RegMerge Return - Early Alpha Testing

[Jeremy Collake]

RegMerge ALPHA - The return

Details - https://bitsum.com/regmerge/ (https://bitsum.com/regmerge/)

There is still a lot left to do. This project was never really fully finished, so I'm left picking up where I left off years ago.

Known things to do are (a quick list):

1. Better validate input file type, UTF-8, UTF-16, ANSI, /w or without UTF markers
2. Better handling of registry value deletions in .REG  (currently aren't represented well)
3. Add safeties towards massive changes that don't look right
4. Add more sanity checks throughout
5. Update build, manifest. and support code to latest Bitsum standards
6. Improve packaging, auto-correcting installer like our newer tools
7. Test on all OSes, specifically explorer (shell) integration as .REG handler
8. Need modern Bitsum updater
9. Needs UNDO support

Download and use at your OWN risk -- These are advanced user utilities in an early alpha state, meaning if you aren't prepared to have registry damage, don't use them!

Links:
RegMerge 32-bit Installer (http://bitsum.com/passthru_lt/passthru.php?target_file=http://bitsum.com/files/alpha/regmergesetup32.exe)
RegMerge 64-bit Installer (http://bitsum.com/passthru_lt/passthru.php?target_file=http://bitsum.com/files/alpha/regmergesetup64.exe)
Current version: 0.0.0.7 ALPHA

(repeating for emphasis)
Download and use at your OWN risk -- These are advanced user utilities in an early alpha state, meaning if you aren't prepared to have registry damage, don't use them!

WHEN I get to v1.0, I will absolutely state such and make this utility more widely available.

[Jeremy Collake]

Early testing has wen surprisingly well. There are some features I am going to add, updates I'll make, but reports are that it seems to do alright.

[Jeremy Collake]

Updated to v0.0.0.8:

- Fix (unverified) - Error about 'can not open REG file' given if run w/o arguments

[Jeremy Collake]

RegMerge v0.0.1.1 ALPHA is now uploaded as of Jan 17, 2016.

New:

+ Integrated single-click updater
+ Other

Still very much in development/testing.. BUT I hope to push this to v1.0 very soon. We'll have unit tests to check every conceivable input type and registry change, and it should result in a good util.

Note that if you see SmartScreen warnings, they are due to the fact that this is not a common download. Just allow install. You will see it actually is signed by Bitsum LLC.

[John L Galt]

It is truly awesome that you're working on this project.  I love the way it works.

Many, many years ago I found a product that allowed one to create reg entries in a much easier fashion than simply using Notepad, called RegPad.  I still have it - it allowed a tree view of the reg file key(s) that you create, and I still use it today, including adding entries to the registry to make it the default handler for opening reg files, since it was a standalone product.  I've gotten tricky over the years, using Nir Sofer's ZipInstaller Utility to install the .zip file that contains it to %programfilesx86% so that I can import the reg entries into Windows as I have them set up.

It would be really great if you could expand RegMerge to include this type of feature as well.  That would make your product an AIO type for dealing with .reg files.  I do not know what happened to the developer, even the website that I remember where this file was hosted is long gone now, and yet I am reluctant to actually post the app itself.  If you're interested, send me an email and I can send it to you.

Here are a couple of screen shots to show the methodology it used for allowing .reg file editing (just how antiquated it is).

[John L Galt]

One more thing - I see the link in the OP, but every time I DL it I get 05 Alpha, nothing newer.  Does that mean you've pulled newer builds?

[edkiefer]

Thanks for report, working on fixing link.

[Jeremy Collake]

This was a mistake that apparently occurred when I moved the new site to the base domain a couple weeks ago. Some improper handling of symlinks was to blame.

I've rebuilt and uploaded v0.0.1.2 ALPHA. There is still a lot of work left to do, but I'll get the bulk of it done when I'm able to spend just a teensy amount of time with this software. The next thing is adding the automated updater, which is critical to me.

As for all-out *editing* of .REG files, I don't know -- that's debatable. I am not sure there is market to take things that far. However, I'll consider it. It's honestly best to create what you want in a registry hive with RegEdit, then 'Export' that into a .REG file, then do any manual tweaks you might need with Notepad. It's just a lot of work to create a full-fledged .REG editor.

[John L Galt]

No worries, I can understand the desire not to.  It's just that entering HEX values in notepad gets cumbersome.  But, since I still have this tool available to me I have no issues continuing to use it side by side with RegMerge.  It actually solves a small problem for me, as well,  since I was having to import modified registry settings for .reg files, changing the way the OS handled both opening and editing .reg files - now, RegMerge handles the opening part, and I can easily modify the the registry to handle the editing part.

Thanks for all your work on RegMerge and of course Lasso Process and you other applications.

[John L Galt]

OK, I was able to get the latest version now, as well.  Thanks!