Registry

The registry is a common area in many Windows Operating system, first introduced in Windows 95. It is essentially a robust storage medium that contains information regarded installed hardware, applications, system options and computer memory. The registry acts a replacement for INI (initialization) and configuration files in older DOS-based Windows operating systems. While INI files are still supported, they are only compatible with 16-applications written for older systems. A user typically updates their registry without even knowing it. This occurs when using various tools of the operating system such as the TweakUI found in the Control Panel. Updates to the registry are also made when programs are installed and removed or when individual files are deleted. In a network environment, data that would normally be stored in a registry is often placed on a server. This allows system polices and resources for individuals and groups to be centrally managed.