echo bVal


Good luck,
Zvonko

Ok , I've rewritten the script to VB. I can read the value but now I have another problem: I can't write the value back again.
The script now looks like this:


Option Explicit

Dim WshShell
Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")


Dim bKey, I, myInt, multiplier

bKey = WshShell.RegRead ("HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\UserPreferencesMask")

'We will now convert to integer format (32 bit long)
myInt = 0
myInt = CInt(myInt)
multiplier = 1

If IsArray(bKey) Then
      bKey(0) = bKey(0) AND 223 ' DF 'Clear 20
      'bKey(0) = bKey(0) OR 32 ' 20 ' Set 20
      For I = UBound(bKey) To LBound(bKey) Step -1
            myInt = myInt + bKey(I)*multiplier
            multiplier = multiplier * 256
      Next
End If

WshShell.RegWrite "HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\UserPreferencesMask", myInt, "REG_BINARY"

I get an error in the last line!

Why do you transfrom bKey to myInt?

Put bKey back as write parameter.

Sorry, I confused with the Array :(

Your problem in shiffting the chars is, that you shifft EVERY char.

Better is this:

If IsArray(bKey) Then
    bKey(0) = bKey(0) AND 223 ' DF 'Clear 20
    'bKey(0) = bKey(0) OR 32 ' 20 ' Set 20
    For I = UBound(bKey) To LBound(bKey) Step -1
         myInt = myInt *multiplier
         myInt = myInt + bKey(I)
         multiplier = multiplier * 256
    Next
End If

Sorry, again missreading. I give up...

Zvonko:

Thanx for hanging in there. Your last solution seems to work. I guess we ran into an overflow issue in the end.

And the reason I posted this here, is that I initially tried to do this in JavaScript. At the time I didn't know that I had to change over to VB!

/Michael

Yep, it was an overflow problem because type integer is signed. Therefore the negative integer correction above.

Thanks for the points.

See you,
Zvonko