Managing The Windows 2000 Registry

Chapter 5. Using RegEdt32

In Chapter 4 , you learned how to use the RegEdit utility to browse, search, and edit the Registry. RegEdit ships with Windows 95/98, Windows NT, and Windows 2000; however, Windows NT and Windows 2000 also include RegEdt32, a more powerful Registry editor that fully supports the security and auditing features present in Windows 2000. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to use RegEdt32 to view, edit, create, and delete data in the Registry.

How RegEdt32 and RegEdit Differ

Since RegEdit was originally written for Windows 95, it doesn’t support the full capabilities of the Registry in Windows NT and 2000. In particular, it doesn’t have any support for Windows 2000’s security features, so you can’t change or view permissions on keys. While this may make RegEdit look like the computer equivalent of a tricycle when compared to RegEdt32, this isn’t really accurate. A better comparison is between a bicycle and a car. Each has its uses; sometimes a bicycle is the best, cheapest, most enjoyable, or fastest way to reach your destination, but it’s not a good way to bring home a new baby from the hospital or take six friends out to dinner.

So it is with the two Registry editors. RegEdt32 has a number of features RegEdit doesn’t, but it also has some unique limitations:

• RegEdit can search keys and values, while RegEdt32 can search only key names. You’ll quickly become comfortable with firing up RegEdit to find the value you’re looking for, then editing it as needed in ...