At first, this was seemingly comfortable but the system and programs commonly were becoming greater and roomier. Therefore, settings were growing too. In such files it was easy to lose yourself and impossible to find anything you need. That is why it was necessary to create something new that can help to store and group this information.

And then, in the bosom of Microsoft, was born the perfect idea: to create Windows central database for all versions. In that database stored structured settings of: operating system, users, programs, devices and many others. From that moment all Windows beginning with Windows 95 have the Windows registry. Of cause, passing to that was insensible: ini files reduced (they stay in XP), and registry became lager fulfilling more and more functions. From version to version the Windows registry changed a lot of parameters, categories and disk locations. Nevertheless it embedded into XP space. As was said by Microsoft, XP Windows registry was seriously redesigned in compare with Win2k one. They did that in order to increase PC system performance and provide its stability (and it seems to be truth). Sure there are many pluses and minuses of Windows registry we can discuss but the hard fact is that Windows registry exists and we should be able to use it in right way if we want to live comfortably with Windows.

In XP (and in all previous versions) the Windows registry is one of the key components of a system: almost all settings in it influence onto PC function and its components. According to that even light error in registry can crush not only specific software or device but it can score the whole operating system into the deep knock-down. Well, if you will try to change Windows registry parameters manually in most cases you will see the blue screen only.

In summary, Windows registry stores: OS and installed software settings, information about hardware (plus equipment profiles), data about ports, users profiles, network and download parameters, types of files and many others.

System begins to check the information right after the load. Thus if in the Windows registry will be a principal error then OS can even cancel load. It also plays one of the main roles in the initialization and in equipment function. Information about all new devices sores here. Devices drivers exchange the parameters of load and configuration with the Windows registry actively. Starting with Win2000, MS updated plug and play support considerably and once again in this action the registry takes the active part. Who will respond for the system result after the download? That is it ? the Windows registry. In really, OS addresses to the Windows registry all the time: load (start up), work, shut down. OS can address to it more than 1000 times per second with different tasks.