Windows® 98 Unleashed

A Synopsis of the Registry

When you change the desktop wallpaper using Control Panel's Display icon, the next time you start your computer, how does Windows 98 know which wallpaper you selected? If you change your video display driver, how does Windows 98 know to use that driver at startup and not the original driver loaded during Setup? In other words, how does Windows 98 “remember” the various settings and options either that you've selected yourself or that are appropriate for your system?

The secret to Windows 98's prodigious memory is the Registry. The Registry is a central repository Windows 98 uses to store anything and everything that applies to the configuration of your system. This includes hardware settings, object properties, operating ...