The hardware detected on a computer is stored in the volatile HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE key. Because this key is destroyed and recreated each time the system starts, you cannot usefully edit hardware settings.
You can use Windows NT Diagnostics to view hardware data in an easy-to-read format. Based on this information, you can discover conflicts and their causes or determine how to set up new hardware before installing it. You can also get information about conflicts by looking at the System event log in the Event Viewer.
This section presents some suggestions for solving hardware and related driver problems using Registry Editor.
To carry out some procedures described in this section, you need to follow the instructions for saving keys in "Saving and Restoring Keys" in Chapter 11, "Registry Editor and Registry Administration."