RegLoadKey

The RegLoadKey function creates a subkey under HKEY_USER or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and stores registration information from a specified file into that subkey. This registration information is in the form of a hive. A hive is a discrete body of keys, subkeys, and values that is rooted at the top of the registry hierarchy. A hive is backed by a single file and .LOG file.

LONG RegLoadKey(
  HKEY hKey,       // handle to open key
  LPCTSTR lpSubKey,
                   // address of name of subkey
  LPCTSTR lpFile   // address of filename for registry information
);
 

Parameters

hKey

Specifies the key where the subkey will be created. This can be a predefined reserved handle value, or a handle returned by a call to RegConnectRegistry. The predefined reserved handle values are:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKEY_USERS

This function always loads information at the top of the registry hierarchy. The HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_USER handle values cannot be specified for this parameter, because they represent subsets of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS handle values, respectively.

lpSubKey

Pointer to a null-terminated string that specifies the name of the key to be created under hKey. This subkey is where the registration information from the file will be loaded.

lpFile

Pointer to a null-terminated string containing the name of a file that has registration information. This file must have been created with the RegSaveKey function.

Windows 95: RegLoadKey does not support long file names. If the desired file has a long file name, use the short file name to load it.

Return Values

If the function succeeds, the return value is ERROR_SUCCESS.

If the function fails, the return value is a nonzero error code defined in WINERROR.H. You can use the FormatMessage function with the FORMAT_MESSAGE_FROM_SYSTEM flag to get a generic description of the error.

Remarks

If hKey is a handle returned by RegConnectRegistry, then the path specified in lpFile is relative to the remote computer.

Windows NT: The calling process must have the SE_RESTORE_NAME privilege. For more information about privileges, see Privileges.

QuickInfo

  Windows NT: Requires version 3.1 or later.
  Windows: Requires Windows 95 or later.
  Windows CE: Unsupported.
  Header: Declared in winreg.h.
  Import Library: Use advapi32.lib.
  Unicode: Implemented as Unicode and ANSI versions on Windows NT.

See Also

Registry Overview, Registry Functions, RegConnectRegistry, RegDeleteKey, RegReplaceKey, RegRestoreKey, RegSaveKey, RegUnloadKey