Remove a registry key

Description

This example shows how you can use the Registry resource to ensure a registry key doesn't exist.

With Ensure set to Absent, ValueName set to an empty string, and Key set to HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\MyNewKey, the resource removes the MyNewKey registry key if it exists.

With Invoke-DscResource

This script shows how you can use the Registry resource with the Invoke-DscResource cmdlet to ensure the MyNewKey registry key doesn't exist.

[CmdletBinding()]
param()

begin {
    $SharedParameters = @{
        Name       = 'Registry'
        ModuleName = 'PSDscResource'
        Properties = @{
            Key       = 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\MyNewKey'
            Ensure    = 'Absent'
            ValueName = ''
        }
    }

    $NonGetProperties = @(
        'Ensure'
    )
}

process {
    $TestResult = Invoke-DscResource -Method Test @SharedParameters

    if ($TestResult.InDesiredState) {
        $QueryParameters = $SharedParameters.Clone()

        foreach ($Property in $NonGetProperties) {
            $QueryParameters.Properties.Remove($Property)
        }

        Invoke-DscResource -Method Get @QueryParameters
    } else {
        Invoke-DscResource -Method Set @SharedParameters
    }
}

With a Configuration

This snippet shows how you can define a Configuration with a Registry resource block to ensure the MyNewKey registry key doesn't exist.

Configuration RemoveKey {
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName 'PSDscResources'

    Node localhost {
        Registry ExampleRegistry {
            Key       = 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\MyNewKey'
            Ensure    = 'Absent'
            ValueName = ''
        }
    }
}