Learn what is Windows Registry?
A registry as per the Microsoft Computer Dictionary guidelines well defines it as step by step database which is used with the Microsoft operating systems which start from Windows 98. This database is very important as all the necessary data and information is stored for configuring new applications, users and many hardware devices.
Registry is hence very essential for all the operating systems. All the registry information can be found in the following config as follows like %SystemRoot%\System32\Config and in the user profile folders like Ntuser.dat. Registry plays vital role because it this would not happen then operating system will not be able to even perform the smallest function and rather be just set of built applications.
The registry storage information contains all important and valuable data in use. The information for registry must always be kept organized in structured form as per the Windows developer’s hierarchy. All the information stored is in the binary format and hence storage of data can be done in various forms and lot of information can be stored which can also be accessed fast.
The information important for functioning of Windows is stored in registry. All you need are the user profiles, types of papers, information installed on the software, created by every application, application icons and property documents for setting of folders, ports and hardware in use. The registry in the beginning of the operating system is generally to address runtime, startup and shutdown duration. Information about the registration procedure is also saved apart from their settings in many programs. This is very initial step as typical trial version will require the expiration against the Windows registry.
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If there is any change, modification and enhancement in the operating system then all such modification information is written in the registry before every new system is launched. Hence in due course of time registry will have lots of information. There is slow down access to registry when the programs are uninstalled and this leads to lack of invalid keys in the system.
As pet the research conducted it is said that up to 1000 times the registry is addressed during the Windows startup and nearly in each session 10000 times. But all the performance surely depends on the system heavily.
Windows performance very much depends on the careless change in registry process. For Example: if any user will make the error count in the system then the system will come to halt. Hence only the user with administrative rights can change the Windows registry and security settings. One can also easily enhance them as per requirement. There are many types of registry information stored in the system and let have a look at them. In Windows 98 the registry information is called in User.dat and System.dat form but in the Windows Millennium edition only they were in the form Classes.dat, User.dat and System.dat.
The registry procedure in old version is slightly complex. Registry by many editors is called as single database but is not because it consists of many files on the physical levels and everyone is responsible for its own information stored in the registry.
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There is some information which is just not stored in the disk as files. This information can be lost on Windows shut down. These keys are volatile and the information stored is installed in the hardware and many parts of different devices. It also includes channels of direct memory access (DMA), information on interrupt requests (IRQ), and input / output range (I/O Range). All the information regarding the installation of new devices, query is initialized in the startup phase only as the hardware configuration may alter in the later stages.
The other configuration information is stored in the operating system with settings and parameters being modified in the form as %systemroot%\System32\Config system folder. The profiles of the Windows XP users are kept in the %systemroot%\Profiles folder. In the %Drive%\Documents and Settings\%UserName% folders the particular system settings and working environment personal configuration is stored under the disk partition name with the Windows XP installation and local user information is stored in the %Drive%\Documents and remote users system settings information is stored in the %Drive%\Documents and Settings\NetworkService folders.
The registry procedure was different initially when the 64-bit operating systems came into being. The registries are divided into 32- and 64-bit parts for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP and Windows Vista. The names of the many 32-bit parts correspond with the 64-bit parts and vice versa.
