Notice that the predefined keys shown in Figures 30-1 and 30-2 all end with "on Local Machine." You can use Registry Editor to inspect and edit the registries of networked computers as well, if you have the proper permissions. To open a remote registry, open the Registry menu and choose Select Computer. In the dialog box that appears, type the name of a networked computer or select it from the list of available computers.
As Figure 30-3 shows, when you open a remote computer's registry, Registry Editor simply adds more document windows, leaving the existing ones in place. Note, however, that only two predefined keys for a remote machine appear—HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS. These two keys contain the complete registry—the other predefined keys are for convenience only and are not made available when you access remote registries.
Figure 30-3. You can use Registry Editor to work with a remote registry as well as a local one.