The Registry
A central hierarchical database used in Microsoft
Windows 9x, Windows CE, Windows NT, and Windows 2000 used to store
information necessary to configure the system for one or more users,
applications and hardware devices.
The Registry contains information that Windows continually references
during operation, such as profiles for each user, the applications
installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create,
property sheet settings for folders and application icons, what hardware
exists on the system, and which ports are being used.
The Registry replaces most of the text-based .ini files used in Windows
3.x and MS-DOS configuration files, such as the Autoexec.bat and
Config.sys. Although the Registry is common to several Windows platforms,
there are some differences among them.
Registry data is stored in binary files. To modify registry data, a
program must use the registry functions that are defined in the Microsoft
Platform SDK. Administrators can modify the registry by using Registry
Editor (Regedit.exe or Regedt32.exe).
Information About Editing the Registry
To edit the registry, Microsoft recommends that you follow the steps in
the Microsoft documentation only. If possible, use the Windows user
interface instead of directly editing the registry.
You can edit the registry by using Registry Editor (Regedit.exe or
Regedt32.exe). If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you can cause
serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system.
Microsoft does not guarantee that problems that you cause by using
Registry Editor incorrectly can be resolved. Use Registry Editor at your
own risk.
Before you modify the registry, make sure to back up the registry, and
make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem
occurs.
The physical files that make up the registry are stored differently
depending on your version of Windows; under Windows 95 & 98 it is
contained in two hidden files in your Windows directory, called USER.DAT
and SYSTEM.DAT, for Windows Me there is an additional CLASSES.DAT
file, while under Windows NT/2000 the files are contained seperately in
the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config directory. You can not edit these files
directly, you must use a tool commonly known as a "Registry
Editor" to make any changes (using registry editors will be discussed
later in the article).
Registry Part 2
