Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey() returns a result different from Registry Editor

Question

I'm trying to Create an installer for my CAD plugin, and need to get the AutoCAD install location. but the return values of RegistryKey.GetSubKeyNames() is different from what I see in Registry Editor.

string registry_key = @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall";
using (Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey key = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(registry_key))
{
    foreach (string subkey_name in key.GetSubKeyNames())
    {
        Console.WriteLine(subkey_name);
    }
}

output:

AddressBook
Autodesk Application Manager
Autodesk Content Service
Autodesk Material Library 2015
Autodesk Material Library Base Resolution Image Library 2015
Connection Manager
DirectDrawEx
DXM_Runtime
f528b707
Fontcore
...

In Registry Editor:

animizvideocn_is1
AutoCAD 2015
Autodesk 360
Connection Manager
...

AutoCAD 2015 is what i need

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered May 30 '19 at 08:30

0

Your installer seems to be a 32 bit application, or at least runs as a 32 bit process.

Therefore, Windows redirects

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

To access the non redirected node, follow the instructions here.

answered May 30 '19 at 08:30

Heinz Kessler

1,610
11
24

Thank you, Heinz Kessler, that helps a lot ! after replacing `Registry.LocalMachine` with `RegistryKey.OpenBaseKey(RegistryHive.LocalMachine, RegistryView.Registry64)`, I finally got *AutoCAD 2015* in the return values. – lymims May 31 '19 at 02:00

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered May 30 '19 at 10:44

This might be not a direct answer to your question, but i had to do the same thing. I was not looking at the registry, but the Program Files directory. It will then add the netload command to the autoload lisp file. It will install a list of Plugin dlls to all installed autocad versions. This can easily be changed... Hopefully it helps.

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Drawing;
using System.IO;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;

namespace AMU.AutoCAD.Update
{
  public class AutoCadPluginInstaller
  {
    private static readonly Regex AutoloadFilenameRegex = new Regex("acad([\\d])*.lsp");

    public void Install(IEnumerable<string> pluginFiles)
    {
      var acadDirs = this.GetAcadInstallationPaths();
      var autoloadFiles = acadDirs.Select(this.GetAutoloadFile);

      foreach (var autoloadFile in autoloadFiles)
        this.InstallIntoAutoloadFile(autoloadFile, pluginFiles);
    }

    private void InstallIntoAutoloadFile(string autoloadFile, IEnumerable<string> pluginFiles)
    {
      try
      {
        var content = File.ReadAllLines(autoloadFile).ToList();
        foreach (var pluginFile in pluginFiles)
        {
          var loadLine = this.BuildLoadLine(pluginFile);
          if(!content.Contains(loadLine))
            content.Add(loadLine);
        }

        File.WriteAllLines(autoloadFile, content);
      }
      catch (Exception ex)
      {
        //log.Log();
      }
    }

    private string BuildLoadLine(string pluginFile)
    {
      pluginFile = pluginFile.Replace(@"\", "/");
      return $"(command \"_netload\" \"{pluginFile}\")";
    }

    private IEnumerable<string> GetAcadInstallationPaths()
    {
      var programDirs =
        Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ProgramFiles);

      var autoDeskDir = Path.Combine(programDirs, "Autodesk");
      if (!Directory.Exists(autoDeskDir))
        return null;

      return Directory.EnumerateDirectories(autoDeskDir)
                             .Where(d => d.Contains("AutoCAD"));
    }

    private string GetAutoloadFile(string acadDir)
    {
      var supportDir = Path.Combine(acadDir, "Support");
      var supportFiles = Directory.EnumerateFiles(supportDir);
      return supportFiles.FirstOrDefault(this.IsSupportFile);
    }

    private bool IsSupportFile(string path)
      => AutoloadFilenameRegex.IsMatch(Path.GetFileName(path));
  }
}

(see here: https://gist.github.com/felixalmesberger/4ff8ed27f66f872face4368a13123fff)

You can use it like this:

var installer = new AutoCadPluginInstaller();
installer.Install(new [] {"Path to dll"});

Have fun.

thanks for your reply, but some of our users may not install the AutoCAD in Program Files directory, that's why I'm trying to get the app list from registry. — lymims, May 31 '19 at 01:37

Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey() returns a result different from Registry Editor

2 Answers2