Resource Kit Support Policy

Microsoft does not support the tools supplied on this book's companion CD. Microsoft does not guarantee the performance of the tools or any bug fixes for these tools. However, Microsoft Press provides a way for customers who purchase Microsoft Windows Registry Guide, Second Edition to report any problems with the software and to receive feedback for such issues. To report any issues or problems, send an e-mail message to rkinput@microsoft.com .

Microsoft Press also provides corrections for books and companion CDs through the World Wide Web at http://www.microsoft.com/learning/support/ . To connect directly to the Microsoft Knowledge Base and enter a query regarding a question or issue you have, go to http://support.microsoft.com . For issues related to the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems, refer to the support information included with your product.

Final Note

I hope that this book makes your Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 experience even better. I also hope that it will make you more productive and more effective.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to send them my way at jerry@honeycutt.com . I answer my e-mail. You can also visit my Web site, http://www.honeycutt.com , to download the samples that you see in this book. You'll also find mailing lists that you can join as well as additional articles that I've written about Windows, the registry, and various deployment topics.

System Requirements

The system requirements for using this book and the files on the companion CD are simple: these files work on any computer running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. For more detailed information about whether any individual file works on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, or both, see the help file on this book's companion CD.

The following system configuration is recommended for the best viewing experience with Microsoft Press eBooks:

• Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, or Windows XP

• Pentium II (or similar) with 266- megahertz (MHz) or higher processor

• 64 megabytes (MB) of RAM

• 800 x 600 display settings with high- color (16-bit)

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or later

• Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader

Part I
Registry Overview

Working with the registry is daunting if you know little about it. Thus, in Part I, you master the basic information you need to successfully leverage the registry. For example, you learn about the contents of the registry and the types of data that you find in it. You also learn how to back up and restore the registry and how to edit the registry using Registry Editor.

Part I is for information technology (IT) professionals and power users. Aside from teaching the basics, such as how to back up the registry, it describes how to configure settings in the registry to customize Microsoft Windows XP and Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Many of the settings you learn about in this part aren't available through the user interface. This part also describes one of the most popular downloads on the Internet: Tweak UI. Instead of showing you how to use this simple program, however, it describes where the program stores each of its settings in the registry.

Don't skip Part I; read it from beginning to end. With the basics mastered, and a sense of what you can do with the registry, you'll be better prepared to tackle the rest of this book.