util_modify_registry

Path: /utilities/util_modify_registry.py

Overview

This module provides utility functions for reading, writing, creating, and deleting Windows Registry keys and values, handling hive resolution and WOW64 access flags transparently.

Purpose & Use Cases

Set application or system configuration by writing values to specific registry hives and key paths.

Clean up registry entries by deleting values or entire keys during uninstallation or maintenance tasks.

Dependencies

Python’s built-in winreg module for registry access.

Raven Development Team’s util_logger for structured logging and util_error_popup for error reporting.

Configuration & Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Default
hive	Union[str, int]	Registry hive identifier (e.g. "HKLM", "HKEY_CURRENT_USER")	N/A
key_path	str	Path of the registry key under the hive	N/A
name	str	Name of the registry value to operate on	N/A
value	Any	Data to set for the registry value (int, str, bytes)	N/A
value_type	Optional[int]	Explicit registry value type (e.g. winreg.REG_DWORD). If omitted, inferred from value.	Inferred

Usage Example

python util_modify_registry.py --hive HKLM --key_path "SOFTWARE\\MyApp" --name "ExampleValue" --value 42

Behavior & Implementation

Each operation first resolves the hive name or constant to a winreg hive handle and computes access flags including KEY_WOW64_64KEY if available. set_value creates or opens the key with write access and writes the specified value and type. get_value reads a value, returning None if not found. delete_value and delete_key remove entries, handling both modern and legacy API calls for cross-version compatibility. All operations log successes and use a UI popup for fatal errors.

Error Handling

Operations are wrapped in try/except blocks. On failure, an exception is logged via logger.exception, a modal error dialog is shown via show_error_popup (terminating the process if continuation is not allowed), and the exception is re-raised to surface the error to calling code.

Security Considerations

Modifying the Windows Registry requires appropriate permissions (often Administrator). Callers should ensure elevation (e.g., via util_admin_check.ensure_admin) before invoking write operations. Inputs are passed directly to winreg APIs; callers must validate or sanitize dynamic paths and names to avoid unintended modifications.

Logging

Uses the Raven Development Team’s util_logger at various levels:

• INFO: Successful operations (e.g., “Set registry value: HKLM\\… = …”).
• WARNING: Missing values or keys (e.g., value not found for get_value).
• ERROR: Fatal failures during I/O or permission errors.

Testing & Validation

Unit tests can mock winreg functions to simulate registry behavior. For manual validation, run set_value and get_value in an isolated test hive path and verify changes with regedit or PowerShell.

Author

Author: Raven Development Team