I know the default data path on a SQL7 server is defined in the
registry key SQLDataPath. I want to be able to determine the default
data path in a VB.NET application on the local machine and remote
machines. Is using the Registry Class the best way to do that or is
there a SQL command that can tell me? I have read about xp_regread but
I can't find it documented anywhere and I do not know what parameter
list it is expecting. I thought this path may be in an Information
Schema view, but I can't find it.

Thanks for any help.

"Zack Sessions" <zcsessions@visionair.com> wrote in message
news:db13d9fb.0409290532.245851a8@posting.google.c om...
>I know the default data path on a SQL7 server is defined in the
> registry key SQLDataPath. I want to be able to determine the default
> data path in a VB.NET application on the local machine and remote
> machines. Is using the Registry Class the best way to do that or is
> there a SQL command that can tell me? I have read about xp_regread but
> I can't find it documented anywhere and I do not know what parameter
> list it is expecting. I thought this path may be in an Information
> Schema view, but I can't find it.
>
> Thanks for any help.

There's no SQL command to do that - the SQLDMO Registry.SqlDataRoot property
is probably the best option.

xp_regread isn't documented, so it's not really a good idea to rely on it
(in fact, SQLDMO uses another undocumented proc called xp_instance_regread
to get the path).

Simon

"Simon Hayes" <sql@hayes.ch> wrote in message
news:415acd99_3@news.bluewin.ch...
>
> "Zack Sessions" <zcsessions@visionair.com> wrote in message
> news:db13d9fb.0409290532.245851a8@posting.google.c om...
>>I know the default data path on a SQL7 server is defined in the
>> registry key SQLDataPath. I want to be able to determine the default
>> data path in a VB.NET application on the local machine and remote
>> machines. Is using the Registry Class the best way to do that or is
>> there a SQL command that can tell me? I have read about xp_regread but
>> I can't find it documented anywhere and I do not know what parameter
>> list it is expecting. I thought this path may be in an Information
>> Schema view, but I can't find it.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>
> There's no SQL command to do that - the SQLDMO Registry.SqlDataRoot
> property is probably the best option.
>
> xp_regread isn't documented, so it's not really a good idea to rely on it
> (in fact, SQLDMO uses another undocumented proc called xp_instance_regread
> to get the path).
>
> Simon
>
>

I just noticed you're using SQL 7 - xp_instance_regread probably doesn't
exist there, as I guess it's an instance-aware version of xp_regread for SQL
2000. But you may want to consider the question of multiple instances if you
will ever use your application with SQL 2000 in future - that would be
another reason in favour of SQLDMO.

Simon