Chapter 3: Using Registry Editor

Overview

The user does have to take responsibility
for the computer and what happens on it.

Lou Grinzo
"Zen of Windows 95 Programming"

If you call Microsoft for technical support and ask about editing the registry, they'll tell you that the end user shouldn't edit the registry. Microsoft documents are full of these notices, warning you that improper editing could make your system unbootable.

At the same time, registry tools are present in all Microsoft operating systems (what's more, they're installed by default). Why, then, does Microsoft provide these utilities to you? The answer is simple: these utilities are necessary because, in some cases, they're the only way to solve the problem. Try to imagine how the user community would react if the Windows operating systems didn't include these utilities. Of course, some users wouldn't even notice the lack of tools, but others If you don't believe me, then you should read the following book by Lou Grinzo—"Zen of Windows 95 Programming". Besides an alternative point of view on the Windows registry, you'll find lots of other interesting facts and ideas presented in this book. The author also declares that he would be among those who would protest if Microsoft tried to force him to write the registry-editing applications himself. And you can be sure that he'd have many supporters of this point of view as well. All modern Windows operating systems, including Windows 95/98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, and Windows XP, contain special utilities for viewing and editing the registry called Registry Editors. Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 actually contain two registry editors. Regedt32.exe is the traditional Windows NT registry editing program inherited from previous Windows NT versions. It allows you to edit the registry using methods that aren't supported in Windows 95/98. Regedit.exe is a newer application initially written for Windows 95. This application provides many of the capabilities of Regedt32.exe and has a Windows Explorer user interface (UI). The Windows 2000/XP version of Regedit.exe is similar to applications provided with Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0.

 

As compared to Windows NT/2000, Windows XP provides an improvement also in this area. For the moment, all tasks related to registry administration and editing can be performed with a single utility—Regedit.exe, which now integrates its traditional strong points with the functionality that was earlier available only in Regedt32.exe. Besides, Regedit.exe now supports extended import and export capabilities. However, Regedit.exe lacks one of the most useful Regedt32.exe functions, namely, read-only mode.

All versions of registry editors supplied with all versions of the Windows operating system are automatically installed during the OS installation. However, neither of these registry tools are included in the Start menu, and Setup doesn't create desktop shortcuts for them. To start these programs, use the Run command from the Start menu. If you plan to use these utilitites on a regular basis, you may want to add them to the Start menu or create desktop shortcuts for them. (Of course, you'll need to consider various security aspects, particularly if someone you don't trust uses this computer.)

You can use registry editors for viewing, adding, deleting, and modifying registry elements. This chapter will probably seem boring to those of you with knowledge of earlier versions of Windows NT. However, you can hardly find any book on Windows NT in general, and Windows NT registry in particular, that goes without a chapter dedicated to this topic. Nor can you find any book on this topic that doesn't warn you that the Registry editor isn't a toy. Let's also note that neither of the registry editors can be considered a "program that simplifies your life" (despite the fact that Windows 2000/XP developers have actually made some steps in this direction). On the contrary, most users (especially beginners) can make their life much more complicated by creating lots of problems. Does this mean that I'm trying to scare beginners? No, since this entire chapter is intended especially for them.



Windows XP Registry
Linux Enterprise Cluster: Build a Highly Available Cluster with Commodity Hardware and Free Software
ISBN: N/A
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2000
Pages: 144
Authors: Karl Kopper

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