How Can I Collapse/Close All Registry Keys?

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  1. Posts : 5,442
    Windows 11 Home
       #11

    Unfortunately not, still the same effect, it only hides the selected key, but when you open it again, keys are uncollapsed.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 13,895
    Win10 Version 22H2 Pro and Home, Win11 Pro and Home
       #12

    On Win7 through Win10, when I close Regedit then reopen it the display returns to the way I left it. I make it a practice to collapse all subkeys so all that is showing are the 5 Hives before closing. That's the way it opens next time. I do it that way as most times I am not going back to the same place.
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 436
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #13

    rstrub1955 said:
    ... Even the 'Find' feature is lame; you have to click 'Edit' to select 'Find next' for any search string, since the dialog box closes every time it's clicked.
    Or press F3
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,983
    Windows 10 x86 14383 Insider Pro and Core 10240
       #14

    So where does regedit cache the state of its open keys?
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 6
    windows 10 Home-64bit
       #15

    LMiller7 said:
    The state of a key being open or collapsed doesn't effect the registry itself, only how it is viewed in regedit. I don't believe there is any way to directly close all keys. What you can do is exit regedit and reopen it. Regedit will then open with the same key displayed in the right column as before with only the keys expanded that are necessary to show this.

    The other day I actual saw a software that did a perfect job of opening and closing the nodes, can't remember the name of it though.
    You would think after all the billions that Microsoft have made and are still making , they would have easily done the same .
    But there has been many many areas that are left neglected . Windows 10 is the best effort though . I we remember the nightmare when first released ...
    I think the problem is proper communication and a will to make the changes .
    So many different nationalities work on the the same area and I think there is a language understanding problem.
    It can only be difficult and frustration for those involved
    That's what I think after all these years.
    I believe in Ireland they sorted a lot of this out .
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 1,255
    Windows 10 Pro
       #16

    juan2go said:
    The other day I actual saw a software that did a perfect job of opening and closing the nodes, can't remember the name of it though.
    You would think after all the billions that Microsoft have made and are still making , they would have easily done the same .
    But there has been many many areas that are left neglected . Windows 10 is the best effort though . I we remember the nightmare when first released ...
    I think the problem is proper communication and a will to make the changes .
    So many different nationalities work on the the same area and I think there is a language understanding problem.
    It can only be difficult and frustration for those involved
    That's what I think after all these years.
    I believe in Ireland they sorted a lot of this out .
    The problem is that Microsoft receives huge numbers of feature requests. Large numbers of these are useful and practical to implement. But even then the numbers are very large. If even a fraction were implemented Regedit would be a monstrosity that would confuse even advanced users. So Microsoft must be very selective about what features to implement. But everybody has their own ideas about which are the important ones. Microsoft could add 1000 features to Regedit and many people would still see some pet feature missing.

    That is the reality with software development.

    Regedit remembers the registry key that was last displayed in the list. Only the keys necessary to display this will be opened. This behavior goes back to at least Windows 2000, likely earlier.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 6
    windows 10 Home-64bit
       #17

    LMiller7 said:
    The problem is that Microsoft receives huge numbers of feature requests. Large numbers of these are useful and practical to implement. But even then the numbers are very large. If even a fraction were implemented Regedit would be a monstrosity that would confuse even advanced users. So Microsoft must be very selective about what features to implement. But everybody has their own ideas about which are the important ones. Microsoft could add 1000 features to Regedit and many people would still see some pet feature missing.

    That is the reality with software development.
    Regedit remembers the registry key that was last displayed in the list. Only the keys necessary to display this will be opened. This behavior goes back to at least Windows 2000, likely earlier.
    Yes, I agree with you, I'm looking forward to when block chain is implemented into windows, that will scuttle the nastiest out there.

    Nice talking with you
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 16,781
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #18

    A scheme for opening the Registry fully collapsed or at a specific key


    LMiller7 said:
    Regedit remembers the registry key that was last displayed in the list.
    Juan, LMiller,

    This behaviour can be exploited to achieve opening the Registry at any given key or even at its root with all keys fully collapsed.

    I appreciate that my own method might be more effort than you want to go to. I hummed & hahed for ages about how best to take advantage of this behaviour.

