Registry Editor Synchronization

[Stewart Berman]

I am working on an application that changes value settings in the registry. In Windows XP I could
open Regedit, select the key that had the values of interest and hit F5 to view changes. It appears
that in Windows Vista that does not work. In order to see changes I have to close Regedit and
reopen it. Hitting F5 does not refresh the view.

The key I am watching is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop.

Is there a way to get Regedit to refresh properly or do I need a different program and if so which
one?

 

[Joe Morris]

I am working on an application that changes value
settings in the registry. In Windows XP I could
open Regedit, select the key that had the values
of interest and hit F5 to view changes. It appears
that in Windows Vista that does not work. In order
to see changes I have to close Regedit and
reopen it. Hitting F5 does not refresh the view.

The key I am watching is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop.

Is there a way to get Regedit to refresh properly
or do I need a different program and if so which
one?

FWIW I have no problems refreshing REGEDIT's display with either F5 or the
menu entry VIEW -> REFRESH; my test to verify its function was to change the
wallpaper via the normal dialogs. Make the change and see the different
wallpaper, then either F5 or VIEW->REFRESH causes the updated HKCU\Control
Panel\Desktop[Wallpaper] entry to be displayed.

Note that the VIEW menu explicitly shows F5 as an alternate for REFRESH.
Does VIEW->REFRESH not work? (You don't say if you've tried it.)

Joe Morris

 

[Stewart Berman]

I am working on an application that changes value
settings in the registry. In Windows XP I could
open Regedit, select the key that had the values
of interest and hit F5 to view changes. It appears
that in Windows Vista that does not work. In order
to see changes I have to close Regedit and
reopen it. Hitting F5 does not refresh the view.

The key I am watching is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop.

Is there a way to get Regedit to refresh properly
or do I need a different program and if so which
one?

FWIW I have no problems refreshing REGEDIT's display with either F5 or the
menu entry VIEW -> REFRESH; my test to verify its function was to change the
wallpaper via the normal dialogs. Make the change and see the different
wallpaper, then either F5 or VIEW->REFRESH causes the updated HKCU\Control
Panel\Desktop[Wallpaper] entry to be displayed.

Note that the VIEW menu explicitly shows F5 as an alternate for REFRESH.
Does VIEW->REFRESH not work? (You don't say if you've tried it.)

Joe Morris

Here is the test I did:

1. Opened Regedit and selected the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop key.
2. Right clicked on the desktop and selected Personalization.
3. Clicked on Desktop Background.
4. Clicked on an image different from the current wallpaper and the desktop wallpaper changed.
5. Pressed F5 in Regedit and the Wallpaper value did not change.
6. Tried View\Refresh in Regedit and the Wallpaper value did not change.
7. Closed and opened Regedit and the Wallpaper value was now the new image.

Running Vista Ultimate (Version 6.0 (Build 6001:Service Pack 1). Both the original image and the
new image were .bmp files.

 

[Mike Brannigan]

I am working on an application that changes value
settings in the registry. In Windows XP I could
open Regedit, select the key that had the values
of interest and hit F5 to view changes. It appears
that in Windows Vista that does not work. In order
to see changes I have to close Regedit and
reopen it. Hitting F5 does not refresh the view.

The key I am watching is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop.

Is there a way to get Regedit to refresh properly
or do I need a different program and if so which
one?

FWIW I have no problems refreshing REGEDIT's display with either F5 or the
menu entry VIEW -> REFRESH; my test to verify its function was to change
the
wallpaper via the normal dialogs. Make the change and see the different
wallpaper, then either F5 or VIEW->REFRESH causes the updated HKCU\Control
Panel\Desktop[Wallpaper] entry to be displayed.

Note that the VIEW menu explicitly shows F5 as an alternate for REFRESH.
Does VIEW->REFRESH not work? (You don't say if you've tried it.)

Joe Morris

Here is the test I did:

1. Opened Regedit and selected the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
key.
2. Right clicked on the desktop and selected Personalization.
3. Clicked on Desktop Background.
4. Clicked on an image different from the current wallpaper and the
desktop wallpaper changed.
5. Pressed F5 in Regedit and the Wallpaper value did not change.
6. Tried View\Refresh in Regedit and the Wallpaper value did not change.
7. Closed and opened Regedit and the Wallpaper value was now the new
image.

Running Vista Ultimate (Version 6.0 (Build 6001:Service Pack 1). Both the
original image and the
new image were .bmp files.

Not reproducible here either.
Even following your instructions the registry is visibly changed by F5 or
View-> Refresh.

 

[Stewart Berman]

I think my machine has a mind of its own.

I opened Regedit and selected HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. I have attached a screen
shot. It says the Wallpaper is: C:\Users\SAB_Admin\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows
DreamScene\DreamScene.jpg

I then right clicked on the desktop and selected Personalize and clicked on Desktop Background. It
shows the Location as C:\Build\BMP. I have attached a screen shot.

The actual desktop background picture is C:\Build\BMP\FireIslandBeachGroup.bmp.

I am logged on with a user id that is part of the administrators group. When I open Regedit I get
the UAC popup asking if I want to continue.

I then did a search of the registry for "C:\Build\BMP". It turned up in the value of the FilePath
item in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DreamScene. The value was
C:\Build\BMP\FireIslandBeachGroup.bmp.

Can someone please explain what is going on?

I think attachments post as separate messages with this News Reader.

I am working on an application that changes value
settings in the registry. In Windows XP I could
open Regedit, select the key that had the values
of interest and hit F5 to view changes. It appears
that in Windows Vista that does not work. In order
to see changes I have to close Regedit and
reopen it. Hitting F5 does not refresh the view.

The key I am watching is HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control
Panel\Desktop.

Is there a way to get Regedit to refresh properly
or do I need a different program and if so which
one?

FWIW I have no problems refreshing REGEDIT's display with either F5 or the
menu entry VIEW -> REFRESH; my test to verify its function was to change
the
wallpaper via the normal dialogs. Make the change and see the different
wallpaper, then either F5 or VIEW->REFRESH causes the updated HKCU\Control
Panel\Desktop[Wallpaper] entry to be displayed.

Note that the VIEW menu explicitly shows F5 as an alternate for REFRESH.
Does VIEW->REFRESH not work? (You don't say if you've tried it.)

Joe Morris

Here is the test I did:

1. Opened Regedit and selected the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
key.
2. Right clicked on the desktop and selected Personalization.
3. Clicked on Desktop Background.
4. Clicked on an image different from the current wallpaper and the
desktop wallpaper changed.
5. Pressed F5 in Regedit and the Wallpaper value did not change.
6. Tried View\Refresh in Regedit and the Wallpaper value did not change.
7. Closed and opened Regedit and the Wallpaper value was now the new
image.

Running Vista Ultimate (Version 6.0 (Build 6001:Service Pack 1). Both the
original image and the
new image were .bmp files.

Not reproducible here either.
Even following your instructions the registry is visibly changed by F5 or
View-> Refresh.