Windows Registry

Read and write Windows Registry keys and values using PowerShell's built-in Registry provider — inspect startup entries, app settings, and system configuration without regedit.

When to Use

• User wants to read a registry value (e.g., installed software, startup entries)
• User asks to create or modify a registry key or value
• User wants to list all values under a registry path
• User needs to check what programs run at Windows startup
• User asks to remove a registry value or key

How to Use

Read a single registry value

powershell
Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer" `
  -Name "ShellState"

List all values under a key

powershell
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion"

Check startup programs (current user and all users)

powershell
# Current user only
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
# All users (machine-wide)
Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"

Create a new registry key

powershell
New-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\Aiden" -Force

Set a registry value (string)

powershell
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Aiden" -Name "Version" -Value "3.5.0" -Type String

Set a registry value (DWORD)

powershell
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Aiden" -Name "Enabled" -Value 1 -Type DWord

Delete a registry value

powershell
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Aiden" -Name "OldSetting"

Delete a registry key and all subkeys

powershell
Remove-Item -Path "HKCU:\Software\Aiden" -Recurse -Force

Search registry for a value name

powershell
Get-ChildItem -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE" -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
  Where-Object { $_.Property -contains "DisplayName" } |
  Get-ItemProperty |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher |
  Sort-Object DisplayName

List installed software

powershell
Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\*" |
  Select-Object DisplayName, DisplayVersion, Publisher, InstallDate |
  Where-Object DisplayName |
  Sort-Object DisplayName

Examples

"What programs launch at startup for my user?" → Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" — each value name is an entry, value data is the command.

"List all installed software with version numbers" → Query both HKLM and HKCU Uninstall keys and merge results.

"Add a registry entry to run a script at login" → Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKCU:\...\Run" -Name "MyScript" -Value "powershell.exe -File C:\scripts\login.ps1"

Cautions

• Modifying HKLM keys requires an elevated session (UAC dialog) — HKCU keys do not
• Always read a key before modifying it to understand the current state
• Deleting registry keys is permanent — there is no Recycle Bin for registry changes
• Back up a key before editing: reg export "HKCU\Software\Aiden" C:\backup\aiden-backup.reg
• Registry paths in PowerShell use \ as separator (not /) and hive aliases like HKCU: and HKLM: