How to iterate only myservices only and escape other services present under services folder

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I Have a directory structure inside Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services like this :

MYService
MYService-1
MYService-2
MYService-3

There would be other default service from Microsoft will be present as well.
while searching for the my MYService I don't want to iterate all the services present under Services folder but only my services like MYService
MYService-1, MYService-2 etc.. then I can decide which is best suitable MYService match by comparing the ImagePath of the MYService and incoming servicepath.

I have the code for the second part (matching ImagePath).
Could someone help me for the first part.

What I have tried:

I have searched for this code, but it iterating all services :
Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(REGISTRY_CONTROLSET_SERVICES)

Posted 14-Dec-20 21:29pm

Premchand Kumar

Updated 15-Dec-20 0:50am

Richard MacCutchan

v2

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CHill60 15-Dec-20 3:51am

Just match the start of the name. Show the code you are using to "match" the ImagePath - it's probably going to be very very similar

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Richard MacCutchan · Answer 1 · 2020-12-14T21:51:00

Solution 1

This may help: RegistryKey.GetSubKeyNames Method (Microsoft.Win32) | Microsoft Docs[^]

Posted 14-Dec-20 21:51pm

Richard MacCutchan

Comments

Premchand Kumar 15-Dec-20 5:35am

Hey Richard, Thanks for the information,
but I have a condition already like below :
foreach (string instanceName in services.GetSubKeyNames()) { }
but in this case I have to iterate on all keys present under services.

What I want is go to very first directory key which name starts with MYService, and then start iterating.

Richard MacCutchan 15-Dec-20 6:37am

You can only iterate what the system provides, as shown in the documentation.

Premchand Kumar 16-Dec-20 1:28am

right, I wanted to discover if this is possible to hide other services from end users when watching from ProcessMonitor.

Richard MacCutchan 16-Dec-20 4:04am

You have no real control over what users can and cannot do on their own systems; don't waste time trying. It is much better to focus your efforts on providing efficient, high quality, solutions.

CHill60 · Answer 2 · 2020-12-15T00:50:00

Solution 2

In response to your comment, here are a couple of suggestions (N.B. not tested, or even compiled)

C#

foreach (string instanceName in services.GetSubKeyNames()) 
{ 
     if !instanceName.Contains("MYService") continue; //moves to next iteration

}

Alternatively you could put the array of subkeynames into a list keylist, extract from that list only the MYService entries and iterate through that

C#

var myservices = keylist.Where(t => uids.Contains("MyService"));
foreach (var instanceName in myservices)
{
   // do your stuff
}

Posted 15-Dec-20 0:50am

CHill60

Updated 15-Dec-20 0:51am

v2

Comments

Richard MacCutchan 15-Dec-20 7:35am

I (foolishly) assumed that OP could figure out that part.

CHill60 15-Dec-20 13:16pm

You have just made me laugh out loud! Going into the registry with so little knowledge - glad OP doesn't work at my place!

Premchand Kumar 16-Dec-20 5:07am

I tried this code ::
var keylist = services.GetSubKeyNames();
var myservices = keylist.Where(t => keylist.Contains("MYService"));

foreach (var instance in myservices)
{
Console.WriteLine("currentInstance : " + instance);
}

instead of finding directory specific to MYService, it is iterating to all entries under services strange..

CHill60 16-Dec-20 8:01am

Strange indeed. I get a compilation error 'System.Array' does not contain a definition for 'Where' and no extension method 'Where' accepting a first argument of type 'System.Array' could be found (are you missing a using directive or an assembly reference?). GetSubKeyNames() returns a string array, you need to "put the array of subkeynames into a list keylist" - as I said in my solution. If you are still getting all entries then you are running the results of your previous compile and not this one

Premchand Kumar 17-Dec-20 2:35am

Here is my full code in order to avoid any confusion about the sol. you said :

RegistryKey services = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey("SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\services");
string []keyList = services.GetSubKeyNames();
var myservices = keyList.Where(t => keyList.Contains("MYService"));
foreach (var instanceName in myservices)
{
Console.WriteLine("current instanceName is : " + instanceName);
}
with this solution I am getting all instances name from services in variable instanceName.
Have checked the service MYService is present in Services registry.

CHill60 17-Dec-20 5:36am

I'll have another look, but at the moment I don't have access to VS or C# at all. It will have to be after I finish work I'm afraid