One feature of PC and its operating system is that it allows users to make various configurations of the hardware and software of the computer system according to their own requirements. In early graphics operating systems, such as the configuration of the software and hardware working environment was accomplished by modifying files with the extension .ini, but INI files are inconvenient to manage because each device or application must have its own INI file and it is difficult to achieve remote access on the network.
In order to overcome the above problems, in Windows 95 and its subsequent versions, a database called "registry" is used to manage it uniformly, and various information resources are concentrated and various configuration information is stored. According to this principle, all versions of Windows use a registry that contains all configuration information of the application and computer system together to manage the association of applications and files, hardware device descriptions, status attributes, and various status information and data.
A. The difference from INI files is:
1. The registry uses binary form to log in data;
2. The registry supports subkeys, and subkeywords at all levels have their own "key values";
3. Key-value items in the registry can contain executable code instead of simple strings;
4. On the same computer, the registry can store the characteristics of multiple users.
B. The characteristics of the registry are:
1. The registry allows tracking and configuration of hardware, system parameters, applications, and device drivers, which makes it possible to modify certain settings without restarting.
2. The hardware part of the logged-in data in the registry can support the plug-and-play features of higher versions of Windows. When Windows detects a new device on the machine, it saves the relevant data to the registry. In addition, it can also avoid resource conflicts between the new device and the original device.
3. Through the registry, administrators and users can check the system configuration and settings on the network, so that remote management can be implemented.
We have already introduced the origin and basic structure of the registry in detail earlier. I found that the registry is complicated, but it is arranged in a very organized manner, which can effectively improve work efficiency and provides the necessary conditions for system maintenance. Since the registry is a binary configuration database file (the lifeblood of Windows), users cannot access the registry directly. To enable advanced users to edit registry, Windows 2000 provides registry editors "c" and "Regedt32". This kind of editing operation is only used to use the registry editor provided by Windows.