Windows Registry

1
Windows Registry
2
Introducing the Windows Registry

• Technicians must understand how the Registry
  works.
• Use configuration tools to make changes to the
  Registry.
• The Registry maintains information about all
  system objects.

3
A Major Change in Approach

• Microsoft Windows 3.x used system initialization
  files and private initialization files.
• Windows 3.x also used CONFIG.SYS and
  AUTOEXEC.BAT.
• Microsoft Windows 3.11 introduced REG.DAT, which
  was the precursor to the Registry.

4
A Critical Central Repository

• During system startup, all system elements check
  the Registry to confirm settings.
• Using Control Panel can make changesindirectlyto
  the Registry.
• Windows provides tools for modifying the Registry
  safely.
• The Registry comprises three files that store
  settings and system-specific policies.

5
Windows Configuration and Management Tools
6
Working with System Properties
7
Alternate Methods of Accessing Control Panel
Functions

• The same information presented in Control Panel
  can be accessed by right-clicking key areas.
• Right-clicking a free area of the desktop and
  selecting Properties launches the Display
  Properties dialog box.

8
The Windows 2000 Administrative Tools
9
Using the Event Viewer in the Computer Management
Console

• Event Viewer tracks and records information about
  all aspects of the system.
• Event Viewer displays three key log files
• The System Log logs internally generated warnings
  and errors.
• The Security Log monitors failure or success in
  accessing the system.
• The Application Log tracks operation of programs
  on the system.

10
Windows 2000 Disk Management
11
Working with the System Registry

• Microsoft Windows 9x uses six root keys Windows
  2000 uses five root keys.
• The Registry is presented in a hierarchical
  series of trees and branches.
• Each branch is called a key and contains
  logically grouped information.
• Top-level keys are called root keys and are
  defined and named by Windows.

12
The Six Primary Keys in the Registry

• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT contains software configuration
  data.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER defines information for the
  current user.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE contains nonuser-specific
  information.
• HKEY_USERS contains user profiles.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG contains current
  configuration information.
• HKEY_DYN_DATA is a Windows 98 key that stores
  Registry information in random access memory
  (RAM) for faster access.

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Accessing and Managing the Registry

• Using Control Panel is the preferred way to
  modify the Registry.
• Only very knowledgeable users should use tools
  that directly modify the Registry.
• Windows 2000 includes both REGEDT32.EXE and
  REGEDIT.EXE Windows 98 includes only
  REGEDIT.EXE.
• REGEDIT.EXE lacks a security menu and has fewer
  commands than REGEDT32.EXE.
• You should always back up the Registry before
  changing it.

14
Using REGEDIT with Windows 9x
15
Editing the Registry with REGEDT32 in Windows
2000
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Chapter Summary

• Technicians must understand the boot process for
  both Windows 98 and Windows 2000.
• Windows 98 is founded on MS-DOS and uses similar
  startup files.
• Windows 2000 is a completely different OS from
  Windows 98.
• Windows 2000 architecture is modular in design.
• Windows 98 and Windows 2000 use the Registry to
  store configuration information.
• Windows 98 provides REGEDIT and Windows 2000
  provides REGEDT32 for modifying the Registry.

