RegCmd

RegCmd represents a command-line interface for the Windows Registry Editor, giving you the possibility to access hives and manage entries from a Command Prompt instance. It contains a text document showing all available options.

Access the Windows Registry from a console window

The help section can be displayed (h, ?, help). It's possible to list the level (dir, ls, list), change the key level (cd, chdir), create a key (md, mkdir), delete a key (rd, rmdir), create a value (new), edit a value (edit), copy a value (copy, cp), delete a value (del, erase), type a value's data (type) and show the program version (ver).

Manage registry hives and keys

Moreover, you can access HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM), HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU), HKEY_USERS (HKUS), HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR), HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC), HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA (HKPD) and HKEY_DYN_DATA (HKDD).
It's possible to use a shortcut to go to a deep key or value path (go, goto), load shortcuts (load), save key or value shortcuts (save), display the current path (pwd), list the key's security descriptor information (acl), take the ownership of a key (own), replace the primary group of a key (group), change a key's permissions (cacl), toggle options (set), connect to a remote machine (connect), as well as return to the current PC (local).

No setup required

The entire tool's packed in a single executable file that can be saved to a custom directory on the disk or copied to a removable storage unit, in order to directly run it on any PC with minimal effort and no previous setup.
Unlike most installers, it doesn't add new entries to the system registry by just setting it up, create files on the disk without permission, or need DLLs or other components to work properly. In order to uninstall it, you simply have to delete this .exe item.

Evaluation and conclusion

It worked smoothly in our tests, without triggering the OS to hang, crash or indicate errors. We haven't experienced any stability issues on later Windows models, although RegCmd hasn't received updates for a long time. Overall, it offers straightforward options for accessing the Windows Registry from a console interface to manage hives and keys.