xRegistry: Fails to remove reg key when the Key is specified like 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE'

[mkht]

Details of the scenario you tried and the problem that is occurring

When deleting a registry key using the xRegistry resource, if we specify a traditional registry path like HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\... instead of a PSDrive style path, Then a ProviderOperationExecutionFailure error will be occured.

Verbose logs showing the problem

VERBOSE: [DSCTestVM]: LCM:  [ Start  Set      ]  [[xRegistry]RemoveRegistryKey]
VERBOSE: [DSCTestVM]:                            [[xRegistry]RemoveRegistryKey] Set-TargetResource is starting for Registry resource with Key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING
VERBOSE: [DSCTestVM]:                            [[xRegistry]RemoveRegistryKey] The registry key at path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING exists.
VERBOSE: [DSCTestVM]:                            [[xRegistry]RemoveRegistryKey] Removing registry key at path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING...
VERBOSE: [DSCTestVM]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]  [[xRegistry]RemoveRegistryKey]  in 0.0160 seconds.
PowerShell DSC resource MSFT_xRegistryResource  failed to execute Set-TargetResource functionality with error message: The running command stopped because the preference variable "ErrorActionPreference" or common 
parameter is set to Stop: Cannot find path 'C:\Windows\system32\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING' because it does not exist. 
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (:) [], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ProviderOperationExecutionFailure
    + PSComputerName        : localhost
 
VERBOSE: [DSCTestVM]: LCM:  [ End    Set      ]
The SendConfigurationApply function did not succeed.
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (root/Microsoft/...gurationManager:String) [], CimException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MI RESULT 1
    + PSComputerName        : localhost
 
VERBOSE: Operation 'Invoke CimMethod' complete.
VERBOSE: Time taken for configuration job to complete is 0.183 seconds

Suggested solution to the issue

Fix

The DSC configuration that is used to reproduce the issue (as detailed as possible)

# Create empty reg key for test
New-Item -Path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING'

Configuration xRegistry_Test
{
    Import-DscResource –ModuleName 'xPSDesiredStateConfiguration'

    xRegistry RemoveRegistryKey
    {
        Ensure = 'Absent'
        ValueName = ''
        Key = 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING'   #Error
      # Key = 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\SOMETHING'                #It's OK
    }
}

xRegistry_Test -OutputPath C:\DSC
Start-DscConfiguration -Path C:\DSC -Wait -Verbose -Force

The operating system the target node is running

OsName               : Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
OsOperatingSystemSKU : 48
OsArchitecture       : 64-bit
WindowsVersion       : 1803
WindowsBuildLabEx    : 17134.1.amd64fre.rs4_release.180410-1804
OsLanguage           : en-US
OsMuiLanguages       : {en-US}

Version and build of PowerShell the target node is running

PS C:\Users\Administrator> $PSVersionTable

Name                           Value                                                                                                                                                                                 
----                           -----                                                                                                                                                                                 
PSVersion                      5.1.17134.228                                                                                                                                                                         
PSEdition                      Desktop                                                                                                                                                                               
PSCompatibleVersions           {1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0...}                                                                                                                                                               
BuildVersion                   10.0.17134.228                                                                                                                                                                        
CLRVersion                     4.0.30319.42000                                                                                                                                                                       
WSManStackVersion              3.0                                                                                                                                                                                   
PSRemotingProtocolVersion      2.3                                                                                                                                                                                   
SerializationVersion           1.1.0.1             

Version of the DSC module that was used ('dev' if using current dev branch)

dev

[johlju]

It tries to remove the registry by calling Remove-Item

https://github.com/PowerShell/xPSDesiredStateConfiguration/blob/71acfb570ebd387f402379f10c77ba71e90e1c00/DSCResources/MSFT_xRegistryResource/MSFT_xRegistryResource.psm1#L332

But it calls with the passed in Key, all other functionality are using the variable $registryKey which contains the registry key, which in turn has been assigned by a helper function, that converted the Key path to a correct PSDrive path.

https://github.com/PowerShell/xPSDesiredStateConfiguration/blob/71acfb570ebd387f402379f10c77ba71e90e1c00/DSCResources/MSFT_xRegistryResource/MSFT_xRegistryResource.psm1#L215

So instead of using $Key on the Remove-Item call, it should get the correct PSDrive path from the variable $registryKey.

[mkht]

Thanks @johlju
Now I'm trying to fix it.