Installing Postgresql 13 on Windows Server 2019
My adventure of installing Postgresql 13 on Windows Server without using Docker was met with some resistance. For some reason the installer could not run because it did not have enough permissions to write to a certain folder?
Hidden vbs
I took a look at the .exe and self extracting installer and the command options possible. Luckily you could also just only extract it somewhere and not install it. I thought that might be enough. It turned out there were some hidden .vbs files that regulated the whole installation process like setting up services and installing files and such.
The problem was that the .vbs files could not be executed. Some error was thrown up saying it could not find an engine to execute the script with. So naturally I searched for the solution and found a script that will fix the registry for VBS files and after that everything magically worked.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs]
@="VBSFile"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs\PersistentHandler]
@="{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile]
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,\
00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\
32,00,5c,00,77,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,\
00,2d,00,34,00,38,00,30,00,32,00,00,00
@="VBScript Script File"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,57,00,53,00,\
63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,2c,00,32,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ScriptEngine]
@="VBScript"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ScriptHostEncode]
@="{85131631-480C-11D2-B1F9-00C04F86C324}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell]
@="Open"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Edit]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Edit\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,\
6f,00,74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,25,\
00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,57,00,\
53,00,63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,22,\
00,25,00,31,00,22,00,20,00,25,00,2a,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open2]
@=hex(2):4f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,26,00,77,00,69,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,43,\
00,6f,00,6d,00,6d,00,61,00,6e,00,64,00,20,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,6d,00,70,00,\
74,00,00,00
"MUIVerb"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,\
6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,\
00,77,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
34,00,35,00,31,00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open2\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,43,00,\
53,00,63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,22,\
00,25,00,31,00,22,00,20,00,25,00,2a,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Print]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Print\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,\
6f,00,74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,\
00,70,00,20,00,25,00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\WSHProps]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.vbs]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.vbs]
This is the registry script that will fix it. Naturally I wanted to also understand why this worked.
So let us do a line by line.
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs]
@="VBSFile"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs\PersistentHandler]
@="{5e941d80-bf96-11cd-b579-08002b30bfeb}"
Here the version is stated for compatibility sake and then the specific key is removed and then recreated just to be sure. It will get the data "VBSFile". Then some magic number is thrown to this PersistentHandler. However it is a so called CLSID, Windows Class Identifier, and it points to specific COM objects. In this case a standard Plain Text persistent handler.
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile]
"FriendlyTypeName"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,\
00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,\
32,00,5c,00,77,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,\
00,2d,00,34,00,38,00,30,00,32,00,00,00
@="VBScript Script File"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,57,00,53,00,\
63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,2c,00,32,00,00,00
Again removing a key before setting it again, just to clear the data before initializing it. Then the VBSFile gets two data points, a FriendlyTypeName and a (Default) value. The FriendlyTypeName decodes to: @%SystemRoot%\\System32\\wshext.dll,-4802\x00 . So much for a FriendlyTypeName. But it will point to the correct dll that will hold the actual data.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\DefaultIcon]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\
00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,57,00,53,00,\
63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,2c,00,32,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ScriptEngine]
@="VBScript"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ScriptHostEncode]
@="{85131631-480C-11D2-B1F9-00C04F86C324}"
The DefaultIcon decodes to: %SystemRoot%\\System32\\WScript.exe,2\x00 in other words take the DefaultIcon of off WScript itself. Next is a simple name holder. Then another CLSID referer, this time to VBS File Host Encode Object .
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell]
@="Open"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Edit]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Edit\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,\
6f,00,74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,25,\
00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,57,00,\
53,00,63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,22,\
00,25,00,31,00,22,00,20,00,25,00,2a,00,00,00
The next one gives a default command to “Open” the files. Then sets up the Edit command first. It decodes to: "%SystemRoot%\\System32\\Notepad.exe" %1\x00. Therefor the Edit context menu command will open it in Notepad. You can change this to be whatever you want of course. My understanding of this is that it is hex per two pair but it is Windows so it should be UTF-16-LE encoded. The actual Open command decodes to: "%SystemRoot%\\System32\\WScript.exe" "%1" %*\x00 Meaning open it in WScript.exe with the first argument being the script and whatever other arguments you gave it.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open2]
@=hex(2):4f,00,70,00,65,00,6e,00,20,00,26,00,77,00,69,00,74,00,68,00,20,00,43,\
00,6f,00,6d,00,6d,00,61,00,6e,00,64,00,20,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,6d,00,70,00,\
74,00,00,00
"MUIVerb"=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,\
6f,00,74,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,\
00,77,00,73,00,68,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,\
34,00,35,00,31,00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Open2\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,43,00,\
53,00,63,00,72,00,69,00,70,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,22,\
00,25,00,31,00,22,00,20,00,25,00,2a,00,00,00
The Open2 command is meant to be used when saying open with Command Prompt. The first value decodes to that as well: Open &with Command Prompt\x00. Then MUIVerb decodes to: @%SystemRoot%\\System32\\wshext.dll,-4511\x00 which is a special reference to that particular dll file and offset therein. Then the Command itself is decoded to: "%SystemRoot%\\System32\\CScript.exe" "%1" %*\x00. Almost like WScript but that is in a special window and the CScript is meant to be launched from CLI.
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Print]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\Shell\Print\Command]
@=hex(2):22,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,4e,00,\
6f,00,74,00,65,00,70,00,61,00,64,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,22,00,20,00,2f,\
00,70,00,20,00,25,00,31,00,00,00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx\DropHandler]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\VBSFile\ShellEx\PropertySheetHandlers\WSHProps]
@="{60254CA5-953B-11CF-8C96-00AA00B8708C}"
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\SystemFileAssociations\.vbs]
[-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.vbs]
Then the Print command decodes to: "%SystemRoot%\\System32\\Notepad.exe" /p %1\x00. Which is pretty cool. So that is how you can call Notepad with a file and immediately print it. Then the ShellEx DropHandler is meant to handle what to do if you drag and drop files. This one calls the CLSID of Shell Extension For Windows Script Host. Then it does the same for the PropertySheetHandlers. What it means is what to display when selecting Properties from the Context Menu.
Lastly it deletes some potentially previously set values.
Conclusion
I hope you learned some of the internals of the Windows Registry by dissecting this little small example, maybe even gaining some new cool ideas how to make other file extensions and associations work better for you.