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Windows Registry

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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.

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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.

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A Critical Central Repository

• During system startup, all system elements check the Registry to confirm settings.

• Using Control Panel can make changes—indirectly—to the Registry.

• Windows provides tools for modifying the Registry safely.

• The Registry comprises three files that store settings and system-specific policies.

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Windows Configuration and Management Tools

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Working with System Properties

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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.

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The Windows 2000 Administrative Tools

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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.

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Windows 2000 Disk Management

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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.

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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 non–user-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.

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Using REGEDIT with Windows 9x

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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 RegistryWhat 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"=hex:03,00 "SetupFlags"=hex:08,01,00,00 "DevicePath"="C:\\WINDOWS\\INF" "ProductType"="2" "RegisteredOwner"="Jack Danniel" "RegisteredOrganization"="Dannstone Associates" "ProductId"="12345-6789-12-345" "LicensingInfo"="" "OldWinVer"=hex:00,00 "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 PlusThe 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.InstallationTo 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.OverviewRegistry 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 MACHINEThis section of the registry defines any hardware devices attached to the system.

CURRENT CONFIGURATIONThis section describes the present settings for the video system and the printers.

DATA CLASSESThis section defines data types and associates programs with the type of files stored on the system.

DYNAMIC DATAThis section contains a description of information that is subject to change.

ALL USERSThis section is a storehouse of the users who log onto this system, their preferences and recent activity.CURRENT USERThis section contains the preference information and recent choices of the present user.

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Exercise 1

PC SupportExercise - 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/277/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 PC’s 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 StyleSheetsData type: REG_SZData = “No”Add “StuckRects” Key, or “StuckRects2” for Windows 2000 in the Windows registry.[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\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 automatically.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 ShortcutsRun 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 AnimationYou 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 EventsAn overview on how to add sounds to program actions: Open registry editor Go to folder HKEY_CURRENT_USER\AppEvents\Schemes\AppsThere 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) CloseMaximize MenuCommandMenuPopup MinimizeOpen RestoreDownRestoreUp SystemAsteriskSystemExclamation SystemHandSystemQuestionOther 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 multipleoccurrences.. The one you want will have long strings of numbersand 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 fasterA 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, 1being fastest. Exit the Registry Editor and restart Windows.

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Make .bmp Files Be Their Own IconsIt'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 UsersTired 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 "BootMenu=1" This will always present you with a boot menu, removing the need to hit F8 every time.

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Turn off the Windows 95 Logo When BootingTo 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: Logo=0 Reboot your machine and there should be no logo on startup.