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Windows' System Registry What is the System
Registry? The System Registry is a special
database containing information required to run
Windows 95 and all subsequent versions of
Windows. Your computer will not work without the
System Registry. How does the registry work? The
registry is similar to a checklist. Windows 95
has to read this checklist before it can do its
job properly. When Windows 95 starts up, it will
read the checklist, and will then know how to
display things and make things work.. You won't
be able to use your computer until Windows 95 has
read the registry completely. What sort of
information is in the registry? The registry
contains essential information about programs on
your computer. In addition, the registry
contains information about how your desktop will
look on screen, how your mouse will operate, and
many more essential features. How is the registry
created? When Windows 95 is installed on your
computer, the registry is created. When you
install programs on your computer, these programs
automatically enter information into the
registry. Also, whenever you remove a program
from your computer, or make significant changes
to programs (upgrading them, for example), the
registry is changed as well. When a program is
removed, for example, all references to it are
removed from the registry. Your computer usually
has to be restarted whenever significant changes
are made to the registry. This is why, whenever
you install or uninstall a computer program, it
may automatically restart your computer. The
registry information is stored in two files
SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT.
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What does the registry look like? The registry
is quite sophisticated and is a list of complex
information. Each piece of information is called
a key. Can I take a look at the registry? Yes.
However, unless you are extremely familiar with
the registry, it will look very confusing. To
view the registry, go into the Start menu, select
Run, and type REGEDIT. You can look at the
registry there. Here's an example of what you
might see REGEDIT4 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion "InstallType"hex03,00
"SetupFlags"hex08,01,00,00
"DevicePath""C\\WINDOWS\\INF"
"ProductType""2" "RegisteredOwner""Jack
Danniel" "RegisteredOrganization""Dannstone
Associates" "ProductId""12345-6789-12-345"
"LicensingInfo""" "OldWinVer"hex00,00
"SubVersionNumber"" Beta 3" "Plus!
VersionNumber""IE 4.0 4.72.6.8"
"WallPaperDir""C\\WINDOWS\\Web\\Wallpaper"
"ProgramFilesDir""C\\Program Files"
"CommonFilesDir""C\\Program Files\\Common
Files" "MediaPath""C\\WINDOWS\\media"
"ConfigPath""C\\WINDOWS\\config"
"SystemRoot""C\\WINDOWS"
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Can I make changes to the registry if I want
to? Yes, you can edit the registry manually, by
going into the Start menu, selecting Run, and
typing REGEDIT. However, you are strongly urged
not to touch the registry unless you understand
it thoroughly, or else get precise, specific
instructions on how to edit it. Editing the
registry improperly can cause your computer to
work improperly. Can the registry break? Yes.
For various reasons, keys in the registry can go
bad. Bad keys are known as invalid keys. Many
invalid keys are harmless and don't affect the
registry significantly. Sometimes, though, the
registry has so many invalid or incorrect keys,
it will cause your computer not to work properly.
When the registry is this bad, it is called
"corrupt." A corrupt registry can cause your
computer to run improperly. If something goes
wrong with it, how will I know? You'll know.
Your computer either won't work right, or you'll
get error warnings. However, please be aware
that not all computer problems are the result of
a corrupt registry. A corrupt registry is just
one of many reasons why your computer may not run
correctly. What should I do if the registry is
corrupt? Your computer normally maintains a
backup copy of the registry, just in case there
is corruption. Every time you restart your
computer, the registry is checked for corruption.
In the event of corruption, the backup copy will
be used instead. Therefore, under normal
circumstances, a corrupt registry will
automatically be fixed. You can manually check,
and backup, the registry, if you want.
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How do I backup the registry? You can make a copy
of your registry with the Regedit feature. Go
into the Start menu, select Run, and type
REGEDIT. To backup the registry, go into the
Registry menu and select Export Registry File.
You'll need to put this file on floppy disks,
tape, a Zip disk, or a CD (if you have a CD
recorder). This file can be quite large, and
thus may not fit on one floppy disk. In that
case, you may have to use a Zip utility, such as
WinZip or Zip Magic, to compress the file. How
often should I back up the registry? You can
check and/or backup the registry as often as you
want. You should keep the registry as clean and
as free of invalid keys as possible, if you plan
on manually backing it up. How do I remove
invalid keys? How do I keep the Registry
clean? It is not recommended to remove anything
from the registry unless you know what you're
doing, or have really good help. There are
utilities that will clean the registry for you
automatically. Keeping your registry clean will
help speed up your computer a little. What are
the best registry cleaning utilities? RegClean
4.1a is a free registry cleaning utility that
works with Windows 95. It's fast and easy to
use. It is by no means perfect or flawless, but
no registry cleaning utility is. You can use it
as often as you want. To obtain a free copy of
this program go to the following
URL http//download.cnet.com/ Norton Clean
Sweep has a Registry Sweep utility that is more
thorough than RegClean. It takes a long time to
run, but can catch quite a large number of
invalid keys. It also has a safety feature that
prevents you from removing keys that are
essential.
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Registry Editor Plus The System Registry holds a
