This website shows you various system utilities that you can use to make your PC perform “like new” again.
Understanding the Windows Registry
History of the Windows Registry
Even with the first versions of Windows, the operating system stood out through its great user customization and the multitude of options and settings one could employ.
Back at the first versions of Windows the little options that one could choose were stored in .ini or .cfg files that were scattered all over the place, making it difficult for a more technical savvy user to jump in and modify a certain value. As of Windows 3.11, Microsoft developed a tool called the “Windows Registry” that would store all options and settings a user would apply on the operating system as well as information about the programs that are installed on that particular computer.
The Windows 3.11 Registry was obviously still a bit rudimentary in comparison to those in future versions, but it definitely meant a huge step forward for system management. Every change to a setting inside Windows was stored in a file called reg.dat, inside the Windows directory. For Windows 95 and 98, this data is stored in two separate files called user.dat and system.dat, both being found in the Windows directory.
Windows 95 was the first to allow different user access to a computer, hence the two distinct files.
Windows XP’s Centralized Registry
Windows NT and Windows XP brought a whole new dimension to the registry. Whereas in the former versions of the operating system the registry was under the form of text files, accessible with any basic text editor, the newer versions brought what was going to be called the “centralized registry”.
This registry is not stored away in some corner of your hard drive, but it’s updated “live”. It keeps track of the overall machine configuration, while at the same time allowing separate users to opt for their own configuration. It also allowed a great deal of new concepts in network administration. Using the centralized registry, the administrator of a network can basically manage program settings from a main computer.
You can set up restrictions or privileges for hundreds of computers from a single “central” computer, in a matter of minutes.
The Structure of the Windows XP Registry
The Windows registry is divided into a few important sections, called HKEYs (short for Handle to a KEY). Each of these keys can contain subkeys, similar to a hierarchical directory tree.
Actually, for familiarity, Microsoft implemented these keys similar to how they implemented their file and directory system, using backslashes to denote the level of the key. For example, if you install a program called “Virus Checker” from a company called “Wisecompanynamehere” the related registry key will look like this:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wisecompanynamehere\VirusChecker”.
Editing Your Operating System’s Registry Data
If you want to edit the Windows registry, you can do so using Microsoft’s provided program called “Regedit”. You can run this program by typing “regedit” in the command line. In order to bring up the command line, press “Windows button” + “R” and type away.
A few precautions before you go about editing stuff in the registry though. This is what you would call an operating system’s sensitive area. When entering this area, you will need to be as careful as a brain surgeon in mid-operation, since the slightest mistake can mean the death of the patient, which in this case is the operating system.
It’s very easy to accidentally delete a registry key that will irreversibly damage your operating system and cause it to either run poorly, or not boot at all in which case reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows is the only solution.
Document yourself carefully before attempting to modify any registry setting and make sure you’re comfortable with its structure first. Also note that programs are free to modify specific parts of the Windows registry and this is something that viruses and spyware programs take advantage of.