To repair the Windows registry manually is a very complicated process that even computer technicians dare not do unless it is the last thing they can possibly do to save a computer. However, in order to repair the Windows registry manually, one must have a thorough understanding of what the Windows registry is, how it is structured and how it works.
Understanding the Windows Registry
The Windows registry feature is a relatively new addition to the Microsoft Windows system. This means that it was not included in the earliest versions of Windows, namely Windows 3x and older. Instead of the registry feature, these earlier versions of Windows have an .ini file and a .dat file stored in each folder and subfolder. These .ini files and .dat files contain the settings and configuration data for the files in the folder or subfolder they are linked with.
Storing settings and configuration data in this manner is very tricky. The .ini files and .dat files can be deleted by accident if the user of the computer is careless, and this action can cripple the entire system.
Upon the development of the Windows NT system, these settings and configuration data came to be consolidated in what became the Windows registry feature. At first, the Windows registry was just a database where these settings and configuration data may be viewed by typing in the command regedit.exe, but cannot be edited.
Later versions of Windows - Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000 - saw changes in the Windows registry feature, and the command used became regedt32.exe rather than regedit.exe. The main difference between regedit.exe and regedt32.exe is that while regedit.exe interface allows the computer's user to view more information about the registry keys, regedt32.exe allows the user to do more with the registry keys using additional functions.
The first version of Microsoft Windows to integrate the best of regedit.exe with regedt32.exe is Windows XP. In Windows XP, the command name regedit.exe is used, as well as the interface of the older version of regedit.exe. These are then combined with the functionality of regedt32.exe. This version of the Windows registry became the staple in later versions of Windows such as Windows Server and Windows Vista.
The Components of the Windows Registry
The Windows registry as we know it now has two basic components: the key and the value. The key is similar to the folders that we can find in Windows Explorer, and each key can have subkeys within it, just like a folder in Windows Explorer would have subfolders. The value, on the other hand, is the name/data pair that is contained within these keys and subkeys. They are the little pieces of data where the information about how our computer should be running is stored.
Keys are organized into hives. The hives found in a Windows registry are:
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR) - the hive where the keys and values pertaining to the myriad of applications we use on our computer are stored.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) - contains information on the settings used by whoever is using the computer at the given moment that the computer is being used.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) - pertains to the general settings used by all the registered users of the computer.
• HKEY_USERS (HKU) - keeps information corresponding to those in HKCU, for all registered users of the computer.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC) - temporary information that the computer gathers when it is booted up.
Editing and Repairing the Registry
There are a number of ways that a person can use to edit and repair the registry. Among these methods are:
Manual editing. Manual editing means opening the registry using the regedit.exe command and sorting through the registry keys and values by yourself, deleting values and keys that you find invalid or suspicious.
Windows Registry Editor. The Windows Registry Editor is a support tool released by Windows as a companion to the Windows registry. It can be used to locate keys and values, rename them, change them, add to them or delete them.
Microsoft Management Console (MMC). Also referred to as Group Policy, MMC is used by system administrators to manage networks and computer system components, including registry editing in various computers included in the network.
Registration Entries (.reg). In this method, registry changes are put into a registration entries file and then run using a script.
Windows Script Host. Alterations to the registry can also be done by scripting using Visual Basic or JScript. The basic methods that can be used under the Windows Script Host are: RegDelete, which deletes values from the registry; RegRead, which restores a key's value or the name of a value in a key; and RegWrite, where new values are created or existing values are changed or written over.
Windows Management Instrumentation. The automated process of performing administrative tasks in Windows, including Windows registry repair and editing.
Console Registry Tool for Windows. This method makes use of the reg.exe tool and of various codes and scripts typed in at the Command Prompt of the Windows OS.
As thorough as Windows registry repair can be when done manually, it is very time consuming and extremely risky. Even expert computer technicians avoid having to touch the Windows registry unless there is nothing else that can be done about the registry's problems. If errors are committed when trying to repair the Windows registry using one of these methods, it can result in destabilization of the system. If this happens, the user would need to reformat the computer and reinstall the operating system completely.
The Easier Way to Repair the Windows Registry
As mentioned, to repair the Windows registry using the methods listed above is highly risky, tedious and time-consuming. A superior way of addressing problems with a computer's Windows registry is by using third-party registry cleaner software. Using such software will greatly reduce the time and effort that is necessary for otherwise repairing the Windows registry manually. Most of all, third-party registry cleaners are much, much safer and risk-free.
One particular registry cleaner that stands out among the rest is RegCure. It is quick - it can do all the scanning and repairing that needs to be done in as little as a minute. It is thorough - it seeks all the invalid entries and malicious code hiding in the dark corners of the computer's registry. And most importantly, it is safe - it has a backup and restore feature that allows the user to go back in case that a mistake is done during the scanning process. Using RegCure is the best way to do a Windows registry repair. Download a free scan of RegCure from the link here.
