Nota : As funções de acesso ao registry do windows são perigosas podendo destruir a instalação do windows.
Por esse motivo só deve ser utilizada em caso de extrema necessidade e muitos anti-virus e o próprio sistema operacional bloqueiam essas funcionalidades.
Com certeza precisará de privilégios administrativos de administrador do windows para utilizar estes recursos.

Imports Microsoft.Win32

Module Registry1

    Public Class Class1
        ''' <summary>
        ''' Exemplo :         Dim sAns As String
        '''         sAns = x.RegValue(RegistryHive.LocalMachine, "HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\BIOS", "BaseBoardManufacturer", sErr)
        '''     sAns = x.RegValue(RegistryHive.LocalMachine, "HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\BIOS", "BaseBoardProduct", sErr)
        '''            sAns = x.RegValue(RegistryHive.LocalMachine, "HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\BIOS", "BIOSVendor", sErr)
        ''' </summary>
        ''' <param name="Hive"></param>
        ''' <param name="Key"></param>
        ''' <param name="ValueName"></param>
        ''' <param name="ErrInfo"></param>
        ''' <returns></returns>


        Public Function RegValue(ByVal Hive As RegistryHive, ByVal Key As String, ByVal ValueName As String, Optional ByRef ErrInfo As String = "") As String

            Dim objParent As RegistryKey
            Dim objSubkey As RegistryKey
            Dim sAns As String

            sAns = ""

            Try
                Select Case Hive
                    Case RegistryHive.ClassesRoot
                        objParent = Registry.ClassesRoot
                    Case RegistryHive.CurrentConfig
                        objParent = Registry.CurrentConfig
                    Case RegistryHive.CurrentUser
                        objParent = Registry.CurrentUser
                    'Case RegistryHive.DynData win95/98
                    'objParent = Registry.DynData win95/98
                    Case RegistryHive.LocalMachine
                        objParent = Registry.LocalMachine
                    Case RegistryHive.PerformanceData
                        objParent = Registry.PerformanceData
                    Case RegistryHive.Users
                        objParent = Registry.Users

                        objSubkey = objParent.OpenSubKey(Key)
                        'if can't be found, object is not initialized
                        If Not objSubkey Is Nothing Then
                            sAns = (objSubkey.GetValue(ValueName))
                        End If

                End Select

            Catch ex As Exception
                ErrInfo = ex.Message
            Finally

                'if no error but value is empty, populate errinfo
                If ErrInfo = "" And sAns = "" Then
                    ErrInfo = "Não foi encontrado valor algum para a chave fornecida"
                End If
            End Try
            Return sAns
        End Function

        ''' <summary>
        ''' Exemplo :        Dim sAns As String
        '''         sAns = x.RegKey(RegistryHive.ClassesRoot, "MIME\Database\Content Type", sErr)
        ''' </summary>
        ''' <param name="Hive"></param>
        ''' <param name="Key"></param>
        ''' <param name="ErrInfo"></param>
        ''' <returns></returns>
        Public Function RegKey(ByVal Hive As RegistryHive, ByVal Key As String, Optional ByRef ErrInfo As String = "") As String
            Dim objParent As RegistryKey
            Dim objSubkey As RegistryKey
            Dim sAns As String

            sAns = ""

            Try

                Select Case Hive
                    Case RegistryHive.ClassesRoot
                        objParent = Registry.ClassesRoot
                    Case RegistryHive.CurrentConfig
                        objParent = Registry.CurrentConfig
                    Case RegistryHive.CurrentUser
                        objParent = Registry.CurrentUser
                    'Case RegistryHive.DynData 'win95/98
                    'objParent = Registry.DynData 'win95/98
                    Case RegistryHive.LocalMachine
                        objParent = Registry.LocalMachine
                    Case RegistryHive.PerformanceData
                        objParent = Registry.PerformanceData
                    Case RegistryHive.Users
                        objParent = Registry.Users

                        objSubkey = objParent.OpenSubKey(Key)
                        'if can't be found, object is not initialized
                        If Not objSubkey Is Nothing Then
                            For Each valueName As String In objSubkey.GetSubKeyNames()
                                sAns = sAns + valueName + vbCr
                            Next
                        End If

                End Select

            Catch ex As Exception
                ErrInfo = ex.Message
            Finally

                'if no error but value is empty, populate errinfo
                If ErrInfo = "" And sAns = "" Then
                    ErrInfo = "Não foi encontrado valor algum para a chave fornecida"
                End If
            End Try
            Return sAns
        End Function

    End Class

End Module