How do I interpret these registry entries?

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Guest

Hi everyone

I'm working with XP Pro SP2 and have seen a .reg file that I'd like to use.
I copied it from a website and part of it is here:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00000000-5144-0000-0000-000000000002}\Shell\00\Command]
@=hex(2):25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,\
6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\
00,75,00,73,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,\
74,00,68,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00

I can't understand what is after "@=hex(2):". I realise that the
backslashes signify that the series of data is to be regarded as one long
line. How can I interpret the alphanumeric pairs? I read something about
loading the .reg file into notepad and saving it as a .reg file and also as a
..txt file, but they look the same when I open them again with Notepad. I've
also tried to open them with Wordpad but they still appear senseless. I have
a suspicion that the alphanumeric pairs may stand for a file path and name
which is run, hence the word "Command" at the end of the previous line.

One other question is regarding the "hex(2)". I've seen another .reg file
which disables Caps Lock:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,00,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00

Why is this "hex" and the first example "hex(2)"?

Thanks in advance for shedding light on what may be (to others) ridiculously
simple questions!
 
It is almost certain it does refer to a program. Not much point to the entry if it doesn't. They are hex and ANSI code.
In notepad type

Merge into the registry under a test key name and read it. EG
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ < T E S T > \{00000000-5144-0000-0000-000000000002}\Shell\00\Command]
@=hex(2):25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,\
6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\
00,75,00,73,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,\
74,00,68,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
Click to expand...

It will be in english in Regedit.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read David defending the concept of violence.
http://margokingston.typepad.com/harry_version_2/2005/10/entering_the_ga.html#more
=================================================
Popeye said:
Hi everyone

I'm working with XP Pro SP2 and have seen a .reg file that I'd like to use.
I copied it from a website and part of it is here:

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{00000000-5144-0000-0000-000000000002}\Shell\00\Command]
@=hex(2):25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,\
6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\
00,75,00,73,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,\
74,00,68,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00

I can't understand what is after "@=hex(2):". I realise that the
backslashes signify that the series of data is to be regarded as one long
line. How can I interpret the alphanumeric pairs? I read something about
loading the .reg file into notepad and saving it as a .reg file and also as a
.txt file, but they look the same when I open them again with Notepad. I've
also tried to open them with Wordpad but they still appear senseless. I have
a suspicion that the alphanumeric pairs may stand for a file path and name
which is run, hence the word "Command" at the end of the previous line.

One other question is regarding the "hex(2)". I've seen another .reg file
which disables Caps Lock:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout]
"Scancode Map"=hex:00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,00,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00

Why is this "hex" and the first example "hex(2)"?

Thanks in advance for shedding light on what may be (to others) ridiculously
simple questions!
Click to expand...
 
Thank you David. I assumed that the creator of the .reg file had written it
directly into Notepad.

Having followed your instructions, I guess that the creator wrote the
entries directly into Regedit, saved the key as a .reg file and Regedit put
the "@=hex(2):" there, along with converting the text to the string of
alphanumeric data. I see that there are alternate 00 and other data which
does, indeed, translate to a filename and path.

I foresaw a nightmare if I wanted to edit the .reg file for my own purpose!
Now I see that I can open it into the Regedit, edit it and save it back as a
..reg file.

David Candy said:
It is almost certain it does refer to a program. Not much point to the entry if it doesn't. They are hex and ANSI code.
In notepad type

Merge into the registry under a test key name and read it. EG
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ < T E S T > \{00000000-5144-0000-0000-000000000002}\Shell\00\Command]
@=hex(2):25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,\
6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\
00,75,00,73,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,\
74,00,68,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
Click to expand...

It will be in english in Regedit.
Click to expand...
 
Resolves to "%ProgramFiles%\Google\Google Earth Plus\GoogleEarth.exe"

BTW, you can download this small program from my site here:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/temp/ExpandSZRead.exe

Paste the hex value and convert to plain text.

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User

Windows XP Troubleshooting
http://www.winhelponline.com


Popeye said:
Thank you David. I assumed that the creator of the .reg file had written
it
directly into Notepad.

Having followed your instructions, I guess that the creator wrote the
entries directly into Regedit, saved the key as a .reg file and Regedit
put
the "@=hex(2):" there, along with converting the text to the string of
alphanumeric data. I see that there are alternate 00 and other data which
does, indeed, translate to a filename and path.

I foresaw a nightmare if I wanted to edit the .reg file for my own
purpose!
Now I see that I can open it into the Regedit, edit it and save it back as
a
.reg file.

David Candy said:
It is almost certain it does refer to a program. Not much point to the
entry if it doesn't. They are hex and ANSI code.
In notepad type

Merge into the registry under a test key name and read it. EG
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ < T E S T >
\{00000000-5144-0000-0000-000000000002}\Shell\00\Command]
@=hex(2):25,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,46,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\

00,73,00,25,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,\

6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,20,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,50,00,6c,\

00,75,00,73,00,5c,00,47,00,6f,00,6f,00,67,00,6c,00,65,00,45,00,61,00,72,00,\
74,00,68,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,00,00
Click to expand...

It will be in english in Regedit.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
That's great - exactly what Regedit told me! Thank you for letting me know
about the program. It'll be an alternative to importing to the registry and
then looking at what's there. Having said that, David's technique will allow
me to look at the whole .reg file that's been merged, so I'll keep both
techniques up my sleeve for future use.
 
Hi Ramesh

I downloaded the program and ran it. It gave me the error:

"Component 'RICHTX32.OCX' or one of its dependencies not correctly
registered: a file is missing or invalid"

I tried running it with Limited rights and also with Admin rights and it
gave the same error. I searched my laptop fo RICHTX32.OCX and it's not
there. Any suggestions? I have XP Pro SP2 and it's fully up to date with
Windows Updates, AV etc.
 
Brilliant Ramesh. I'm a little surprised that it's not on my system already
as it's a new XP Pro OEM installation! I downloaded it, registered it and
your program works fine now.

Thanks once again.
 

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