Chapter 23 - Overview of the Windows NT Registry

System administrators must meet an enormous challenge in managing hardware, operating systems, and applications on personal computers. In Windows NT, the Registry helps simplify support by providing a secure, unified database that stores configuration data in a hierarchical form. By using the Registry and administrative tools in Windows NT, system administrators can provide local or remote support.

Chapters 23–26 of the Windows NT Workstation Resource Guide describe the Registry and show how to use the information in the Registry for troubleshooting and configuration maintenance.

• This chapter presents background information about the structure and contents of the Registry.

• Chapter 24, "Registry Editors and Registry Administration," provides details about the tools for viewing and editing Registry entries.

• Chapter 25, "Configuration Management and the Registry," provides specific problem-solving techniques that use the Registry.

• Chapter 26, "Initialization Files and the Registry," describes how Windows NT uses files such as Win.ini and Config.sys and how this information is mapped to the Registry.

In addition, Regentry.hlp, an online Help file on the Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit CD, lists the Registry values used for tuning and troubleshooting workstations and servers, system components, the network, and the user environment.

Caution Wherever possible, use the administrative tools such as Control Panel and User Manager to make configuration changes, rather than editing the Registry. It is safer to use the administrative tools because these tools are designed to store values properly in the Registry. If you make errors while changing values with a Registry editor, you will not be warned, because the Registry editor applications do not recognize and cannot correct errors in syntax or other semantics.

Editing the Registry directly can cause errors in loading hardware and software and prevent users from being able to log on to the computer.