Powershell - manage error when registry key not exist - powershell

Question

I hope you're well.
Desciption
I requiere your help regarding the following code I use and who can generate an error when registry key do not exist.
In this example:
If the key Ins_ProductVersion exist in both registry path, the code show information expected.
However, if this key do not exist, I got an error exception + the text: - Product Version: Not found!
My goal , is to only get my message and not the error exception
I was thinking that -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue will manage this situation, but not in my case it not seems
foreach ($path in 'HKLM:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\', 'HKLM:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\') {
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $path -Name 'Ins_ProductVersion' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
# assuming you want to exit the loop at the first successfull 'hit'
if ($hotfix) { break }
}
if ($hotfix) {
write-host "- Product Version: $hotfix"
}
else {
write-host "- Product Version: Not found!"
}
Thanks for your helps and futur advices.
Regards,
Florian
-------------- new code version ---------------
Not working for now
Original key is : Version
Change this key like : Version1
Output can be found here :
code used
foreach ($path in 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Dropbox\Client', 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Dropbox\Client') {
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $path -Name 'Version' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
# assuming you want to exit the loop at the first successfull 'hit'
if ($hotfix) { break }
}
if ($hotfix) {
write-host "- Product version: $hotfix"
}
else {
Write-Host "- Product version : Not found"
}
========== SOLUTION ==========
Thanks for your help
foreach ($path in 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Dropbox\Client', 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Dropbox\Client') {
try {
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $path -Name 'Version' -ErrorAction Stop
# assuming you want to exit the loop at the first successfull 'hit'
if ($hotfix) { break }
}
catch {
Write-Warning $_.Exception.Message
}
}
if ($hotfix) {
write-host "- Product version: $hotfix"
}
else {
Write-Host "- Product version : Not found"
}

Answer 1

The reason you receive both an exception and your own message is because you have defined the registry paths wrong:
HKLM:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment should be either
HKLM:\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment OR
Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment
In your code, you have now added the registry hive twice, where you only need the short OR long version here.
This works:
foreach ($path in 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\', 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\') {
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $path -Name 'Ins_ProductVersion' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
# assuming you want to exit the loop at the first successfull 'hit'
if ($hotfix) { break }
}
if ($hotfix) {
write-host "- Product Version: $hotfix"
}
else {
write-host "- Product Version: Not found!"
}
and so does this:
foreach ($path in 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\', 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\') {
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $path -Name 'Ins_ProductVersion' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
# assuming you want to exit the loop at the first successfull 'hit'
if ($hotfix) { break }
}
if ($hotfix) {
write-host "- Product Version: $hotfix"
}
else {
write-host "- Product Version: Not found!"
}
without the need to wrap it inside a try{..} catch{..}
Although I do not have any exception messages, and for me the -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue does exactly what is expected, you say you keep also receiving system Exception messages using the above..
In that case, you will need to add a try{..}catch{..} to figure out what exactly errors out like this:
foreach ($path in 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Dropbox\Client', 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Dropbox\Client') {
try {
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $path -Name 'Version' -ErrorAction Stop
# assuming you want to exit the loop at the first successfull 'hit'
if ($hotfix) { break }
}
catch {
Write-Warning $_.Exception.Message
}
}
if ($hotfix) {
write-host "- Product version: $hotfix"
}
else {
Write-Host "- Product version : Not found"
}
Now, exceptions will be written to the screen too like
WARNING: Cannot find path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Dropbox\Client' because it does not exist.
WARNING: Cannot find path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Dropbox\Client' because it does not exist.
- Product version : Not found
or
WARNING: Property Version does not exist at path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Dropbox\Client.
WARNING: Cannot find path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Dropbox\Client' because it does not exist.
- Product version : Not found

Answer 2

Usually best to use error handling properly rather than try to disable it:
$Paths = 'HKLM:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\', 'HKLM:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\xxx\xxxx\xxxx\environment\'
$Paths | ForEach-Object {
Try {
$CurPath = $_
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $CurPath -Name 'Ins_ProductVersion' -ErrorAction Stop
}
Catch {
$RegError = "Error obtaining reg key: $_"
}
If ($hotfix) {
[pscustomobject]#{RegPath=$_;Hotfix=$hotfix}
}
Else {
[pscustomobject]#{RegPath=$_;Hotfix=$RegError}
}
}
Or:
$Paths | ForEach-Object {
Try {
$CurPath = $_
$hotfix = Get-ItemPropertyValue -Path $CurPath -Name 'Ins_ProductVersion' -ErrorAction Stop
[pscustomobject]#{RegPath=$_;Hotfix=$hotfix}
}
Catch {
$RegError = "Error obtaining reg key: $_"
[pscustomobject]#{RegPath=$_;Hotfix=$RegError}
}
}