• Windows 7 and the applications that run on it have to maintain a record of their configuration and operational parameters. The registry is a complex and dynamic database used to store this information. The registry provides the structure and security necessary to centrally manage these settings, whether it is for core operating system components or shared third-party applications.
• Older operating systems, such as DOS, used text files to store settings for the operating system (CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT) and application-specific data files to store third-party application settings. A central database was not available to store any conf guration information. Windows 3.x introduced the concept of a registry, but it was not suff ciently mature as a technology to provide the required functionality. The primary method to store conf guration parameters in Windows 3.x is still the use of text files that have the .INI extension. The Windows 3.x environment would use WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI to control the user and core Windows environment. Third-party applications would use their own .INI files as designed by their application developer.
• Windows 95 moved the emphasis away from the DOS and Windows 3.x methods for storing conf guration information. The registry became a well def ned and centrally required element in the operations of the operating system and applications designed specif cally for Windows 95. With each operating system released after Windows 95, the registry has become increasingly es- sential and critical to the successful operation of the computer. The registry continues to be an essential component of the Windows 7 operating system.

To administer the registry properly you must understand:

• Registry Structure
• Registry Editing Tools
• Registry Backup and Restore Methods
• Registry Security