Registry Editing Tutorial
The registry is a large Windows file that holds important settings for the operating system. The Windows registry contains device driver locations, software settings and start-up programs that are loaded when the computer is powered on. The registry should be edited with care. Deleting the wrong key or changing values to improper settings can render the computer unusable. Knowing the structure of the registry and how to edit the keys and values prevents the user from making simple mistakes that corrupt the file.
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Structure
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It's important to understand the structure of the registry before editing it. The registry is a file that is organized in a tree. The highest order of the registry structure defines the main folders of the computer, operating system, hardware and user settings. These main folders branch into more specific parts of the computer.
Key-Values
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The main variables that define the settings in the registry are key-values. A key is similar to a variable that holds a value. For instance, if you have a software program that defines a start-up page, the key may be something named "StartupPage" and the value is the name of the page on the computer. Software developers use these values to load user preferences set in applications. When the user edits the registry, it's this value that is changed.
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Data Types
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Before editing the registry, the user needs to know the different data types. Data types define values such as string versus a binary value. Registry data types are prefixed with the characters "REG." For instance, a string data type in the registry is labeled "REG_SZ."
Editing
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The user edits the registry using the "regedit" program. The program is started by opening the "Run" dialog box from the Windows Start menu. Type "regedit" into the box, and the registry editor opens. The user needs to know which value needs to be changed before digging into the registry. The registry is several directories, but it does have a search function. Right-clicking the value and selecting "Edit" enables the user to change the value.
Registry Cleaners
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Several software applications are on the market to help users clean the registry files. RegCure and CCleaner are popular applications used to remove unnecessary values in the registry. The reason this speeds up the computer is because the registry is loaded during start-up. If there are cumbersome applications that aren't needed, removing them speeds up the boot process and removes the application from residing in memory, leaving more resources open.
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