a wishlist for registry comparison and others

[RodolfoGiovanninetti]

First of all, I would like to thank You for adding the support for registry comparison. Now, I would like to see some changes. In my opinion, registry comparison should be a mixing between folder comparison and text comparison. So, I would like to be able to browse two registries, using buttons to move up on one or on both sides (now I cannot see them). I would like to be able to click in the center column to select registry entries on both sides. Now I have two moving bars, but they move at the same time, so I would like better a structure such as folder comparison. And I would like to be able to use text tools to copy data between them. I would like to see, in the bottom lines, both registries entries, even if one is blank.

I would like to be able to compare security settings. And I would like to be able to "touch" to fix security settings. These two wishes are also for folder comparison.

So far I have had no time to test this, is it possible to load a complete hive, for example from a second hard disk added to my pc?

I know that my message is not clear enough, but I know also that Your technical support is good enough to read a customer's mind!

Thank You very much again

Rodolfo Giovanninetti

[Michael Bulgrien]

I agree that the registry compare is still too difficult to navigate. I would like to be able to go up-one-level on both sides. Instead of copying/merging registry keys, I would also like to be able to generate a pair of .reg files (one that contains the differences between the two sides...and another that would undo the change). In other words, when comparing a section of the registry, I would like to be able to generate a .reg file that would accomplish the same thing copying the differences from the one side to the other in the GUI and a .reg file that contains the original values that would be overlaid by such an action.

[Aaron]

I would like to be able to click in the center column to select registry entries on both sides. Now I have two moving bars, but they move at the same time, so I would like better a structure such as folder comparison.

Once you have clicked in the center column, and have both sides selected, what would you like to do to both sides at once?

And I would like to be able to use text tools to copy data between them. I would like to see, in the bottom lines, both registries entries, even if one is blank.

You can currently double click to edit each side. This double click causes a pop-up dialog to appear. Is your request to remove the pop-up dialog and edit as if it was text? Which text tools do you wish to use?
We do currently show both sides. The Text Details shows the contents of the Data column. Were you looking for more than the Data Column, or are you encountering a case where it is not showing the Data Column's info? A screenshot may help.

I would like to be able to compare security settings. And I would like to be able to "touch" to fix security settings. These two wishes are also for folder comparison.

Thanks for the suggestion. We currently have an option to copy NTFS file permissions, but not to compare or touch them. Expanding NTFS file permissions is on our wishlist.

So far I have had no time to test this, is it possible to load a complete hive, for example from a second hard disk added to my pc?

Yes, but loading an entire registry can be a bit slow (over the network). You can also export your registry as a file, and then compare the two files.

I know that my message is not clear enough, but I know also that Your technical support is good enough to read a customer's mind!

Thanks, Rodolfo. Let us know if you have any questions.

[Aaron]

Thanks for the recommendations, Michael. I've added the patch info to our Wishlist, and our developers are aware of the Up One Level buttons. Up One Level is available in the Customize Commands section of Registry compare and can be keyboard shortcuts associated with them. Also, for the patch, would we need to generate both? Or could you generate one, then "flip" and generate it in the other direction to create the 2nd patch (previous to applying the patch)?

[Michael Bulgrien]

I suppose I could filter for changes/orphans only then generate, swap sides, generate...
You're probably already aware of it, but a patch file would need to insert hyphens as necessary to delete registry keys/values on the sides opposite of the orphans:

To remove an entire sub-key:

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Test]

To remove a registry value:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Test
"TestValue"=-

I suppose I was reacting, in part, to the warnings about no undo. Is this an area that you plan to change in the future? If not, may I suggest an auto-backup feature that a user could toggle on or off. It could create datetime-qualified .reg files in a designated backup folder to undo any activity performed against a live registry. If a user were to change the registry value above, for example, the following backup file might be generated:

hklm-software-test_yyyymmdd_hhmmss.reg

If the live registry is a remote system, add the name of the system to the front of the file name:

computername_hklm-software-test_yyyymmdd_hhmmss.reg

[RodolfoGiovanninetti]

My answers:

- Once you have clicked in the center column, and have both sides selected, what would you like to do to both sides at once?

