Mastering Windows Server® 2008 Networking Foundations

Chapter 7. Controlling Windows III: The Registry

Any explanation of how to solve problems and get things done in Server 2008 or, indeed, any of the NT family of Windows will soon turn to a bit of software fiddling called "modifying the Registry" or "hacking the Registry." This chapter explains exactly what the Registry is, why you should care about it, and how to work with it. If you've already met the Registry in previous versions of Windows, then you may already know at least some of this information, but even if that's so, then I suggest that you read this chapter — I promise you'll see a few new things that will make running your Windows server a bit easier!

Every user and every administrator of every copy of any operating system in the world end up having to adjust that OS to meet their needs. Some adjustments are minor, such as changing a background color or swapping how Windows uses the right and left mouse buttons, and some are more important ones, such as giving your system a name or changing its network address. Furthermore, it isn't just Windows that needs adjusting; applications do also, directing them where to save files, how the application should start up, whether to use English or Metric units, and the like. Once we've made those changes, of course, then we expect the operating system and/or applications to remember the changes. That means that Windows needs someplace to store those changes somewhere between reboots and, not surprisingly, that someplace is the hard ...