Registry Warnings and Myths

Registry Warnings and Myths

For all of its benefits, the registry is a great paradox. On one hand, it's the central place for all of the Windows 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 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 mythic stature. Microsoft doesn't say much about it. You don't find Registry 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 tampering with the registry? The dearth of information coming from Microsoft led to home-grown registry Web sites and FAQs, which are still somewhat popular. These factors have contributed to the myth of the registry as a magical configuration tool.

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 those steps, you can fix problems by using one of the many troubleshooting tools you learn about in this book. Chapter 9, “Troubleshooting Problems,” contains a lot of troubleshooting help. Use a bit of common sense, and you'll do just fine.