MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

4-24 Chapter 4 Modifying and Troubleshooting the Startup Process
Lesson Summary
■ Windows XP Professional stores hardware and software settings in the Registry, a
hierarchical database that replaces many of the .ini, .sys, and .com configuration
files used in earlier versions of Windows. The Registry provides the appropriate
initialization information to boot Windows XP Professional, to start applications,
and to load components such as device drivers and network protocols.
■ The Registry structure provides a secure set of records that can be read,
updated, or modified by many of the Windows XP Professional components.
The Registry has two subtrees: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_USERS.
However, additional parts of the Registry (including HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG) are represented in the
top level of the visible structure in Registry Editor to make important areas easier
to locate.
■ The Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE) allows you to view and change the Registry.
The Registry Editor is primarily intended for troubleshooting. For most configuration
changes, you should use either Control Panel or Administrative Tools, not
Registry Editor.