Knowledge Base

How to Manage Remote Access to the Registry

Article ID: 314837

Article Last Modified on 6/11/2002

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition

This article was previously published under Q314837

For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 153183.

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

This article describes how to manage access to the registry on a remote computer.

Some services must have access to the registry to function correctly. For example, on a system that runs directory replication, the Replicator account must have access to the relevant registry key. Registry Editor supports remote access to the Windows registry; however, you can also restrict this access.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Using a Registry Key to Manage Remote Access to the Registry

The following registry key restricts remote access to the registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers\ winreg

Description: REG_SZ
Value: Registry Server

The Security permissions that are set on this key define which Users or Groups can have remote registry access.

On a Windows XP Professional-based computer, by default only members of the Administrators Group and Backup Operators Group have access to the registry over the network. Administrators have Full Control access, and Backup Operators have Read access.
On a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer, by default only members of the Administrators Group can gain access to the registry over the network. Administrators have Full Control access.

If the key to restrict access to the registry is already present in the registry, start Registry Editor and then skip to steps 7 and 8 to add, remove, or edit the Users, Groups, and permissions.

Creating a Registry Key to Manage Remote Access to the Registry

If you need to create the key to restrict access to the registry, follow these steps:

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe), and then locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
On the Edit menu, click Add Key, and then enter the following values:

Key Name: SecurePipeServers
Class: REG_SZ
Locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ SecurePipeServers
On the Edit menu, click Add Key, and then enter the following values:

Key Name: winreg
Class: REG_SZ
Locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ SecurePipeServers\winreg
On the Edit menu, click Add Value, and then enter the following values:

Value Name: Description
Data Type: REG_SZ
String: Registry Server
Locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ SecurePipeServers\winreg
Right-click winreg, click Permissions, and then edit the current permissions or add the users or groups to whom you want to grant access.
Quit Registry Editor, and then restart Windows.

Bypassing the Access Restrictions That Are Set on the Registry Key

Some services need remote access to the registry to function correctly. For example, the Directory Replicator service requires access to the remote registry, as does the Spooler service when it is connecting to a printer over the network.

You can either add the account name of the service to the access list on the Winreg key, or you can configure Windows to bypass the access restriction to certain keys by listing the keys in the Machine or Users value under the AllowedPaths key.

If you want to list certain keys under the AllowedPaths key, follow these steps:

Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe), and then locate the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurePipeServers\ Winreg\AllowedPaths

Under the Machine value, use the following information to add the keys for which you want to bypass restrictions:

   Value:        Machine
   Value Type:   REG_MULTI_SZ - Multi string
   Default Data: System\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions
                 System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Printers
                 System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Server Applications
                 System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog
                 Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

   Valid Range:  A valid path to a location in the registry
   Description:  Allow machine access to listed locations in the
                 registry provided that no explicit access
                 restriction exists for that location

Under the Users value, use the following information to add the keys for which you want to bypass restrictions:

   Value:        Users
   Value Type:   REG_MULTI_SZ - Multi string
   Default Data: (None)

   Valid Range:  A valid path to a location in the registry
   Description:  Allow users access to listed locations in the
                 registry provided that no explicit access
                 restriction exists for that location

Note that "Value: Users" does not exist by default. You might have to create the value.

Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.

Keywords: kbinfo kbnetwork KB314837

Microsoft KB Archive/314837

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