How to Modify Registry Keys and Entries with a Script Task

Products

• Management Platform (Formerly known as Notification Server)

Issue/Introduction

 

Resolution

Script tasks can be used to run commands to add, remove, or modify registry keys and/or entries without interferring with other tasks and policies.

1. Create the Script Task to modify the registry

• Go to Manage>Jobs and Tasks
• Select an appropriate folder to create the task under
• Right-click on the folder and go to New>Task
• The Create New Task window will appear
• Scroll down to the bottom of the available tasks and select Run Script
• Name the task appropriately
• Leave Script type: set to Command Script
• In the empty box enter the command line to modify the registry key and/or registry entry with the appropriate reg add or reg delete command. 
• Example 1. The following command will create or modify a Reg_SZ registry entry called “Execution Policy” with a value of "Remote Signed" under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell:
  • REG ADD HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PowerShell\1\ShellIds\Microsoft.PowerShell /f /v ExecutionPolicy /t REG_SZ /d RemoteSigned
• Example 2. This command will only modify the registry on 64-bit computers and would insert text including qoute characters (") into the value: 
  • if "%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%" == "AMD64" REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CA AIP SSH Server for Windows" /f /v ImagePath /t REG_EXPAND_SZ /d "\"C:\Program Files (x86)\CAS\SC\AutoShellClient\SSHD.exe\"
• Click OK to close the Create New Task window and create the task

2. Run the Script Task

• If the script task needs to access HKEY_CURRENT_USER click Advanced, then change the Run As credentials to Current logged-on user and click OK. Symantec Management Agent credentials will work for other registry hives.
• Click on New Schedule, choose Now or specify a schedule time and repeat interval.
• Specify target computers to run the task on.
• To target a single computer click in the Quick add: box and search for the name of the computer, or use the Quick Run feature instead of New Schedule.
• To target a list of computers click on Add>Computers or Devices then manually select the desired computers and click > and OK.
• To target a computer filter (such as All Computers) click on Add>Target, click Add rule, choose exclude computers not in, and search the name of the filter in the final drop-down box, then click OK.