The configuration database in Windows starting with Windows 95. The Registry contains settings for the hardware, system software and applications in the PC. It comprises the SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT files, and there are separate Registry entries for the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows. A PC with many applications can easily have a hundred thousand or more entries in the Registry.
In the earlier Windows 3.x versions, the Registry database held a few settings, and all others were stored in the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI text files (see
WIN.INI and
SYSTEM.INI).
Better at the Control Panels
Routine access to the hardware and software configuration is done via the Control Panels and Properties menus. Right clicking an icon in Explorer and selecting Properties displays information about the device, data, program or application. See
Win Registry and
Registry cleaner.
The Last Resort - Control Key Location Fix
The Registry can be edited directly; however, that is usually only done when there is no other remedy. The following example is a Registry fix that enables users to switch the poorly placed keyboard Control Key to the more convenient Caps Lock location.
1. Click Start menu
2. Type: regedit and press Enter key
3. Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
4. Click SYSTEM
5. Click CurrentControlSet
6 Click Control
7. Click KeyBoard Layout
8. Right click KeyBoard Layout
9. Click New
10. Click Binary value
11. Rename New Value #1 to Scancode Map
12. Right click Scancode Map
13. Click Modify and press Enter
14. Enter the following digits:
0000 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
0008 03 00 00 00 1d 00 3a 00
0010 3a 00 1d 00 00 00 00 00
0018