Deployment Solution

Registry Keys: Deployment (Method 1)

Below is the method I use to install registry keys. In this example I will be changing the setting that advertises custom text at the top of the internet explorer browser.

• On the test/packaging machine, open your registry editor ( Start > Run > Regedit )

• Locate the registry key you want to export & edit the setting to your desired text.

• Export the registry key (In this case Main). You can do this by Right clicking the tree item, and then clicking. I generally save (under an appropriate & identifiable name) on the desktop and move later after I’ve edited it.

• Now you’ll need to edit this key so you only export the setting you want. So on your newly saved registry key, “right click”, then “edit”.

• Remove all the text so you are left simply with the line(s) you need. Leave the version info at the top. It should look something like this;

• Now you’ve got what you need, save the file and move to an appropriate folder. I have mine saved on the express share so I can find all my various bits and bobs easy. You don’t have to do this, but it’s easy to back things up if it’s all together. For the rest of this guide I’ll be using this location; <em>\\dsserver\eXpress\Jobs\RegistryKeys</em>

• In the deployment console, create a new job and name it.

• Add to this a new “Copy File To...” task, and link it to your registry file. For the destination path, enter “C:\Windows\Temp\registry.reg”

This will copy your file to that location and rename the file to registry.reg.

• Add another task. This time a “Run Script” task. Enter the below text into that page.

REM Install Registry Key
Regedit.exe /s “C:\Windows\Temp\Registry.reg”
-- REM is just a remark, so doesn’t do anything, but it will give you a description of the script.
-- Regedit /s will run the import command silently. This will not give the user any prompts.

• Now. The final task you add to that job is to clean up behind yourself. Obviously something that should be done to prolong the life of the computers you manage. I generally believe its best practice to leave no excess crap or traces you were there on any machines.

So... New task, “Run Script”.
REM Cleanup Temporary Files
del /q "C:\Windows\Temp\registry.reg"So I’m using a simple dos command (Del). The /q switch is Quiet mode, so it will not give a Yes/No prompt before deleting.

NOTES:

• Before you put this job out into production you need to test it. So drag & drop it to a fresh test machine. Then (in this case) open internet explorer and see if your settings has taken effect.

• Create a template folder in your jobs tree-view. Copy this job into that template folder. This way you can just copy it and link it to a new registry key when importing other keys to a machine

• When uninstalling a registry key use the – symbol in the following ways.

To uninstall a tree item mark here;

[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\RemoveItem] – This will delete “RemoveItem”and anything below it. Be careful

To uninstall a single entry use the – after the equals symbol.

"RegistryEntry"=-