Peter Norton’s Complete Guide to Windows XP

Chapter 12. The Windows XP Registry

A Registry can evoke many different images in the mind of the person reading the word. The term normally implies the act of formally recording names, items, or actions. The Windows XP Registry is a place for recording all kinds of information. It’s a special kind of hierarchical database. As many of you know, a hierarchical database is freeform and relies on a tree-like structure to connect all of the pieces of information.

The Registry first appeared in Windows with Windows NT. All Windows 9x versions include a Registry, and you find it in Windows 2000. The Registry replaced earlier attempts at storing information, such as the INI files found in early versions of Windows. In fact, you still find that older applications ...