VediramRegistry Details
Every registry location Deck scans and writes, including policy and Excel XLL keys
Overview
Deck reads and writes Office add-in configuration in the Windows Registry. Knowing the exact locations helps diagnose add-in discovery and profile-activation issues, and shows administrators where policy lands.
Add-in discovery paths
Deck scans the Office 16.0 family (Office 2016 and later) for COM/VSTO add-ins. It reads each of these, where <app> is Excel, Outlook, Word, or PowerPoint:
| Path | Scope | Access |
|---|---|---|
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\<app>\Addins\ | Current user | Read/Write |
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\<app>\Addins\ | Current user (non-versioned) | Read/Write |
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\<app>\Addins\ | All users | Read only |
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Office\<app>\Addins\ | All users (non-versioned) | Read only |
HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\16.0\<app>\Addins\ | All users (32-bit) | Read only |
HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Office\<app>\Addins\ | All users (32-bit, non-versioned) | Read only |
Each add-in is a subkey whose name is the add-in's ProgID.
LoadBehavior values
The LoadBehavior DWORD controls whether a COM/VSTO add-in loads:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
3 | Load at startup (enabled) |
2 | Do not load at startup (disabled) |
16 | Load on demand |
0 | Disconnected |
When activating a profile, Deck writes 3 for enabled add-ins and 2 for disabled ones - in the user hive only.
HKLM (admin-managed) add-ins
Add-ins under HKLM are deployed machine-wide by IT (via Group Policy, SCCM, or an installer). Deck displays them with a lock icon and never modifies them. To change these, contact your IT team.
Excel XLL keys
Excel native .xll add-ins are not COM add-ins and don't use LoadBehavior. They load from a numbered sequence under:
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Excel\Options
as values OPEN, OPEN1, OPEN2, … each holding an entry like /R "C:\Addins\MyAddin.xll". Deck reconciles this sequence according to the Managed Extensions policies - see Managing Excel XLL Extensions.
Policy keys
Group Policy settings are read from:
| Key | Scope |
|---|---|
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Vediram\Deck | Machine (takes precedence) |
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Policies\Vediram\Deck | User |
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Vediram\Deck\ManagedExtensions | Excel XLL policies (machine only) |
Each value under these keys corresponds to a policy in the Policy Reference.
Auto-start key
When start-with-Windows is enabled:
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
VediramDeck = "…\Vediram.Deck.Core.exe"
Troubleshooting registry issues
If add-ins aren't detected:
- Confirm the add-in has a subkey under one of the discovery paths above (use
regedit). - Verify the Office version is
16.0(Office 2016+); older versions use paths Deck doesn't scan. - Run Diagnostics in Deck to find orphaned or inconsistent entries.
See Add-ins not detected.