The registry is the core repository of configuration information in Windows 2000, storing information about the operating system, applications, and user environment on standalone workstations and member servers (non-domain controllers). | The Registry The registry is the core repository of configuration information in Windows 2000 storing information about the operating system applications and user environment on standalone workstations and member servers non-domain controllers . The Purpose of the Registry Early versions of the Windows operating system family such as Windows stored most of their configuration information in initialization or .ini files. These files were text files containing various sections that stored settings for a variety of properties such as device drivers application and document associations user environment settings and so on. Windows applications used .ini files as well to store their configuration settings. Even today in Windows 2000 and applications .ini files are still a widely used mechanism for storing user application and operating system settings. A quick search of your hard drive for .ini files will illustrate that fact. Although they provide a simple means of storing and retrieving settings .ini files offer some disadvantages particularly for storing important OS settings such as device drivers configuration data user environment settings and so on. First Windows 2000 needs a fault tolerant system for maintaining its settings to avoid the problem of an unbootable system due to a corrupt or missing .ini file. This information also needs to be secure something .ini files can t really provide. Finally managing all the settings needed to keep a Windows 2000 system up and running plus applications and user-related settings would be overwhelming if .ini files were the only solution. The registry comes to the rescue. In Windows 2000 like Windows NT before it the registry stores configuration information about the system s hardware and software both operating system- and application-related. The registry also stores information about users including security settings and rights working environment desktop properties folders and so on and much more. However In This .
