That makes no sense to me. Maybe it is in the way you try to use the $VIRI returned.

This code:
Break On
$MSN = ReadValue("HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" ,"msnmsgr")
$MSN ?

Returns:
"C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\msnmsgr.exe" /background

C:\KiXScripts>

In the reg, it is REG_SZ.
_________________________
Give a man a fish and he will be back for more. Slap him with a fish and he will go away forever.