Understanding the Windows Registry
The Windows registry feature is a relatively new addition to the Microsoft Windows system. This means that it was not included in the earliest versions of Windows, namely Windows 3x and older. Instead of the registry feature, these earlier versions of Windows have an .ini file and a .dat file stored in each folder and subfolder. These .ini files and .dat files contain the settings and configuration data for the files in the folder or subfolder they are linked with.
Storing settings and configuration data in this manner is very tricky. The .ini files and .dat files can be deleted by accident if the user of the computer is careless, and this action can cripple the entire system.
Upon the development of the Windows NT system, these settings and configuration data came to be consolidated in what became the Windows registry feature. At first, the Windows registry was just a database where these settings and configuration data may be viewed by typing in the command regedit.exe, but cannot be edited.
Later versions of Windows - Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows 2000 - saw changes in the Windows registry feature, and the command used became regedt32.exe rather than regedit.exe. The main difference between regedit.exe and regedt32.exe is that while regedit.exe interface allows the computer's user to view more information about the registry keys, regedt32.exe allows the user to do more with the registry keys using additional functions.
The first version of Microsoft Windows to integrate the best of regedit.exe with regedt32.exe is Windows XP. In Windows XP, the command name regedit.exe is used, as well as the interface of the older version of regedit.exe. These are then combined with the functionality of regedt32.exe. This version of the Windows registry became the staple in later versions of Windows such as Windows Server and Windows Vista.
The Components of the Windows Registry
The Windows registry as we know it now has two basic components: the key and the value. The key is similar to the folders that we can find in Windows Explorer, and each key can have subkeys within it, just like a folder in Windows Explorer would have subfolders. The value, on the other hand, is the name/data pair that is contained within these keys and subkeys. They are the little pieces of data where the information about how our computer should be running is stored.
Keys are organized into hives. The hives found in a Windows registry are:
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR) - the hive where the keys and values pertaining to the myriad of applications we use on our computer are stored.
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) - contains information on the settings used by whoever is using the computer at the given moment that the computer is being used.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) - pertains to the general settings used by all the registered users of the computer.
• HKEY_USERS (HKU) - keeps information corresponding to those in HKCU, for all registered users of the computer.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (HKCC) - temporary information that the computer gathers when it is booted up.
Editing and Repairing the Registry
There are a number of ways that a person can use to edit and repair the registry. Among these methods are:
Manual editing. Manual editing means opening the registry using the regedit.exe command and sorting through the registry keys and values by yourself, deleting values and keys that you find invalid or suspicious.
Windows Registry Editor. The Windows Registry Editor is a support tool released by Windows as a companion to the Windows registry. It can be used to locate keys and values, rename them, change them, add to them or delete them.
Microsoft Management Console (MMC). Also referred to as Group Policy, MMC is used by system administrators to manage networks and computer system components, including registry editing in various computers included in the network.
Registration Entries (.reg). In this method, registry changes are put into a registration entries file and then run using a script.
Windows Script Host. Alterations to the registry can also be done by scripting using Visual Basic or JScript. The basic methods that can be used under the Windows Script Host are: RegDelete, which deletes values from the registry; RegRead, which restores a key's value or the name of a value in a key; and RegWrite, where new values are created or existing values are changed or written over.
Windows Management Instrumentation. The automated process of performing administrative tasks in Windows, including Windows registry repair and editing.
Console Registry Tool for Windows. This method makes use of the reg.exe tool and of various codes and scripts typed in at the Command Prompt of the Windows OS.
As thorough as Windows registry repair can be when done manually, it is very time consuming and extremely risky. Even expert computer technicians avoid having to touch the Windows registry unless there is nothing else that can be done about the registry's problems. If errors are committed when trying to repair the Windows registry using one of these methods, it can result in destabilization of the system. If this happens, the user would need to reformat the computer and reinstall the operating system completely.
The Easier Way to Repair the Windows Registry
As mentioned, to repair the Windows registry using the methods listed above is highly risky, tedious and time-consuming. A superior way of addressing problems with a computer's Windows registry is by using third-party registry cleaner software. Using such software will greatly reduce the time and effort that is necessary for otherwise repairing the Windows registry manually. Most of all, third-party registry cleaners are much, much safer and risk-free.
One particular registry cleaner that stands out among the rest is RegCure. It is quick - it can do all the scanning and repairing that needs to be done in as little as a minute. It is thorough - it seeks all the invalid entries and malicious code hiding in the dark corners of the computer's registry. And most importantly, it is safe - it has a backup and restore feature that allows the user to go back in case that a mistake is done during the scanning process. Using RegCure is the best way to do a Windows registry repair. Download a free scan of RegCure from the link here.
Ken Morris
Repair-Xp.com
Visit the best resource for Windows XP Repair Information
Download Regcure Now
Article Source: Ken_J_Morris
Repair-Xp.com
Visit the best resource for Windows XP Repair Information
Download Regcure Now
Article Source: Ken_J_Morris
Zxzc
September 26, 2009 at 2:17 PM
Zxzc
September 26, 2009 at 2:20 PM
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