huge amount of essential information and
settings. Some can be viewed and modified through
Control Panel applets or utilities such as
TweakUI. However, many settings only can be
accessed through RegEdit, the powerful and
dangerous Window Registry Editor. Changes made
using RegEdit can cause far-reaching problems.
Also, it's tedious to open a lengthy key in
RegEdit, as you must painstakingly locate and
click on every element of that key. Registry
Editor Plus (RegEdit) makes RegEdit both safer
and easier to use. To open a key in one step,
type its name into the key list, or select it
from the pull down list of recently visited keys.
You can save frequently used Registry keys as
Favorites. When you use the SafeEdit functions in
RegEdit to rename, delete, or modify a key or
value, the data to undo that change is recorded
in the History list. Installation To install
RegEdit, run the supplied program install.exe.
To uninstall, use the Add/Remove Programs applet
in Control Panel. For details on program
operation, refer to the program's online help
file. Overview Registry Editor Plus makes REGEDIT
both safer and easier to use. Type a key name
into its key list and open it in one step, or
pull down the list to open a recently visited
key. When you rename, delete, or modify a key or
value using Registry Editor Plus's SafeEdit
functions, the data to undo that change is
recorded in the History list. And you can save
frequently-used Registry keys as Favorites. Other
REGEDIT functions such as creating keys and
values or importing and exporting branches of the
Registry are unaffected. Registry Editor Plus
works with REGEDIT. Other REGEDIT functions such
as creating keys and values or importing and
exporting branches of the Registry are still
completely available. Of course editing the
Registry is still a serious business you
shouldn't make changes lightly. But when you do
need to edit the Registry, Registry Editor Plus
gives you a safety net.
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The Windows 95 Registry The registry is the
collection point for all of the control
information for Windows 95. It contains
information describing the computer. The
registry also contains information about each
user of the computer, about all of the 32 bit
applications installed, and more. The registry
is divided into six sections and is stored in two
physical files, SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT. The
sections are described here. LOCAL MACHINE This
section of the registry defines any hardware
devices attached to the system. CURRENT
CONFIGURATION This section describes the present
settings for the video system and the
printers. DATA CLASSES This section defines data
types and associates programs with the type of
files stored on the system. DYNAMIC DATA This
section contains a description of information
that is subject to change. ALL USERS This section
is a storehouse of the users who log onto this
system, their preferences and recent
activity. CURRENT USER This section contains the
preference information and recent choices of the
present user.
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Exercise 1
PC Support Exercise - Registry Q1. Create a
folder with your first name Q2. Start
RegEdit and export the Windows Registry to the
folder you have created. Q3. The taskbar
in your computer has disappeared from your
desktop. Locate the following internet site and
follow the instructions to fix this problem.
http//www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/27
7/ Show your teacher your work when you
finish Q4. If you are using Internet Explorer and
are experiencing blank pages when you print.
Locate the following internet site and follow the
instructions to fix this problem.
http//www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/925/
Show your teacher your work when you finish
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Teacher Instructions Make a backup copy of the
windows Registry for each of the PCs that will
be used by the students in the assessment. Set
Use StyleSheets to No. If the Use
StyleSheets is not in the Registry, create it
and set its value data to No. HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software\Microsoft\Internet\Explorer\
Main Value Use StyleSheets Data type
REG_SZ Data No Add StuckRects Key, or
StuckRects2 for Windows 2000 in the Windows
registry. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Wi
ndows\Current Version\Explorer\StuckRects
4. Instruct the students to restore the Registry
when they finish.
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Registry Edits for Fun! Update the registry
without Rebooting! HERE'S HOW TO UPDATE THE
REGISTRY WITHOUT REBOOTING WINDOWS
Press Ctr-Alt-Del, select Explorer, and click
End Task. When Windows asks if you want to Shut
Down, click no, then click End Task at the
next prompt. Soon you should see the Start menu
and Task Bar reappear as Windows starts the
Explorer shell again. Speed up the Windows
Refresh rate! Every time I added a new folder, or
I deleted something from a window, I needed to
hit F5, Refresh, to see the results. This became
quite an annoyance. Here is a little tip to
change it so that the screen refreshes automatical
ly. Start Regedit. Go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
folder and open it. Open the System folder, and
then the CurrentControlSet folder. Select the
Control folder, and then the Update folder. Go
to the right window and right-click with your
mouse on Update. Select Modify, and change the
value from 01 to 00. Click on OK. The changes
will take place next time Windows 95 is started.
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Reduce the Start/Run Drop Down List ! Here's how
to reduce the Run Drop Down list. From the
'Start' button choose 'Run' and type 'regedit'.
Click on the to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER' Click on
the to 'Software' Click on the to
'Microsoft' Click on the to 'Windows' Click
on the to 'CurrentVersion' Click on the to
'Explorer' Click on the 'RunMRU' (On the right
hand side you'll see a list of the names being
used by the 'Run' command.) Click on the name you
want to erase and press the delete key. (Be sure
