PC Resource Guide, Windows Registry

Windows REGISTRY

What is the Registry?

 The Windows Registry is the heart of the operating system.  It stores all the information that Windows 95, 98, ME, NT and 2000 need to run correctly. Anytime you make a change in Windows including adding or removing hardware, software programs or users, the Registry accepts the changes.

The actual Registry is located on several files in your computer and can not be edited directly. You will need to use a Registry Editing tool.  Microsoft has such a tool called REGEDIT.EXE. You will not find this program from the start menu. The best way to run it is to go to START, RUN, and then type REGEDIT.

CAUTION: ALWAYS BACKUP the REGISTRY BEFORE EDITING IT. You can cause irreversible damage to your computer by editing the REGISTRY!  Changes are made once you exit Regedit and you are not prompted to accept or reject the changes. These six head branches are used on the System Registry:

             HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - Contains all the file types and OLE information for OLE-aware applications.

           HKEY_CURRENT_USER - Contains setting for users.

           HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - Contains information about  hardware and software installed on your computer. The current hardware configuration is specified in HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG.

           HKEY_USERS - Contains some preferences such as colors and control panel settings for each of the users.

           HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - Contains the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE for the current hardware configuration.

           HKEY_DYN_DATA - this branch points to the part of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, used with Plug-and-play devices.

Backup the Registry in Win95: Insert your Win95 CD and browse to \Other\Misc\Cfgback directory and locate a file called CFGBACK.EXE.  Run this program to backup your existing Registry.

Restore Corrupt Registry on Win95: Be ready to spend a little time on this one.

• 1. Restart the computer in MS-DOS Mode.
• 2. At the “C:” prompt, type “cd c:\windows” (do not type quotes), to change to the windows directory.
• 3. Enter the following commands, press <ENTER> after each line and remember SYSTEM.DA0 and USER.DA0 use the number zero.
• attrib -h -r -s system.dat
• attrib -h -r -s system.da0
• copy system.da0 system.dat
• attrib -h -r -s user.dat
• attrib -h -r -s user.da0
• copy user.da0 user.dat
• 4. Restart your computer, your computer should start with the last successful startup.

Backup the Registry in WIN98: Each time Windows98 or ME starts they automatically create a backup of the Registry after a successful startup.  You can also create a backup by using the Registry Checker SCANREGW.EXE.

There are a number of changes that you can make to the Registry to enhance your PC’s performance and looks.  CLICK HERE for  a few Registry tweaks that you can use right now.