    My method has three fixed components
    1 A batch file
    2 A shortcut within my menu system that copies a 'template' RegEdit shortcut to my Desktop
    3 The 'template' RegEdit shortcut

    I then tailor the 'template' RegEdit shortcut's Target field by inserting the specific Registry key that I want to open with and I then move the tailored shortcut to wherever I want to save it for future use.
    So, just as I have various shortcuts to www addresses & particular folders/files saved in my hard drive, I have several tailored RegEdit shortcuts as well. For example,
    - in my notes about network profiles, I have a tailored RegEdit shortcut that takes me straight to the network profiles Registry key
    - in my notes about manipulating user folders, I have a tailored RegEdit shortcut that takes me straight to the Registry key that lists [the main] user folder locations as well as some others for additional Registry keys that define other user folders.




    1 My batch file lives in this folder - C:\Tools\Registry [This folder's permissions protect it from unauthorised changes]
    ShowRegKey.bat
    Code:
    :: This takes the Registry key passed by the shortcut to this batch file, opens RegEdit [for which Admin permission is needed on all my computers], goes to the specified Registry key [if it exists]
    :: Based on an idea in [url=https://ss64.com/nt/regedit.html]Regedit - Windows CMD - SS64.com[/url]
    ::prompt $g
    Set ThisKey=%~1
    ::Bail out if no argument has been passed
    If "FF%ThisKey%FF"=="FFFF" GoTo Abort
    REG ADD "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Regedit" /v "LastKey" /d "%ThisKey%" /f 
    Start /b regedit 
    :Abort
    ::Pause to review outcome during testing

    2 The shortcut in my menu system that copies the 'template' RegEdit shortcut to my Desktop is just a standard shortcut with its Target field manually changed to
    Code:
    %windir%\system32\cmd.exe /c "copy C:\Tools\Registry\ShowRegKey-Sample.lnk D:\Desktop /Y"
    - This shortcut happens to be called RegEdit - make new ShowRegKey shortcut but the name is not critical.
    - You would need to alter yours to suit your own folder paths & whatever name you decide to use for the 'template' RegEdit shortcut
    - The icon for this shortcut is set to %SystemRoot%\System32\regedt32.exe so that the meaning of it is clear

    3 The 'template' RegEdit shortcut is just a standard shortcut with its Target field manually changed to
    Code:
    C:\Tools\Registry\ShowRegKey.bat  "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders"
    - My 'template' RegEdit shortcut is called ShowRegKey-Sample.lnk
    - The icon for this shortcut is also set to %SystemRoot%\System32\regedt32.exe so that the meaning of it is clear





    Examples

    - Open Registry to main user folder listing ShowRegKey-UserShellFolders.lnk - as in para 3 above

    - Open Registry with all branches collapsed ShowRegKey-CollapsedStructure.lnk
    Code:
    C:\Tools\Registry\ShowRegKey.bat "."

    - Open Registry to MSOffice 2007 main Options section ShowRegKey - Office section.lnk
    Code:
    C:\Tools\Registry\ShowRegKey.bat "Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office\12.0"

    - Open Registry to PowerShell execution policy ShowRegKey - PowerShell execution policy.lnk
    Code:
    C:\Tools\Registry\ShowRegKey.bat "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell"

    - Open Registry to WMP preferences section ShowRegKey - WMP preferences.lnk
    Code:
    C:\Tools\Registry\ShowRegKey.bat "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences"



    I hope this is useful.

    Denis
    Last edited by Try3; 23 Aug 2019 at 23:41.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 4
    w10 home
       #19

    The simplest way I have found is to press ALT + LEFT ARROW KEY and this should step you back through the entries.
    If the registry is stubborn then open up another reg key / value further down (it doesn't matter where) and then use the ALT + LEFT KEY.
    Et Voila !!
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 24
    windows 7 & windows 10 both 64 bit
       #20

    I had this need, came looking - here's my fast combo - all keys very ergonomically friendly :

    shift + home (refocus cursor on 'Computer') ... [for me = L pinky/R middle] ;

    alt + F4 to close ... [for me = L thumb / L index] .... when reopened, tree is collapsed back to 5 main hives. Done.
      My Computer


 

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