[This is preliminary documentation and subject to change.]
Best Practice (Designed for Microsoft® Windows® Logo)
Applications should store all information relating to a computer's physical hardware in the HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC) hive of the registry.
Such information is distinct from information that pertains to a specific user (which should be stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER) and from information that pertains to the logical workstation (which should be stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE).