Editing Windows Registry (section)

=== PowerShell commands and scripts ===
[[File:PowerShell registry provider.png|thumb|Using PowerShell to navigate the registry]]

[[Windows PowerShell]] comes with a registry provider which presents the registry as a location type similar to the file system. The same commands used to manipulate files and directories in the file system can be used to manipulate keys and values of the registry.<ref name=Payette-Siddaway-2018>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jDszEAAAQBAJ|title=Windows PowerShell in Action|last1=Payette|first1=Bruce|last2=Siddaway|first2=Richard|publisher=[[Manning Publications]]|date=2018|access-date=August 28, 2021|pages=7–8, 24, 608, 708–710|edition=Third|isbn=9781633430297}}</ref>

Also like the file system, PowerShell uses the concept of a ''current location'' which defines the context on which commands by default operate. The <code>Get-ChildItem</code> (also available through the aliases <code>ls</code>, <code>dir</code> or <code>gci</code>) retrieves the child keys of the current location. By using the <code>Set-Location</code> (or the alias <code>cd</code>) command the user can change the current location to another key of the registry.<ref name=Payette-Siddaway-2018/> Commands which rename items, remove items, create new items or set content of items or properties can be used to rename keys, remove keys or entire sub-trees or change values.

Through PowerShell scripts files, an administrator can prepare scripts which, when executed, make changes to the registry. Such scripts can be distributed to administrators who can execute them on individual machines. The PowerShell Registry provider supports transactions, i.e. multiple changes to the registry can be bundled into a single atomic transaction. An atomic transaction ensures that either all of the changes are committed to the database, or if the script fails, none of the changes are committed to the database.<ref name=Payette-Siddaway-2018/><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=apztCAAAQBAJ|title=Windows PowerShell in 24 Hours, Sams Teach Yourself|last=Warner|first=Timothy L.|publisher=[[Sams Publishing]]|date=May 2015|access-date=August 28, 2021|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=apztCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT49 19], [https://books.google.com/books?id=apztCAAAQBAJ&pg=PT241 211]|isbn=9780134049359}}</ref>