Registry Warnings and Myths

For all of its benefits, the registry is a great paradox. On the one hand, it's the central place for all of Windows XP's configuration data. It's the keystone. On the other hand, the fact that the registry is so critical also makes it one of the operating system's weaknesses. Take out the keystone, and the arch crumbles. If the registry fails, Windows XP fails. Fortunately, total failure is less likely than my winning the lottery before you finish this book, and partial failure that doesn't prevent you from starting the computer is often easily overcome.

The registry's keystone role is one of the reasons for its mythical stature. Microsoft doesn't say much about it. You don't find the registry's editor on the Start menu. You find very little information about the registry in Help. Microsoft doesn't provide white papers that help users unlock its secrets. And why should they? Do you really want the average user mucking around in the registry? The dearth of information coming from Microsoft led to home-grown registry Web sites and FAQs, which are still somewhat popular. All these factors contribute to the myth of the registry as a magical configuration play land. Woo hoo!

I want to debunk that myth. Don't get me wrong: There is a lot of power packed into the registry. But there is no magic and there's nothing to fear. Simply put, the registry is nothing more than your computer's settings. After you're used to working in the registry, doing so no longer gives you chills of excitement; it barely gets a yawn.

The warnings you see in most documents that contain instructions for editing the registry are definitely overblown, particularly for readers of this book, who are either power users or IT professionals. (I wouldn't say that if the book were for novice or intermediate users.) You can do very little damage to the registry that you can't undo, assuming you take the straightforward precautions of backing up settings before you change them and backing up your computer on a regular basis. Failing that, use one of the many troubleshooting tools you learn about in this book to fix problems. Chapter 3, "Backing up the Registry," contains a lot of troubleshooting help. Use a bit of common sense and you'll do just fine.