NOT to delete the first or last entries.) Exit
the Registry Editor and restart Windows to make
your changes take affect. Remove annoying arrows
on Shortcuts Run REGEDIT There are 2
'IsShortcut' keys you need to remove One is under
a 'lnkfile' branch, the other is under a
'piffile' branch. Search in whatever method you
think is best Delete the IsShortcut keys!
Restart explorer Now live free without those
stupid looking shortcut arrows
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Add Items to the New Menu First, in the program
that creates the file type you are adding, create
a "blank" document. To do that, enter the
program, start a new file, and save it right away
(note that you could save any normally used
preferences here - useful for programs that don't
support templates). Copy this file to the
\windows\ShellNew folder (it's a hidden folder).
Remember the filename! Now enter the system
registry. Under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, find the
extension for that filetype. Add a new key
called ShellNew. Under this new key, add a new
string value called "FileName". Modify the value
of this string (double-click it to bring up a
Modify panel) to be the filename of the blank
template file you created. You need to include
the extension, but the path is not necessary (the
/windows/ShellNew folder is the default).
Presto, your New file menu contains an option
for your new file type. Note that there are some
applications that do their registry entries a
little different, so you may have to modify the
procedure a little. Of course, most of those
programs are Windows 95 programs, so they should
probably appear on the menu anyway (if they set
up a nellNew entry as they should). Note that
depending on the application, this may not work.
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Turn Off Window Animation You can shut off the
animation displayed when you minimize and
maximize windows. This tip makes navigating
Windows 95 a lot faster especially for those that
don't have super fast video cards. Open Regedit
HKEY_CURRENT_USER Control panel Desktop
WindowMetrics Right Mouse Click an empty space
in the right pane. Select new/string value.
Name the new value MinAnimate. Doubleclick on
the new string value (MinAnimate) and click on
"Modify". Enter a value of 0 for Off or 1 for On
then hit Close Regedit and all programs then
reboot.
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Add Sounds to Application Events An overview on
how to add sounds to program actions Open
registry editor Go to folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Ap
pEvents\Schemes\Apps There are two folders,
.Default and Explorer Click on Apps with the
right mouse button. Choose NEW - KEY. key name
name of the .EXE file you want sounds for. For
better reading change the key Default from "none"
to the name of the application. Click on the key
you created in 4 with the right mouse
button. Choose NEW - KEY. key name Open Do the
same with key name Close Go to control panel \
sound events. There is a new item and two
subitems, Open program and Close program, for the
program you just added to the registry. Add
sound files to them. The next time you
start/close the EXE file the sound will play.
Because there is no limitation in the registry
database you can add all programs and events you
like. For every program you can add all of the
standard events AppGPFault (not very
funny) Close Maximize MenuCommand MenuPopup
Minimize Open RestoreDown RestoreUp SystemA
sterisk SystemExclamation SystemHand SystemQuesti
on Other events may be possible it depends on
the events the application generates. The ribbon
buttons in Winword are NOT such events.
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Removing System Icons from your Desktop. Run
regedit. Find one of the above (example
"Inbox"). You may find multiple occurrences.. The
one you want will have long strings of
numbers and letters in the left pane. Hit tab to
go to the left pane Hit "" to expand the tree
Select "ShellFolder" There should be two
records default (value not set) and
attributes (a clump of four two digit numbers).
Select attributes. Hit delete (or from the edit
menu). Hit F5 to refresh, and you are done. You
can now remove or move what you would like. This
is very helpful on multi-user machines in which
you don't want users to have access to browse the
hard drive. It also cleans your desktop of
programs you don't use often.
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Reappearing values? If you seem to have problems
with Values and Keys reappearing in your
registry, try deleting the offending programs
from your win.ini file! Make the Taskbar faster A
lot of people find the speed at which the menus
on the taskbar and pull-down menus pop out too
slow. To change this, you need to edit the
registry From the Start menu, choose Run. Type
in 'regedit' and click OK. Open the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder. Open the Control Panel
folder. Open the Desktop folder. From the Edit
menu, choose New-String Value Call the new item
MenuShowDelay. Doubleclick on the new item and
give it a value from 1 to 10, 1 being fastest.
Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.
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Make .bmp Files Be Their Own Icons It's possible
to make the icons for bitmap files be thumbnail
images of the bitmap itself. Here's how Run the
Registry Editor (regedit.exe) Open the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT folder Open the Paint.Picture
folder Open the DefaultIcon folder Double click
on the "default" item Change the value to "1"
Exit the Registry Editor For the Multi-boot
Users Tired of hitting "F8" every time you boot
to change your settings? If you edit your
msdos.sys file In the "Options" section Add the
line "BootMenu1" This will always present you
with a boot menu, removing the need to hit F8
every time.
34
Turn off the Windows 95 Logo When Booting To
remove the Windows 95 logo on startup, you can do
the following Open file msdos.sys in Notepad.
Find the Options section. Add this line in
the Options section Logo0 Reboot your machine
and there should be no logo on startup.