Windows 95 Registry Overview

The Windows 95 Registry provides a unified database for storing system and application configuration data in a hierarchical form. Because the Registry contains all settings required to configure memory, hardware peripherals, and Windows 95-supplied network components, you may find that it is no longer necessary to configure settings in startup configuration and initialization files. Also, because settings are stored in a central location, you can provide both local and remote support for system configuration using Windows 95 tools.

The Registry is roughly analogous to the INI files used under Windows 3.x, with each key in the Registry similar to a bracketed heading in an INI file and with Registry values similar to entries under the INI headings. However, Registry keys can contain subkeys, while INI files do not support nested headings. Registry values can also consist of binary data, rather than the simple strings used in INI files.

Although Microsoft discourages using INI files in favor of Registry entries, some applications (particularly 16-bit Windows-based applications) still use INI files. Windows 95 supports INI files solely for compatibility with those applications and related tools (such as setup programs). The AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files also still exist for compatibility with real-mode system components and to allow users to change certain default system settings such as the PATH environment variable. New Win32-based applications can store their initialization information in the Registry.

The Registry provides the following benefits in Windows 95:

• A single source provides data for enumerating and configuring the hardware, applications, device drivers, and operating system control parameters. The configuration information can be recovered easily in the event of system failure.
• Users and administrators can configure computer options by using standard Control Panel tools and other administrative tools, reducing the likelihood of syntactic errors in configuration information.
• A set of network-independent functions can be used to set and query configuration information, allowing system administrators to examine configuration data on remote networked computers.
• The operating system automatically backs up the last good configuration used to start the computer.

Because user-specific Registry information can be maintained on a central network server when user profiles are enabled, users can have access to personal desktop and network access preferences when logging on to any computer, and settings for multiple users can be maintained on a single computer. Also, system policies can be used to enforce certain Registry settings for individuals, workgroups, or all users. For information see Chapter 15, "User Profiles and System Policies."