How to retrieve an installed file path from Registry

Question

I would like to retrieve the path of an installed software from registry, I have tried different methods i.e. this one and this too but I faced the same error:

Object reference not set to an instance of an Object.

I observed that Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(registry_key) returns null so I searched for the solution of this problem and found many, but those could not solve my issue. I want to continue with the following code:

string txt_filePath = "";

RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bentley\AutoPIPE\V8i SELECTSeries 6 Ribbon Preview and Reporting");
object objRegisteredValue = key.GetValue("ApplicationPath");

txt_filePath = objRegisteredValue.ToString();

Any help will be highly appreciated.

Stating the obvious but have you checked the registry to see if the key really exists ? — gideon, Jul 31 '15 at 07:34
so with the existing code you are getting the key as null always?If so please check the registry. — Joseph, Jul 31 '15 at 07:35
@ Itban that means there wont be an entry corresponding to your search in the registry.Please refer this link this might help you http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1268715/registry-localmachine-opensubkey-returns-null — Joseph, Jul 31 '15 at 07:37
@ItbanSaeed Joseph's link should be read. Maybe you don't have permissions. Are you running the app under administrator? Or maybe you need to ask for elevation then. — gideon, Jul 31 '15 at 07:48
@gideon I am running the app under administrator. Joseph's link looks useful :) — Itban Saeed, Jul 31 '15 at 07:51

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 31 '15 at 07:41

0

Maybe trouble is because of x64-bit machine? Try this:

    var regView = Environment.Is64BitOperatingSystem ? RegistryView.Registry64 : RegistryView.Registry32;
    var registry = RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(RegistryHive.LocalMachine, regView);

    var keyPath = @"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bentley\AutoPIPE\V8i SELECTSeries 6 Ribbon Preview and Reporting\RibbonUI.xml";
    var key = registry.OpenSubKey(keyPath);

answered Jul 31 '15 at 07:41

Artem Kulikov

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Thanks a lot for the response but I am working on VS2008 having .NET version 3.5 , this code is not supported here. – Itban Saeed Jul 31 '15 at 07:44
1

You can find an alternative way for version 3.5 here: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/26217199/what-are-some-alternatives-to-registrykey-openbasekey-in-net-3-5 – Artem Kulikov Jul 31 '15 at 07:47

How to retrieve an installed file path from Registry

1 Answers1