Can Autoit acquire user unique identifier names

[CodeHog]

I am trying to automate assigning custom names to my Windows ShellNew templates. Most are located in user SID hives that have a unique identifier number and, therefore, I can't write a registry script to modify them. Is there a way to acquire that registry key number with an Autoit script and then modify values under the key?

[WildByDesign]

Is it the actual SID's that you are trying to get? Do you have the usernames to perform the lookups?

Something like this:

#include <Security.au3>

Local $sAccount = @UserName

Local $tSID = _Security__GetAccountSid($sAccount)
Local $sStringSID = _Security__SidToStringSid($tSID)

ConsoleWrite("User = " & $sAccount & @CRLF & "SID = " & $sStringSID & @CRLF)


Local $sAccount = 'NetworkService'

Local $tSID = _Security__GetAccountSid($sAccount)
Local $sStringSID = _Security__SidToStringSid($tSID)

ConsoleWrite("User = " & $sAccount & @CRLF & "SID = " & $sStringSID & @CRLF)


Local $sAccount = 'LocalService'

Local $tSID = _Security__GetAccountSid($sAccount)
Local $sStringSID = _Security__SidToStringSid($tSID)

ConsoleWrite("User = " & $sAccount & @CRLF & "SID = " & $sStringSID & @CRLF)


Local $sAccount = 'System'

Local $tSID = _Security__GetAccountSid($sAccount)
Local $sStringSID = _Security__SidToStringSid($tSID)

ConsoleWrite("User = " & $sAccount & @CRLF & "SID = " & $sStringSID & @CRLF)

 

If this is what you are looking for, you can substitute that for the registry values under HKEY_USERS. Permissions for some of these keys are a whole different ballgame though.

The Permissions UDF may be beneficial if needed.

 

[CodeHog]

@WildByDesign The #include <Security.au3> did the trick. This script now identifies the current user's SID and inserts it into the $sSID template, enabling the addition of the value data needed to change the ShellNew template name. If  you don't need msgbox confirmation, comment it out. So this is what I ended up with:

expandcollapse popup

#RequireAdmin
#include <Security.au3>
#include <Array.au3>
#include <WinAPIFiles.au3>
#include <WinAPISys.au3>

; Retrieve the current user SID
Local $sUserName = @UserName
Local $sComputer = @ComputerName
Local $aUserSID = _Security__LookupAccountName(@UserName)
If @error Or Not IsArray($aUserSID) Then
    MsgBox(16, "Error", "Unable to retrieve the current user SID.")
    Exit
EndIf
Local $sSID = $aUserSID[0]

; Show SID for verification
MsgBox(64, "Detected SID", $sSID)

; .CMD Batch Script Template
RegWrite('HKCR\.cmd\ShellNew', 'NullFile', 'REG_SZ', '')
RegWrite('HKCR\.cmd\ShellNew', 'FileName', 'REG_SZ', 'C:\Windows\ShellNew\CMDSCRIPT.cmd')
RegWrite('HKCR\.cmd\ShellNew', 'IconPath', 'REG_SZ', 'C:\Icons\Cmd.ico')
Local $sRegPath1 = 'HKU\' & $sSID & '_Classes\Local Settings\MuiCache\129\52C64B7E'
RegWrite($sRegPath1, '@C:\WINDOWS\System32\acppage.dll,-6003', 'REG_SZ', 'Batch Script Template')

; .DOCX Biz Letter Template
RegWrite('HKCR\.docx\ShellNew', 'ItemName', 'REG_EXPAND_SZ', 'Biz Letter')
RegWrite('HKCR\.docx\ShellNew', 'FileName', 'REG_SZ', 'C:\Windows\ShellNew\BIZLETTER.docx')
RegWrite('HKCR\.docx\ShellNew', 'IconPath', 'REG_EXPAND_SZ', 'C:\Icons\Word.ico')
Local $sRegPath2 = 'HKU\' & $sSID & '_Classes\Local Settings\MuiCache\129\52C64B7E'
RegWrite($sRegPath2, '@C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Office16\oregres.dll,-123', 'REG_SZ', 'Formal Letter Template')

; .XLS Purchase Order Template
RegWrite('HKCR\.xls\Excel.Sheet.8\ShellNew', 'FileName', 'REG_SZ', 'C:\Windows\ShellNew\PO.xls')
RegWrite('HKCR\.xls\Excel.Sheet.8\ShellNew', 'IconPath', 'REG_EXPAND_SZ', 'C:\Icons\PO.ico')
RegWrite('HKCR\.xls\Excel.Sheet.8\ShellNew', '', 'REG_SZ', 'Purchase Order')
Local $sRegPath3 = 'HKU\' & $sSID & '\Software\Classes\Local Settings\MuiCache\129\52C64B7E'
RegWrite($sRegPath3, '@C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Office16\oregres.dll,-101', 'REG_SZ', 'Invoice Template')
Exit

Also, just to complete the result I was trying to achieve here by modifying the shellnew menu, I created a new entry that links to the Nirsoft app ShellMenuNew v1.02 where you can configure ShellNew menu entries. Since Windows does not allow  ShellNew entries to be actual executables, I created a new dummy template with the ".sn"  extension that is basically an AutoIt .ax3 file that executes the Nirsoft app and then deletes itself after  ShellMenuNew v1.02 appears. Now if I could just figure out a way to put this entry at the bottom of the ShellNew menu (which doesn't appear to be possible) my work would be complete: 

; .SN Shell New Template--------------------------------
; Associate .sn with new ProgID AutoIt3.SN
RegWrite('HKCR\.sn', '','REG_SZ','AutoIt3.SN')
; Define the AutoIt3.SN file type (display name)
RegWrite('HKCR\AutoIt3.SN', '','REG_SZ','~ShellNew App~ ')
; Icon for .sn files (change path to your true icon)
RegWrite('HKCR\AutoIt3.SN\DefaultIcon', '','REG_SZ','C:\IconPath\MyShellNewico')
; Set open command to launch the .sn file using AutoIt
RegWrite('HKCR\AutoIt3.SN\Shell\Open\Command', '','REG_SZ','"C:\Program Files\AutoIt3\AutoIt3.exe" "%1"')
; Add ShellNew entry for creating .sn files
RegWrite('HKCR\.sn\ShellNew', 'FileName','REG_SZ','ShellEdit.a3x')
; -----------------------------------------------------------------------
; .SN script to call ShellNew executable & then delete the template
#RequireAdmin
; Execute ShellNewHandler.exe
ShellExecute("C:\PATH-TO\ShellNewHandler.exe")
; Delete the script file after execution
FileDelete(@ScriptFullPath)
Exit

Edited October 7, 2025 by CodeHog