Reading a 64bit registry key with 32bit NSIS installer

Hi Guys,

I have a Windows Server 2008 machine (64bit) and I'm trying to grab a value from the registry with a 32bit NSIS installer binary but I get re-directed to Wow64node even with SetRegView 64 set.

I'm using the following code to check the JRE version and grab java_home:

${elseif} $arch == "64"
        ;check for 64bit JRE on 64bit
        SetRegView 64
        ReadRegStr $1 HKLM "SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment" "CurrentVersion"
        Messagebox MB_OK "1: $1"
        ReadRegStr $2 HKLM "SOFTWARE\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment\$1" "JavaHome"
        ;check for 32bit JRE on 64bit
        ${if} $2 == ""
            ReadRegStr $1 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment" "CurrentVersion"
            ReadRegStr $2 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment\$1" "JavaHome"
        ${endif}
    ${endif} 

The MessageBox always prints $1 as nothing even though the registry key exists.

Any help would be appreciated.

Where did $arch get set? AKA are you sure this is a 64 bit system?

And with anything like this, just fire up Process Monitor and check which key is accessed

$arch gets picked up correctly.

Process monitor says it's trying to access:

RegOpenKey HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\JavaSoft\Java Runtime Environment NAME NOT FOUND Desired Access: Read

So its definitely forcing me over to the 64bit side.

Are you sure you have a 64-bit JavaSoft key (not in Wow6432Node)? I don't have one on any of my Windows x64 machines.

Stu

Hi Afrow,

If you install 32bit JRE on a 64bit machine (which I believe is the default) the correct registry keys are placed in Wow6432Node. If you install 64bit JRE on a 64bit machine the registry keys are placed in the 64bit registry.

Hi,
I'm sorry to bring this up again, but is there a way to delete Registry-Values from a 64 Bit Programm?

I tried

DeleteRegValue HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" "SunJavaUpdateSched" 

But when looking for what NSIS is trying to delete, I can see that NSIS tries to delete from

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\SunJavaUpdateSched" 

Why is it doing so and is there a way to prevent this?

Originally Posted by MrRichards View Post

Hi,
I'm sorry to bring this up again, but is there a way to delete Registry-Values from a 64 Bit Programm?

I tried

DeleteRegValue HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" "SunJavaUpdateSched" 

But when looking for what NSIS is trying to delete, I can see that NSIS tries to delete from

"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\SunJavaUpdateSched" 

Why is it doing so and is there a way to prevent this?

SetRegView

Thank you!

I need to read Registry-Strings from Programs that are 64 Bit and from some, that are not (these are in the Wow6432Node). When I call 'SetRegView 64', can I call

DeleteRegValue HKLM "SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Something 

then or is the only way calling 'SetRegView 32' to get this string?
Also, what happens if I call SetRegView 64 on 32 Bit Systems? Does this affect the installer in any way?

These things are trivially simple to test by yourself. Why don't you just try it, and see what happens?

Hii
I am trying to access 32bit registry from 63bit machine using SetRegView 32
though 32bit software installed in the registry it is showing tat its not installed.

You'll need to give more details. For example, some code example of how you write (and then read!) the registry keys.