The registry is for Windows NT and WINDOWS95
Data files designed for all 32-bit hardware/drivers and 32-bit applications. 16-bit drivers do not work under Windows NT, so all devices are controlled through the registry, which is typically controlled by the BIOS. Under Win9x, the 16-bit drivers continue to work in real-mode devices, which are controlled using System.ini. 16-bit applications will work under NT or Win9x, and their programs will still refer to Win.ini and System.ini files for information and control.
Without the registry, the operating system does not obtain the necessary information to run and control the attached devices and applications and to respond correctly to the user's input.
The registry in the system is a database that records the settings and locations of 32-bit drivers. When the operating system requires access to a hardware device, it uses a driver and even the device is a BIOS-supported device. Devices that do not have BIOS support must be driver-independent from the operating system, but the operating system needs to know where to find them, file names, version numbers, other settings and information, and no registry device records, and they cannot be used.
When a user is ready to run an application, the registry provides application information to the operating system so that the application can be found, the location of the correct data file is specified, and other settings can be used.
The registry saves location information about the default data and auxiliary files, menus, button bars, window states, and other optional options. It also stores the installation information (such as the date), the user who installs the software, the software version number and the date, the serial number, and so on. Depending on the installation software, the information it includes is different.
However, in general, the registry controls all 32-bit applications and drivers, and the control method is based on the user and the computer, and does not depend on the application or driver, and each registry parameter entry controls the functionality of a user or computer. User features may include desktop skins and user directories. Therefore, computer functions and installed hardware and software are relevant, so the user is the public.
Some program features affect users, some of them are used for computers rather than for individuals, and, similarly, drivers may be user-specified, but in many cases they are common in computers.
Examples of registry control user patterns are:
★ Control Panel function;
★ Desktop appearance and icons;
★ Network parameters;
★ Browser functionality and features.
Some of these features are user-independent, and some are user-specific.
Computer-related controls are based on the computer name, regardless of the logged-on user. An example of a control type is the installation of an application, regardless of which user, the availability and access of the program is constant, however, the running program icon relies on the user logged on on the network. Network protocol availability and priority is based on the computer, but the current connection and user information are relevant.
Here are some examples of the base and computer control entries in the registry:
★ Access control;
★ Login Confirmation;
★ File and Printer Sharing;
★ Network card settings and protocols;
★ System performance and virtual memory settings.
Without the registry, Win9x and Windows NT are unlikely to exist. They are too complex to be controlled with past. ini files, and their ability to scale requires almost unlimited installation and use of the application, which is implemented by the registry. However, the registry is more complex than the. ini file, understanding how it works, what it does, and how it is used to do it is the key to an effective management system.
The registry in the system controls all 32-bit applications and their capabilities and interactions with multiple applications, such as copy and paste, and it also controls all hardware and drivers. Although most can be installed and set through the control Panel, understanding the registry is still done with the basic knowledge of Windows NT and Win9x system management.
In summary, the registry holds various parameters that directly control the startup of Windows, the loading of hardware drivers, and the operation of some Windows applications, thus playing a central role in the overall system. It includes:
(1) Hardware and software configuration and status information, the registry holds the application and Resource Manager shell of the initial conditions, preferences and unload data.
(2) The entire system of networked computers is set up and licensed, the file extension is associated with the application, the description, status, and attributes of the hardware part.
(3) Performance records and other underlying system status information, as well as other data.
If the registry is compromised, the light causes the Windows startup process to be abnormal, and the heavy person may cause the entire system to become completely paralyzed. Therefore, it is very important for Windows users to correctly recognize, use, and, in particular, to back up the registry in a timely manner and in case of problems. Learn the knowledge of the registry and related applications, you can make your computer operation more handy! Thus become a veritable computer master!
Terminology related to the registry:
①, registry: is a tree-layered database. Physically, it is System.dat and User.dat two files; Logically, it is the configuration data that the user sees in the Registry Editor.
②, HKEY: "Root Key" or "primary key", its icon is somewhat similar to the icon of a folder in Explorer. Windows98 divides the registry into six parts and is called hkey_name, which means a handle to a key. (Fig. 2)
③, Key (key): It contains the attached folder and one or more values.
④, subkey (subkey): The key (sub-key) that appears under a key (parent key).
⑤, Branch (branch): Represents a specific subkey and everything it contains. A branch can start at the top of each registry, but is typically used to describe a key and all of its contents. ⑥, Value entry (Value entry): An ordered value with a name and a value. Each key can contain any number of value entries. Each value entry consists of three parts: name, data type, data. (3)
★ Name: Any combination of characters, numbers, symbols, and spaces that do not include backslashes. You cannot have the same name in the same key.
★ Data type: including string, binary, double word three kinds.
String (REG_SZ): As the name implies, a string of ASCII characters. such as "Hello World", is a string of words or phrases. In the registry, string values are typically used to represent the description of a file, the identity of the hardware, and so on. Usually it consists of letters and numbers. The registry always displays strings within quotation marks. Binary (REG_BINARY): such as F03D990000BC, is a binary value with no length limit, and in Registry Editor, binary data is displayed in 16 binary mode.
Double Word (REG_DWORD): Literal understanding should be double word, DWORD value. Consisting of 1-8 hexadecimal data, we can edit it in 16 decimal or binary mode. such as D1234567.
★ Data: Value Item's specific value, it can occupy to 64KB.
⑦, Default (default): Each key includes at least one value entry, which is called the default value (default), which is always a string.
Internal organizational structure and interrelationships of the registry
The Computer Configuration and registry data for the default user settings are stored in the following five files in Windows NT: Default,sam,security,software,system,ntuser. Dat. Instead, windows9x/me/2000 stores all registry files in 2 files: System.dat and User.dat. They are binary files and cannot be viewed with a text editor. They exist in the Windows directory and have suppressed, system, read-only properties. System.dat contains computer-specific configuration data, and User.dat contains user-specific data. The location of the User.dat file at the time of login with a user name, it is located in the C:windowsprofiles user record, the system also retains a default User.dat file in the C:windows directory, in case of new users. The internal organizational structure is a tree-like hierarchy that resembles directory management.
The Windows Registry has six key keys, equivalent to a hard disk being partitioned into six partitions.
You can run Registry Editor by entering Regedit in the Run dialog box, and then clicking the OK button.
The left pane shows the root key of the registry, with a total of six root keys. These root keys are capitalized and prefixed with HKEY_, which is based on the symbolic variable of the keyword of the registry function of the Win32 API.
Although in the registry, six root keys appear to be in a side-by-side position, with no relation to each other. But in fact, the information stored in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and Hkey_current_config is part of the information stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and the information stored in HKEY_CURRENT_USER is only HKEY_ Part of the information that users store. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE includes all the information in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_USER. After each system boot, the system maps the information in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER, allowing the user to view and edit the information in it.
In fact, Hkey_local_machinesoftwareclasses is HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, for users to easily view and edit, the system is specifically used as a root key. Similarly, hkey_current_configsy-stemcurrent control is hkey_local_machinesystemcurrent control.
The user information for the default user and the currently logged on user is saved in HKEY_USERS. The user information for the currently logged on user is saved in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Hkey_dyn_data saves Dynamic Data when the system is running, which reflects the current state of the system and is not the same every time it is run, even on the same machine.
According to the above analysis, the information in the registry can be divided into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS two categories, these two categories of details please see the following introduction.
How to drag and drop files from application to Explorer with API??????