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Windows Registry

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A database of critical information in a Windows system. Stores:

  • Hardware information
  • Network information
  • User preferences
  • File types
  • Passwords
  • Desktop color Almost everything in windows is configured through the registry, or configures the registry.

Registry Editors

CLI

  • reg
  • revsvr32

GUI

  • regedit

Hive Locations

Registry files are called hives. hives are located at:

  • \%SystemRoot%\System32\config
  • Each user account folder

Keys

These are specific properties relegated to specific programs or features. Root keys are the keys that are the first node. Subkeys branch off of root keys. Every key may branch off to other subkeys or values.

Root Keys

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

Includes the standard class objects used by Windows. These objects can be for files like defining JPG image file. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.jpg (or HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.jpg for backwards compatibility) covers user-specific associations for JPG files.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Stores personalized settings for current user like:

  • desktop colors
  • screensavers
  • desktop contents
HKEY_USERS

Same information asHKEY_CURRENT_USER, but for all users

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Contains data for user-independent system configurations. Includes:

  • All devices
  • All programs
HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

If values in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE can have 1 or more option - such as 2 monitors, then this key defines which one is currently being used.

Values

The data that can be changed in the registry. Their types include:

  • String
  • Binary (16bit)
  • DWORD (32bit)
  • QWORD (64bit)

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