Finding an Installed Program Path in Registry

[VelvetElvis]

I have a script that calls an external software application. Right now, I have the user store the .exe path and filename in an .ini file (in case it's installed in a non-standard location.) But that's ugly. It would be much neater if I could have AutoIt find this file from a registry entry. I haven't had any luck in figuring this out.

Can someone give me some help in finding a path to an installed executable, or alternatively the path to the default file handler for a particular extension (in this case ".twb")? Thanks.

[FireFox]

Hi,

Can someone give me some help in finding a path to an installed executable, or alternatively the path to the default file handler for a particular extension (in this case ".twb")?

I hope you will get the path of the executable and not of the icon (or maybe the icon is in the same folder) :

Local $sExtension = ".twb"

Local $sType = RegRead("HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" & $sExtension, "")
If $sType = "" Then Exit -1 ;Extension not found

Local $sDefaultIcon = RegRead("HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" & $sType & "DefaultIcon", "")

ConsoleWrite($sDefaultIcon & @CrLf)

Edit : typo.

Br, FireFox.

Edited September 21, 2012 by FireFox

[Danyfirex]

maybe this:

#include <GUIConstants.au3>


$gui_width = 500
$gui_height = 600

Global $count = 1, $all_keys = "", $main_key = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall"

GUICreate("Installed Software", $gui_width, $gui_height, @Desktopwidth/2 - $gui_width/2, @DesktopHeight/2 - $gui_height/2 - 75)
$gui_list = GUICtrlCreateList ("", 10, 10, $gui_width - 20, $gui_height - 20)
GUISetState ()

While 1
$act_key = RegEnumKey ($main_key, $count)
If @error <> 0 then ExitLoop
$act_name = RegRead ($main_key & "" & $act_key, "InstallLocation")
$act_name = StringReplace ($act_name, " (remove only)", "")
If $act_name <> "" Then $all_keys = $all_keys & $act_name & "|"
$count = $count + 1
WEnd

GUICtrlSetData ($gui_list, $all_keys)
While 1
$msg = GUIGetMsg()
If $msg = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Then ExitLoop
Wend

Edited September 21, 2012 by Danyfirex

[JLogan3o13]

I was thinking along the same lines as DanyFirex, however looking just at my machine I see almost 80% of what I have installed (all common, 3rd party apps) has nothing written to the InstallLocation value.

[VelvetElvis]

Hi,

I hope you will get the path of the executable and not of the icon (or maybe the icon is in the same folder) :

Local $sExtension = ".twb"

Local $sType = RegRead("HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" & $sExtension, "")
If $sType = "" Then Exit -1 ;Extension not found

Local $sDefaultIcon = RegRead("HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" & $sType & "DefaultIcon", "")

ConsoleWrite($sDefaultIcon & @CrLf)

Edit : typo.

Br, FireFox.

Tried it with ".au3"

Unfortunately, it returns an icon, and not the correct folder either.

C:\Program Files\AutoIt3\Icons\au3script_v10.ico

[VelvetElvis]

maybe this:

#include <GUIConstants.au3>


$gui_width = 500
$gui_height = 600

Global $count = 1, $all_keys = "", $main_key = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall"

GUICreate("Installed Software", $gui_width, $gui_height, @Desktopwidth/2 - $gui_width/2, @DesktopHeight/2 - $gui_height/2 - 75)
$gui_list = GUICtrlCreateList ("", 10, 10, $gui_width - 20, $gui_height - 20)
GUISetState ()

While 1
$act_key = RegEnumKey ($main_key, $count)
If @error <> 0 then ExitLoop
$act_name = RegRead ($main_key & "" & $act_key, "InstallLocation")
$act_name = StringReplace ($act_name, " (remove only)", "")
If $act_name <> "" Then $all_keys = $all_keys & $act_name & "|"
$count = $count + 1
WEnd

GUICtrlSetData ($gui_list, $all_keys)
While 1
$msg = GUIGetMsg()
If $msg = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Then ExitLoop
Wend

Thanks. But in the case of the AutoIt install for example, I would be looking for the default file handler for ".au3" files. I don't see AutoIt in the results (unless I'm blind)

[VelvetElvis]

Maybe I'm approaching this the wrong way.

What my app does is open a reporting program called "Tableau", then load a Tableau report (a .twbx file). It then manipulates the menu to update the data.

Maybe I should go back to just getting ShellExecute() to call the report file, which will open with the default handler. I wanted to avoid this, in the event that the user changed the default handler for .twbx files. This could happen if the user did not have the Tableau application installed, and only had the crippled Tableau Reader installed, which breaks my app.

[DicatoroftheUSA]

I would try the idiot proof way of checking the default folder relative to each drive, upon failure do a recursive search for a files you know should exist.

[DicatoroftheUSA]

Maybe I'm approaching this the wrong way.

What my app does is open a reporting program called "Tableau", then load a Tableau report (a .twbx file). It then manipulates the menu to update the data.

