Registry path question

[Champak]

"HKEY_Local_Machine->Software->Microsoft->Windows->CurrentVersion->Uninstall"

Is that registry folder filled with things that have previously been uninstalled, or are they things that have been installed that have the ability to be uninstalled by add/remove? I ask because I want to use it as a way to get the path to an app I want to launch if it exists.

[walle]

"HKEY_Local_Machine->Software->Microsoft->Windows->CurrentVersion->Uninstall"

Is that registry folder filled with things that have previously been uninstalled, or are they things that have been installed that have the ability to be uninstalled by add/remove? I ask because I want to use it as a way to get the path to an app I want to launch if it exists.

Correct

Edit: Installed software.

List of installed software   

'The script writes all installed software on the computer.

Wscript.Echo "Software installed on this machine :"
Wscript.Echo "************************************"

  Set S = CreateObject("RegEdit.Server")
  For Each Key In S.Keys("SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall").SubKeys
      If Key.ExistsValue("DisplayName") Then 
        Wscript.Echo Key.Values("DisplayName").Value 
      Else 
        Wscript.Echo "(" & Key.Name & ")"
      End If
  Next

Edited December 9, 2008 by walle

[GEOSoft]

That key holds the paths for the uninstall of installed software so it can usually be parsed to get the path to the app.

Be aware that not all installers do a good cleanup job on this key.

Another good place is HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths. Just enumerate the hive and if that fails then check the uninstall key.

[Champak]

Thanks. I originally checked App Paths, but this particular app is not there. But I will probably do a check there first...for other things...and on fail look in the Uninstall path.

My problem now is "ShellExecute($Var0 & "\App.exe")" works but "RunWait("App.exe", Var0)" and "RunWait("App.exe", Var0 & "\")" wont work. Any reason why? I need to use runwait...or run.

[GEOSoft]

Thanks. I originally checked App Paths, but this particular app is not there. But I will probably do a check there first...for other things...and on fail look in the Uninstall path.

My problem now is "ShellExecute($Var0 & "\App.exe")" works but "RunWait("App.exe", Var0)" and "RunWait("App.exe", Var0 & "\")" wont work. Any reason why? I need to use runwait...or run.

Because in the Run lines you are passing Var0 as the working dir, Try $Var0 assuming that $Var0 is the folder path.

Besides what's wrong with ShellExecute() and ShellExecuteWait()?

Edit: Also you forgot to put the path before the filename in those Run() lines

Run($Var0 & "\App.exe", $Var)

Edited December 10, 2008 by GEOSoft

[Champak]

I just forgot to put the "$" in the post.

Then the helpfile should be corrected/expanded...IMO...because the way it reads is you have to put the (FileName.exe, Path), not (Path\FileName.exe, [Option] Path). Why is there even an option of putting the path as the second parameter if you have to put it in the first parameter to get the program to open in the first place? The second parameter seems useless.

I wanted to use runwait instead of shellexecutewait because I was under the impression that runwait would have waited only until the program actually started (didn't read the instructions fully), instead of waiting until it started and then closed like I thought only shellexecutewait did. I guess I'll just use run and processwait.

Thanks.

[GEOSoft]

I just forgot to put the "$" in the post.

Then the helpfile should be corrected/expanded...IMO...because the way it reads is you have to put the (FileName.exe, Path), not (Path\FileName.exe, [Option] Path). Why is there even an option of putting the path as the second parameter if you have to put it in the first parameter to get the program to open in the first place? The second parameter seems useless.

I wanted to use runwait instead of shellexecutewait because I was under the impression that runwait would have waited only until the program actually started (didn't read the instructions fully), instead of waiting until it started and then closed like I thought only shellexecutewait did. I guess I'll just use run and processwait.

Thanks.

The second prameter is the working folder, which can be different from the path. In most cases you don't even need it but it never hurts to have it in there.

[Champak]

I don't understand that. What is the "working folder" if it isn't the folder/path of where the file is?

[GEOSoft]

I don't understand that. What is the "working folder" if it isn't the folder/path of where the file is?

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/W/working_directory.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_directory

To find out what your cuurent working directory is just run the following.

MsgBox(4096, "", "Your current working directory is:" & @CRLF & @WorkingDir)

[Champak]

Oooo. I knew that . It just wasn't clicking. I'm not thinking external app and my app in the same directory. Thanks.