Ultimate PC Repair.com
Amazing Videos - The only true way to learn about your computer




Home

Products

ORDER Today

Newsletter

Links

What's New

FAQs

Testimonials

Contact Us




 

 

 


Understanding The Registry


When you understand the purpose of the Registry and how to change entries,you have gained power to customize Windows than you thought possible.The Registry is a database holding crucial data about your computer's configuration and its simple to access and to change.

The first and most important task you must perform is to backup your registry even before you know how to access this file.Changing certain parts of the registry spells disaster and your backup can pull you out of
the fire.

HOW TO BACKUP YOUR REGISTRY

To backup your registry using the registry checker,click on Start,Programs,Accessories,System Tools and System Information.Next open the tools menu and click Registry Checker.The Registry Checker scans your registry and ask if you want to make a backup and here you select yes.

If your registry becomes corrupt and will not allow the computer to boot,the registry checker may not run. Its an excellent idea to copy a backup of your registry on a floppy or other removable disk.To do this task,open Windows Explorer,and browse to C:\WINDOWS.Next
copy System.dat and User.dat to the floppy disk.Copy the files in the C:\WINDOWS\SYSBACKUP as well.If your operating system is Windows Me,copy the file Classes.dat as well.

 

If you change your registry and find that windows will not boot,start the computer with your startup disk and change the startup disk with the registry disk.Windows 98 users click Start,Shut Down,Restart in MSDOS Mode, and click OK.Once you arrive at the Dos Prompt,type
scanreg.exe/restore and press Enter.From there you restore the most recent registry and reboot the PC after you remove the disk from the drive.Scanregw /restore is the command for WinMe users.

 

THE REGISTRY STRUCTURE

The Registry structure can be confusing to say the least. The registry data resides in the User,and System.dat Windows 98 files which are hidden from the user's view to discourage tampering.Windows Me uses the System,Classes,and the User.dat files.The registry consists of six branches as follows:

The HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

This branch contains data for user configuration,which stores
changes you make to Windows and when you install or uninstall applications.This data is accessed by Windows on a regular basis such as when you click on an icon or music file.

The HKEY_USERS

As the name indicates,this branch contains data about each user
with an account on that computer.Each user will have a separate KEY.Within each branch are folder like files called Keys and you may even see subkeys within each Key.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

This is the location of settings for the user that is using the system now.Desktop and Control Panel settings of the current user are
among the data present.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

This branch or subtree contains data about your system'shardware,software, and the operating system.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

This branch works together with the above branch.It loads data from the Hkey_Local_Machine into the Hkey_Current_Config subtree that may be needed for the current user.

HKEY_DYN_DATA

Here data is taken from other parts of the registry and places it into memory for quick access by Windows.

Every key in the registry is displayed with an icon of a folder.And these folders are simply nothing more than storage areas for data,such as a folder in your file cabinet. And these keys with contain keys within themselves.

The Keys mentioned above are the most important keys in your registry and viewing the associated video clips will show you the structure of your registry.

Microsoft does not want us playing around in the registry since one wrong move and you may disable your computer.One reason for this is because most of the changes you can make in your registry can easily be made in the Control Panel settings.

So why bother to learn how to make changes in your registry?
Knowledge is power and the more you understand everything about your computer,the more control you will have over it.It is best to learn and to tamper with the registry on a second PC in your home rather than playing around with your business or the only system at your residence.

Take a minute to view the video on the structure of the registry
and how to perform a backup.To take a look at your registry you
can click on Start,Run,and type "Regedit" in the open block.In our next article we will show you how to make changes to the registry,what happens when you delete the wrong key or value, and what to do to get your system back on track.

Even though you can make most changes in the Control Panel that you can make in your registry,you want to master every aspect of your system.Learning about the registry will help you have the confidence of know all about your system.View the videos,visit the web sites,and understand the registry completely.

======================
Article by: Otis F. Cooper
Learn how to save your computer
visit our site today!
http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/
allaboutpc@juno.com
======================
You may reprint this article if
the author box is kept intact
Copyright 2002 Otis F. Cooper
======================

 

 

Otis F. Cooper
Softsale Software
5550 Pickering Ct.
Colorado Springs,Co 80911
allaboutpc@juno.com
http://www.ultimatepcrepair.com/
719-390-6935




About Us | Order Here | Products | FAQs
Links | What's New | Newsletter | Contact Us


 
Copyright Ultimatepcrepair.com© 2009