Maybe I should go back to just getting ShellExecute() to call the report file, which will open with the default handler. I wanted to avoid this, in the event that the user changed the default handler for .twbx files. This could happen if the user did not have the Tableau application installed, and only had the crippled Tableau Reader installed, which breaks my app.

in that case, check out this, In terms of getting what you are looking for

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.twbxshellopencommand

if the command is not there check out this to get a grasp on how it might be set up.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144158%28VS.85%29.aspx

Edited September 21, 2012 by DicatoroftheUSA

[VelvetElvis]

in that case, check out this, In terms of getting what you are looking for

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.twbx\shell\open\command

if the command is not there check out this to get a grasp on how it might be set up.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc144158%28VS.85%29.aspx

I'm at home now, and don't have the app installed, but checked out a few other extensions. Sad to learn that there isn't a standard for these keys. In the few I checked, I didn't see any with the "\shell\open\command" hierarchy. Some extensions have a "PersistentHandler" subfolder, while a lot don't.

I guess this means if I'm going to use the registry method, I'll have to check both a machine with Tableau and another with the crippled Reader, and see if there's an identifiable key.

Other than that, I like your idea of checking for the app in its normally installed location, and failing that, hunting for it.

Thanks for your input!

[iamtheky]

$ExtReg = inputbox("input extension" , "type the extension with the '.'" , ".au3")

$name = regread("HKLMSOFTWARECLASSES" & $ExtReg , "")

;~ msgbox (0, '' , $name)

$path = regread("HKLMSOFTWARECLASSES" & $name & "shellopencommand" , "")

msgbox (0, '' , $path)

[Danyfirex]

Another way could be this. but need split, because this list uninstaller path.

#include<GUIConstants.au3>


$gui_width = 500
$gui_height = 600

Global $count = 1, $all_keys = "", $main_key = "HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionUninstall"

GUICreate("Installed Software", $gui_width, $gui_height, @Desktopwidth/2 - $gui_width/2, @DesktopHeight/2 - $gui_height/2 - 75)
$gui_list = GUICtrlCreateList ("", 10, 10, $gui_width - 20, $gui_height - 20)
GUISetState ()

While 1
$act_key = RegEnumKey ($main_key, $count)
If @error <> 0 then ExitLoop
$act_name = RegRead ($main_key & "" & $act_key, "UninstallString")
$act_name = StringReplace ($act_name, " (remove only)", "")
If $act_name <> "" Then $all_keys = $all_keys & $act_name & "|"
$count = $count + 1
WEnd

GUICtrlSetData ($gui_list, $all_keys)
While 1
$msg = GUIGetMsg()
If $msg = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE Then ExitLoop
Wend

Edited September 22, 2012 by Danyfirex

[VelvetElvis]

$ExtReg = inputbox("input extension" , "type the extension with the '.'" , ".au3")

$name = regread("HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\" & $ExtReg , "")

;~ msgbox (0, '' , $name)

$path = regread("HKLM\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\" & $name & "\shell\open\command" , "")

msgbox (0, '' , $path)

This looks to be what I need. Thanks!

[guinness]

If you have WinAPIEx or the latest Alpha release then use this >>

#include <APIConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPIEx.au3>

ConsoleWrite(_WinAPI_AssocQueryString('.au3', $ASSOCSTR_EXECUTABLE) & @CRLF)

[guinness]

For more details check out this >>

#include <APIConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPIEx.au3>

Local $sFilePath = _WinAPI_AssocQueryString('.au3', $ASSOCSTR_EXECUTABLE)

; See >> http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/133768-pathfull-pathgetrelative-and-pathsplit-created-using-the-functions-from-winapiexau3/
MsgBox(4096, '', 'FilePath: ' & $sFilePath & @CRLF & _
        'Directory: ' & _WinAPI_PathRemoveFileSpec($sFilePath) & @CRLF & _
        'Executable: ' & _WinAPI_PathStripPath($sFilePath) & @CRLF & _
        'Extension: ' & _WinAPI_PathFindExtension($sFilePath) & @CRLF)

[VelvetElvis]

For more details check out this >>

#include <APIConstants.au3>
#include <WinAPIEx.au3>

Local $sFilePath = _WinAPI_AssocQueryString('.au3', $ASSOCSTR_EXECUTABLE)

; See >> http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/133768-pathfull-pathgetrelative-and-pathsplit-created-using-the-functions-from-winapiexau3/
MsgBox(4096, '', 'FilePath: ' & $sFilePath & @CRLF & _
        'Directory: ' & _WinAPI_PathRemoveFileSpec($sFilePath) & @CRLF & _
        'Executable: ' & _WinAPI_PathStripPath($sFilePath) & @CRLF & _
        'Extension: ' & _WinAPI_PathFindExtension($sFilePath) & @CRLF)

Very informative.

The answer by "boththose" was workable, but didn't work quite as planned. In my example, I have both Tableau and Tableau Reader installed. Even when I set the Tableau reader to be the default for .twbx files, the code in his example returned Tableau (and not the reader). Still, it would do me

Your example in your first reply is perfect. It correctly identified the proper handler. Thank you!

[guinness]

WinAPIEx has a lot more 'under the hood.' My second example was just to demonstrate how to find the extension and folder path using WinAPIEx. Glad it worked for you.