Powershell: Why are my RegKey value checks failing using Get-ItemProperty when the value I am checking for is 0?

When checking registry key values using Get-ItemProperty in PowerShell, it's important to note that the value returned for a registry key that has a value of 0 (zero) can sometimes be interpreted as $null instead of the actual numeric value. This can lead to unexpected behavior when performing value checks.

To address this issue, you can modify your value checks to explicitly handle the $null case. Here's an example of how you can perform value checks with a fallback option for 0 values:

powershellCopy code
$regValue = (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\Path\To\Registry\Key").Value



if ($regValue -eq $null) {

    # Value does not exist or is not set

    Write-Host "Value does not exist or is not set"

} elseif ($regValue -eq 0) {

    # Value is 0 (zero)

    Write-Host "Value is 0 (zero)"

} else {

    # Value is not null and not zero

    Write-Host "Value is $($regValue)"

}

In this example, the Get-ItemProperty cmdlet retrieves the value of a registry key, and the value is assigned to the $regValue variable. The value is then checked using an if statement.

If the value is $null, it means the registry value does not exist or is not set. If the value is explicitly 0 (zero), it will be treated as such. Finally, if the value is any other non-null value, it will be displayed.

By explicitly handling the $null case and performing separate checks for 0 values, you can ensure accurate value checks for registry keys that have a value of 0.