How to Understand the Windows Registry

The Windows Registry is a dynamic blueprint of the Windows 95 or Windows 98 system. It contains all Windows settings and program locations. It is updated every time you change a setting (for example, choose a new screen saver) or install or delete a program. In most cases, you would use other Windows programs to indirectly edit the Registry, but occasionally you may want to edit it directly.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microsoft Windows

1. Edit the Registry to fix problems with Windows, such as missing icons or fonts.

2. Use the Registry to remove clutter from the desktop and remnants of deleted programs.

3. Tweak the Registry to improve your Windows performance by speeding up desktop menus and printing, adding shortcuts to menus and optimizing Internet connections.

4. Modify Registry entries to experiment with fun Windows enhancements, such as changing icons or changing the Windows start-up and shut-down screens.

Tips & Warnings

• Check the Internet for tips on using the Registry to clean up leftover files or to implement fun Windows enhancements.
• Consider using Tweak UI, an unofficial Windows program that provides an easy interface to edit the Registry.
• The Registry replaced the old autoexec.bat and sys.ini files found in DOS and older Windows versions.
• Improper editing of the Registry can seriously cripple your Windows system, therefore edit it carefully. In many cases, Windows automatically replaces the corrupted Registry with a good backup it has stored away, but don't rely on this feature to rescue you. Always back up your Registry before editing.

[phelem]

on 12/12/2006 Help me remove popup todownload instant messenger 8

[phelem]

on 12/12/2006 I just want to stop offer to download instant messenger 8 that pops up every 5mins

[ashishkhade]

on 12/9/2006 What’s the use of registry in 2’tier application?

on 6/30/2006 To actually edit the registry, click on the start button ->run -> type "regedit" without the quotes and a program called RegEdit will popup. To be safe, click File ->Export and choose a name and a location that you remember to save the registry backup to. Next, you browse through and edit entries. Be careful though, one missing/deleted/edited entry can cause your computer not to startup if you edit the wrong one.