Public/Get-RegExpandString.ps1

function Get-RegExpandString
{

    <#
    .SYNOPSIS
           Retrieves a null-terminated string that contains unexpanded references to environment variables (REG_EXPAND_SZ) from local or remote computers.
 
    .DESCRIPTION
           Use Get-RegExpandString to retrieve a null-terminated string that contains unexpanded references to environment variables (REG_EXPAND_SZ) from local or remote computers.
            
    .PARAMETER ComputerName
            An array of computer names. The default is the local computer.
 
    .PARAMETER Hive
           The HKEY to open, from the RegistryHive enumeration. The default is 'LocalMachine'.
           Possible values:
            
        - ClassesRoot
        - CurrentUser
        - LocalMachine
        - Users
        - PerformanceData
        - CurrentConfig
        - DynData
 
    .PARAMETER Key
           The path of the registry key to open.
 
    .PARAMETER Value
           The name of the registry value.
 
    .PARAMETER ExpandEnvironmentNames
          Expands values containing references to environment variables using data from the local environment.
 
    .PARAMETER Ping
           Use ping to test if the machine is available before connecting to it.
           If the machine is not responding to the test a warning message is output.
 
    .EXAMPLE
        $Key = "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion"
        Get-RegExpandString -Key $Key -Value ProgramFilesPath
 
        ComputerName Hive Key Value Data Type
        ------------ ---- --- ----- ---- ----
        COMPUTER1 LocalMachine SOFTWARE\Microsof... ProgramFilesPath %ProgramFiles% ExpandString
         
 
        Description
        -----------
        The command gets the registry ProgramFilesPath ExpandString value from the local computer.
        The returned value contains unexpanded references to environment variables.
         
    .EXAMPLE
        Get-RegExpandString -Key $Key -Value ProgramFilesPath -ComputerName SERVER1,SERVER2,SERVER3 -ExpandEnvironmentNames -Ping
 
        ComputerName Hive Key Value Data Type
        ------------ ---- --- ----- ---- ----
        SERVER1 LocalMachine SOFTWARE\Microsof... ProgramFilesPath C:\Program Files ExpandString
        SERVER2 LocalMachine SOFTWARE\Microsof... ProgramFilesPath C:\Program Files ExpandString
        SERVER3 LocalMachine SOFTWARE\Microsof... ProgramFilesPath C:\Program Files ExpandString
         
         
        Description
        -----------
        The command gets the registry ProgramFilesPath ExpandString value from three remote computers.
        When the ExpandEnvironmentNames Switch parameter is used, the data of the value is expnaded based on the environment variables data from the local environment.
        When the Switch parameter Ping is specified the command issues a ping test to each computer.
        If the computer is not responding to the ping request a warning message is written to the console and the computer is not processed.
 
    .OUTPUTS
        PSFanatic.Registry.RegistryValue (PSCustomObject)
 
    .LINK
        Set-RegExpandString
        Get-RegValue
        Remove-RegValue
        Test-RegValue
 
    #>

    
    
    [OutputType('PSFanatic.Registry.RegistryValue')]
    [CmdletBinding(DefaultParameterSetName="__AllParameterSets")]
    
    param( 
        [Parameter(
            Position=0,
            ValueFromPipeline=$true,
            ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true,
            HelpMessage="An array of computer names. The default is the local computer."
        )]        
        [Alias("CN","__SERVER","IPAddress")]
        [string[]]$ComputerName="",        
        
        [Parameter(
            Position=1,
            ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true,
            HelpMessage="The HKEY to open, from the RegistryHive enumeration. The default is 'LocalMachine'."
        )]
        [ValidateSet("ClassesRoot","CurrentUser","LocalMachine","Users","PerformanceData","CurrentConfig","DynData")]
        [string]$Hive="LocalMachine",
        
        [Parameter(
            Mandatory=$true,
            Position=2,
            ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true,
            HelpMessage="The path of the subkey to open."
        )]
        [string]$Key,

        [Parameter(
            Mandatory=$true,
            Position=3,
            ValueFromPipelineByPropertyName=$true,
            HelpMessage="The name of the value to get."
        )]
        [string]$Value,
        
        [switch]$ExpandEnvironmentNames,
        
        [switch]$Ping
    ) 
    

    process
    {
            
            Write-Verbose "Enter process block..."
        
        foreach($c in $ComputerName)
        {    
            try
            {                
                if($c -eq "")
                {
                    $c=$env:COMPUTERNAME
                    Write-Verbose "Parameter [ComputerName] is not presnet, setting its value to local computer name: [$c]."                    
                }
                
                if($Ping)
                {
                    Write-Verbose "Parameter [Ping] is presnet, initiating Ping test"
                    
                    if( !(Test-Connection -ComputerName $c -Count 1 -Quiet))
                    {
                        Write-Warning "[$c] doesn't respond to ping."
                        return
                    }
                }

                
                Write-Verbose "Starting remote registry connection against: [$c]."
                Write-Verbose "Registry Hive is: [$Hive]."
                $reg = [Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey]::OpenRemoteBaseKey([Microsoft.Win32.RegistryHive]$Hive,$c)        
                
                Write-Verbose "Open remote subkey: [$Key]"
                $subKey = $reg.OpenSubKey($Key)    

                if(!$subKey)
                {
                    Throw "Key '$Key' doesn't exist."
                }
                
                if($ExpandEnvironmentNames)
                {
                    Write-Verbose "Parameter [ExpandEnvironmentNames] is presnet, expanding value of environamnt strings."
                    Write-Verbose "Get value name : [$Value]"
                    $rv = $subKey.GetValue($Value,-1)
                }
                else
                {
                    Write-Verbose "Parameter [ExpandEnvironmentNames] is not presnet, environamnt strings are not expanded."
                    Write-Verbose "Get value name : [$Value]"
                    $rv = $subKey.GetValue($Value,-1,[Microsoft.Win32.RegistryValueOptions]::DoNotExpandEnvironmentNames)
                }
                
                if($rv -eq -1)
                {
                    Write-Error "Cannot find value [$Value] because it does not exist."
                }
                else
                {
                    Write-Verbose "Create PSFanatic registry value custom object."
                    $pso = New-Object PSObject -Property @{
                        ComputerName=$c
                        Hive=$Hive
                        Value=$Value
                        Key=$Key
                        Data=$rv
                        Type=$subKey.GetValueKind($Value)
                    }

                    Write-Verbose "Adding format type name to custom object."
                    $pso.PSTypeNames.Clear()
                    $pso.PSTypeNames.Add('PSFanatic.Registry.RegistryValue')
                    $pso
                }

                Write-Verbose "Closing remote registry connection on: [$c]."
                $subKey.close()
            }
            catch
            {
                Write-Error $_
            }
        } 
        
        Write-Verbose "Exit process block..."
    }
}