subject: Windows Registry Articles [print this page] Windows Registry Articles Windows Registry Articles
The Windows Registry is considered as a database that is hierarchical in nature. It can store configuration options and settings on operating systems under Microsoft Windows. It also has settings for the components of the low level operating system and the applications that run on the platform such as the user interface (UI), SAM, services, device drivers and the kernel. 3rd party applications likewise utilize the Windows Registry. The Windows Registry can also provide resources for accessing counters to be used for the performance of the profiling system.
The Windows Registry was first launched with the Windows 3.1. Back then, its main function was storing configuration options and settings for components that are COM-based. When Windows NT and Windows 95 were launched, the function of the Windows Registry was extended for keeping track of the abundance of per-program INI files. These INI files were utilized for storing the configuration settings for programs running on Windows. In contrast, the registry is capable of storing all application settings in a single core repository in a form that is efficiently standardized. This system used by the Windows Registry offers quite a few advantages over the use of INI files.
The entire registry database serves as the configuration and setting information pick up point of the operating system. By accessing the configurations stored in the Windows Registry hardware and user preferences are smoothly executed.
In cases where a registry cleaner nor an anti-virus can resolve the problem, manual registry cleaning is required. However, this should only be employed by advance users who are equipped to administer such process.
