nvim-winregview

A Neovim plugin for browsing and viewing the Windows Registry, similar to browsing files in a directory.

Vibe-coded. (It's a pretty simple plugin)

Features

• Browse Windows Registry keys hierarchically
• View registry values with type and data information
• Read-only viewing (safe to explore without accidental modifications)
• Uses native Windows reg.exe utility (no external dependencies)

Requirements

• Neovim >= 0.9.0
• Windows OS

Installation

Add the repo using the plugin-manager of your choice, or manually with git clone and vim.opt.rtp:append('C:/path/to/nvim-winregview/') There are no options or configuration.

Usage

Opening the Registry

Use the :WinReg command to open the Windows Registry:

" Open registry root (shows HKEY_* root keys)
:WinReg

" Open a specific registry path
:WinReg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software

" Using abbreviations
:WinReg HKLM\Software\Microsoft

" Using forward slashes also works
:WinReg HKCU/Software

Navigation Keybindings

Once in a registry view buffer:

• <CR> (Enter) - Navigate into subkey / View registry value
• - - Go to parent key
• W - Toggle between WOW6432Node (32-bit) and normal (64-bit) registry view, not applicable to all paths
• q - Close the buffer

URL Format

The plugin uses custom URL schemes for navigation:

winreg:///key/HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft
winreg:///value/HKLM\Software\Microsoft#value=ProductName

You can also use these URLs directly with :edit and everything else that opens buffers.

:edit winreg:///key/HKLM\Software

Reload a buffer with :edit!.

Limitations

• Read-only: This plugin is only queries the registry and never writes to it.
• Permissions: Some registry keys require administrator privileges. Run Neovim as administrator to access protected keys.
• Binary Data: Binary values are displayed as-is from reg.exe output (usually hex format).
• Large Keys: Keys with thousands of subkeys/values may take time to load.