Windows Registry ( regedit ) The Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It contains settings for low-level operating system components and for applications running on the platform that have opted to use the registry. The kernel, device drivers, services, SAM, user interface and third party applications can all make use of the registry. The registry also provides a means to access counters for profiling system performance. When first introduced with Windows 3.1, the Windows registrys primary purpose was to store configuration information for COM-based components. With the introduction of Windows 95 and Windows NT, its use was extended to tidy up the profusion of per-program INI files that had previously been used to store configuration settings for Windows programs. It is not a requirement for a Windows application to use the Windows Registry—for example, the .NET Framework applications use XML files for configuration, while portable applications usually keep their configuration data within files in the directory/folder where the application executable resides. Keys and values Keys and values[edit] The registry contains two basic elements: keys and values. Registry keys are container objects similar to folders. Registry values are non-container objects similar to files. Keys may contain values or further keys. Keys are referenced with a syntax similar to Windows path names, using backslashes to indicate levels of hierarchy. Keys must have a case insensitive name without backslashes. The hierarchy of registry keys can only be accessed from a known root key handle (which is anonymous but whose effective value is a constant numeric handle) that is mapped to the content of a registry key preloaded by the kernel from a stored hive, or to the content of a subkey within another root key, or mapped to a registered service or DLL that provides access to its contained subkeys and values. E.g. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows refers to the subkey Windows of the subkey Microsoft of the subkey Software of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE root key. There are seven predefined root keys, traditionally named according to their constant handles defined in the Win32 API, or by synonymous abbreviations (depending on applications): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE or HKLM HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG or HKCC (only in Windows 9x/Me and NT-based versions of Windows) HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT or HKCR HKEY_CURRENT_USER or HKCU HKEY_USERS or HKU HKEY_PERFORMANCE_DATA (only in NT-based versions of Windows, but invisible in the Windows Registry Editor) HKEY_DYN_DATA (only in Windows 9x/Me, and visible in the Windows Registry Editor)
Posted on: Mon, 25 Aug 2014 16:36:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015