The Windows Registry: What's it Do?

The Os is a database which shops configurations and options for the managing system for Ms Microsoft windows 32-bit editions, 64-bit editions and Ms windows Mobile.

It contains information and configurations for all the hardware, application, customers, and preferences of the PC. Whenever a individual makes changes to "Control Panel" configurations, or data file associations, system policies, or installed application, the changes are reflected and saved in the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry.

The computer pc personal computer pc windows registry is actually a big data file where a lot of setting can be saved.

This data file has been around quite a while and has had different names.

The first windows edition that used the windows computer pc personal computer pc windows registry to shop configurations was windows 3.11 and the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry in that edition of windows was known as Reg.dat.

In Ms windows 95 and 98 the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry data files are named User.dat and System.dat and are saved in the \Windows\ listing.

Windows ME known as the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry data files, Classes.dat, User.dat, and System.dat and saved them in the \Windows\ listing.

Finally the newest editions of windows like, Ms windows NT, 2000, 2003, and XP shops the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry data files like this,

The Registry data files are saved in %SystemRoot%\System32\Config\:

- Sam
- Security
- Software
- System
- Default
- Userdiff
- NTUSER.dat
- The NTUSER.dat data file is saved in the profile folder.

The Ms windows Registry was introduced to tidy up the old way of storing written text records in INI data files. These records had previously been used to shop settings configurations for Ms windows applications.
The ini data files where saved in a lot of different directories and many applications used their own ini data declare some or all of their configurations. This way of using ini data files all over the system, made them difficult to keep track of and handle in an easy and logical way.

What's Good with the Registry

Changing from having one or more INI Files per system to one centralised computer pc personal computer pc windows registry has some apparent and some not so apparent benefits:

- The computer pc personal computer pc windows registry keeps machine settings separate from individual settings. When a individual logs into a Ms windows NT/XP/2003 computer, their computer pc personal computer pc windows registry configurations are merged with the system large configurations. This allows applications to more quickly keep per-user settings, as they can just work with the 'current user' key, whereas in the past they tended to just keep system-wide per-program configurations. There are always some system large configurations that are common for all customers though.

- Group Plan allows administrators on a Windows-based computer system to centrally manage system and policy configurations. This is not used in a home environment, only in corporations with a dedicated logon server.

- Because the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry is utilized through a exclusive API it is available to programs and distant control using WMI. Each script does not have to be customised for every application's exclusive settings data file layouts and restrictions.

- The computer pc personal computer pc windows registry can be utilized as one item over a system connection for distant management/support, including from programs, using the standard API.

- It can be supported up more quickly, in that it is just a small number of data files in specific locations.

Bad things with the Registry

Not all that shines is gold. The Registry introduces some problems as well:

- It is a anchorman of failure - damage to the Registry can render a Ms windows system unbootable, in extraordinary instances to a point that can not be fixed, and needs a full reinstall of Ms windows. This is why it is so important to use computer pc personal computer pc windows registry check out and fix utilities, while the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry still can be repaired.

- Any system which wants to manipulate the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry must use exclusive Ms windows API functions whereas a settings data file can be manipulated using normal written text file-processing techniques.

- Configuration data files can contain comments to help the individual by explaining what values are for and how they can be changed, the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry cannot. And the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry use something known as guids in a large. Long strange exclusive numbers that is completely meaningless to humans. Making handling much harder.

- It is more difficult to backup - it cannot be done 'live' because it is always in use, and thus needs exclusive application such as ntbackup.

- Restoring parts of the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry is hard because you cannot quickly extract data from supported up computer pc personal computer pc windows registry data files

- Any application that doesn't uninstall properly, or doesn't have an uninstaller, can leave records in the computer pc personal computer pc windows registry, which can lead over time to increased quality and decreased performance. And once again, here's the primary reason why you must use a computer pc personal computer pc windows registry scan/clean and fix application.

The computer pc personal computer pc windows registry will be redone once more with the release of the new Vista Operating System from Ms.