+ I would like to see, in the bottom lines, both lines, left and right.

- You can currently double click to edit each side. This double click causes a pop-up dialog to appear. Is your request to remove the pop-up dialog and edit as if it was text? Which text tools do you wish to use?
We do currently show both sides. The Text Details shows the contents of the Data column. Were you looking for more than the Data Column, or are you encountering a case where it is not showing the Data Column's info? A screenshot may help.

+ I would like to mark both sides, and see both lines on the bottom sides. I send an attachment, where You can see that I have clicked on one line, but on the bottom part I do not see anything.

Thank You very much again

Rodolfo Giovanninetti

[RodolfoGiovanninetti]

Parsing error loading a registry hive

I tried to load a hive, but it failed. On my laptop, I have two setup of Windows. The one that I use generally, that is on F: drive, and a previous one, that is on D: drive. So, I tried to load a hive from D:\Windows\system32\config\system, but I got a parsing error.

Thank You very much

Rodolfo Giovanninetti

[Erik]

I suppose I was reacting, in part, to the warnings about no undo. Is this an area that you plan to change in the future?

Undo support was added to the Registry Compare before it was released. Our first draft of the video included this warning. Am I correct in guessing that's where you got this info? The official video does not include the warning. I just fixed a link on our website that is reachable from the beta page to refer to the official video instead of the original one.

Is the existing behavior sufficient for your needs?

Regards,

[Erik]

I tried to load a hive from D:\Windows\system32\config\system, but I got a parsing error.

The only type of file that the Registry Compare supports is .reg dumps. It uses the Windows API functions to access live registries.

Regards,

[Erik]

I send an attachment, where You can see that I have clicked on one line, but on the bottom part I do not see anything.

The details panel will show the contents of the Data column. In your case, the data is empty on both sides so there is nothing to show. What are expecting to see?

Regards,

[RodolfoGiovanninetti]

I expected to see, in the bottom lines, the different data types. Anyway, I will try to work longer with registry comparison to get accustomed to it in the way it is now.

Thank You very much again

Rodolfo Giovanninetti

[Michael Bulgrien]

Undo support was added to the Registry Compare before it was released. Our first draft of the video included this warning. Am I correct in guessing that's where you got this info?

Yes, I'm pretty certain that is where I picked it up. It is good to know that undo is implemented.

Is the existing behavior sufficient for your needs?

I definitely would like to be able to create "patch" files (.reg files to apply changes from one side to the other). Assuming that is available, I don't have a problem swapping sides to create my own "undo" files. I do think keeping a log of applied changes would be useful (if there is not an option to do so already) and that an auto-backup feature that creates undo files (as I described in my last post) would be a nice feature...but would not really be necessary if I can do everything by hand.

My apologies to Rodolfo for hijacking your thread. I didn't mean to detract from your concerns. Thanks to Team Scooter for addressing both of us independently in this thread.

[Aaron]

My apologies to Rodolfo for hijacking your thread. I didn't mean to detract from your concerns. Thanks to Team Scooter for addressing both of us independently in this thread.

Both you and Rodolfo's input has been helpful. Part of the beta process is getting feedback like this. So if anyone else has run into any issues using the new Registry Compare, please let us know.

[Michael Bulgrien]

...our developers are aware of the Up One Level buttons.

One last thing... does your comment indicate that Team Scooter intends to get the Up One Level buttons next to the MRU dropdowns like they are in the folder compare before BC 3.2 comes out of beta? I hope so. Having to do this from the Session menu is neither intuitive nor user friendly when users are used to seeing the buttons above the left and right panes in a folder compare.

[Zoë]

It's a small feature, so it might make it in, but I don't expect any other non-bugfix work during the beta.