Finding Registry Entries

The Registry contains only five root keys, but these root keys contain hundreds of subkeys. And the fact that some root keys are aliases for subkeys in a different branch only adds to the confusion. If you know exactly where you're going, the Registry Editor's treelike hierarchy is a reasonable way to get there. If you're not sure where a particular subkey or setting resides, however, you could spend all day poking around in the Registry's labyrinthine nooks and crannies.

To help you get where you want to go, the Registry Editor has a Find feature that lets you search for keys, settings, or values. Here's how it works:

1.	In the Keys pane, select My Computer at the top of the pane (unless you're certain which root key contains the value you want to find; in this case, you can select the appropriate root key instead).
2.	Select Edit, Find or press Ctrl+F. The Registry Editor displays the Find dialog box.
3.	Use the Find What text box to enter your search string. You can enter partial words or phrases to increase your chances of finding a match.
4.	In the Look At group, activate the check boxes for the elements you want to search. For most searches, you want to leave all three check boxes activated.
5.	If you want to find only those entries that exactly match your search text, activate the Match Whole String Only check box.
6.	Click the Find Next button. The Registry Editor highlights the first match.
7.	If this isn't the item you want, select Edit, Find Next (or press F3) until you find the setting or key you want.

When the Registry Editor finds a match, it displays the appropriate key or setting. Note that if the matched value is a setting name or data value, Find doesn't highlight the current key. This is a bit confusing, but remember that the current key always appears at the bottom of the Keys pane.