The Windows Registry is a database used by a variety of Microsoft products to store settings and configuration information for both the operating system and applications. It is located on the hard drive and kept in several files, typically named “`Registry.pol“` and “`Registry.bak“`.
When the computer starts up, it reads data from the Windows Registry which is used to configure the operating system and applications. This is done so that each time the computer starts, the specific settings can be applied.
To access the Windows Registry, you need to open the Run dialog box. You can do this easily by pressing the Windows Key + R on your keyboard.
Once the Run dialog box is open, type “`regedit“` into the box and press enter or click OK. This will open the Registry Editor window.
At the top of the Registry Editor window is the registry tree. The registry tree contains all of the various keys and subkeys that are stored in the Windows Registry.
The first key listed in the registry tree is usually “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE”. This is known as the machine hive and it contains data related to the hardware and software installed on the computer.
Below the machine hive are other keys and subkeys that contain information about the system configuration, user preferences, installed software, and more. You can use the registry tree to navigate to the keys and subkeys that contain the data you need to access.
Once you have navigated to the key and/or subkey you need, you can view and edit the data associated with it. The values for each key and subkey are listed on the right side of the window in the “Value List” section.
From here, you can view and edit the data (if you have the necessary permissions). To edit an existing value, double-click on it, make your changes, and then click OK or Apply.
You can also add new values to the registry. To do this, right-click on the key or subkey and select “New”. Then select the type of data you want to add from the list of available types.
Once you have added the new value to the registry, you can edit it by double-clicking on it and making the necessary changes.
Finally, remember that you should always be very careful when editing the Windows Registry. Before making any changes, make sure you understand what you are doing and back up your registry files.
In conclusion, the Windows Registry is a powerful tool that can be used to store and manage settings, configurations, and user preferences. To access the Windows Registry, open the Run dialog box and type “regedit”. You can then use the registry tree to navigate to the keys and subkeys containing the data you need. Finally, make sure you back up your registry before making any changes.