How to modify registry values on multiple RDP sessions, Citrix sessions, VDI’s or servers at once

[styledbox type=”information” ]This document applies to any version of: Remote Desktop Services, XenApp, XenDesktop, XenServer, VMware View, VMware, MS Hypervisor and Microsoft Servers.[/styledbox]

Modifying or adding registry setting on multiple virtual or physical machines (RDP/Citrix sessions, physical machines) without modifying the Group Policy is always a challenge.
In this short “How to” article we will illustrate how this task can be easily performed with ControlUp.

Method 1: Creating or updating registry values simultaneously on multiple hives.

1. Using ControlUp Computer grid or session grid select the RDP/Citrix/VDi sessions or servers for which you’d like to modify / create the registry entries, (see “ControlUp Advanced Search Filters” for a powerful way to do this)

   

2. Open ControlUp’s “Registry Controller” on the right side of the screen, under “Controllers”.
3. A new screen will appear with the computers or sessions you have selected. Browse the registry hive to reach the key where the modifications need to be applied.
4. Right-click in the “Registry Value” pane and choose “Create Value” then choose the value type and fill the value name and the value data. Click OK
5. The new values will be added / updated to all the machines’ / sessions’ registry hives followed with a result message:
6. In the same way you have created a registry value, you can also delete, rename, copy/move or modify it.

Method 2 : Importing registry modifications from a ready-made *.reg file

1. Using Windows Registry editor first to create the registry entries / values for a single computer or sessions.
2. Export the registry key to a *.reg file and clean it up from all the unnecessary content.
3. Open ControlUp and follow step 1.1 above to select the computers /sessions for which you’d like to create or modify the registry. When selected, right-click then choose “Registry > Import Registry”
4. Browse to the folder where you have saved your registry file, select it and click “Open”
5. The file will appear in the following window. Click OK
6. A successful “Import Registry” action is indicated with a green line in the lower left section of the screen. A red line indicates if, for any reason, the registry file import failed for some of the computers / session. Double-click the red line to see the expanded error log.