Initialization Files and the Registry

Although the Registry replaces the initialization (.INI) files used in versions of Microsoft Windows created for MS-DOS, some .INI files still appear in the Windows NT system directory. Also, applications created for 16-bit Microsoft Windows must still be able to read and write .INI values that previously were stored in the WIN.INI or SYSTEM.INI file.

This chapter describes how .INI files and other configuration files are used under Windows NT and how these values are stored in the Registry. The following topics are discussed in this chapter:

• How Windows NT uses MS-DOS configuration files
• How .INI files are mapped to the Registry
• Microsoft OS/2 version 1.x entries in the Registry
• POSIX entries in the Registry

Related topics are discussed in the following chapters of the Windows NT Resource Guide:

• For details about the SHARED32.INI file, see Chapter  8, "Mail."
• For details about Registry entries for Microsoft Mail and Microsoft Schedule+ initialization values, see Chapter 14, "Registry Value Entries."