microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

[Registry Preview] Support metadata directives in .reg comments

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Needs-Triage Product-Registry Preview
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C
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Description

### Description of the new feature / enhancement

Registry Preview already parses .reg files before import. It could recognize
optional metadata stored in comment lines, such as `;Title=`, `;Description=`,
`;Author=` and `;Requires=`, and display this information to the user before/after import.

Example:

```
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Title=Example Tweak
;Description=A short human-readable description of what this .reg file does.
;Requires=ExplorerRestart
;Author=John Doe

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\CLSID\...]
<...>
```

Registry Preview could display something like:

- Title: Example Tweak
- Description: A short human-readable description of what this .reg file does.
- Additional action required after import: Restart Windows Explorer

Supported Requires values (initial set):
```
;Requires=ExplorerRestart
;Requires=Restart
;Requires=Logoff
```

Unknown `;Key=Value` directives would be silently ignored, so the set can grow later without breaking older files. This is entirely optional - files without this metadata continue to work exactly as they do today.

### Scenario when this would be used?

.reg files are commonly shared on forums, in guides, and between admins/power users. Comments (;) have existed in the .reg format for decades, but they have no dedicated UI surface - Registry Preview currently shows them only as raw text in the left-hand text panel, alongside the rest of the file content, competing for attention with the actual registry syntax. Most users focus on the right-hand tree view, which shows structure but not comments at all.

Someone double-clicking a .reg file never sees the text content, and even users who do open Registry Preview tend to skim the raw text panel rather than read it closely - it reads as "technical detail," not as user-facing
information.

Surfacing recognized metadata (Title/Description/Requires) in a dedicated, prominent panel - rather than leaving it buried in the raw text - would make this context something users actually see and act on, not just something that's technically present in the file.

### Supporting information

100% backward compatible — no changes to the .reg file format, existing Regedit versions already ignore comment lines.

Possible implementation: parse lines matching `;Key=Value` before the first
`[Section]`, store as a metadata dictionary, render in a collapsible info
panel above/alongside the tree view.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by locating the Registry Preview entry points for .reg parsing and the right-hand tree-view UI. Check how comment lines are currently handled, then determine where recognized metadata and the Requires actions would fit in a collapsible panel. Done means optional directives are surfaced without changing behavior for files that lack them.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
desktop
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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