What Is a Boot Editor?

The Windows Registry (Registry) is essentially a huge database that stores the following: user computer software and hardware related configuration and status information, initial conditions, preferences and uninstall data for application and resource manager shells The computer's entire system settings and various permissions, file extensions and application associations, hardware descriptions, status, and properties; computer performance records and underlying system status information, and various other data. ^[1]

In Windows, the registry consists of two files: System.dat and User.dat (windows 95/98), which are saved in the folder where windows is located. They are composed of binary data. System.dat contains the system hardware and software settings. User.dat holds user-related information, such as resource manager settings, color schemes, and network passwords.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (kind: root primary key): contains all loaded applications,

HKEY_CURRENT_USER (kind: current user primary key): Records settings and configuration information about a specific user logged on to the computer network. Its subkeys are:

AppEvent: The setting data of the sound and the path of the sound file associated with various specific events in the Windows operating system.

Control Panel: Contains some data stored in win.ini and system.ini files, and contains items in the control panel.

Install_Location_MRU: Records the drive on which the application is mounted.

Keyboard Layout: Identify generally valid keyboard layouts.

Network: Describes the connection between the fixed network and the temporary network.

RemoteAccess: Describes the details of a user's dial-up connection.

Software: Records the settings of system programs and user applications.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (type: machine primary key): This primary key stores all the information that Windows starts to run. Plug and play device information, device driver information, etc. are stored in this key through the application. The subkeys are:

Config: Documents all possible configurations of the computer.

Driver: Records the information of the auxiliary driver.

Enum: Records the hardware identification (ID), manufacturer, drive letter, etc. of various peripherals.

Hardware: Lists available

HKEY_USERS (type: user primary key): describes all user profiles connected to the current computer. If you use the computer on your own, only user information is listed in the .Default subkey. This subkey contains the settings of the control panel. ^[3]

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG (type: current configuration primary key): This primary key includes information about the font, printer, and current system.

To edit manually

The registry manages various information through primary and subkeys. But all the information in the registry is in various forms

If the registry is damaged, Windows will not run properly. To ensure the security of the Windows operating system, we must back up the registry frequently.

Every time Windows starts normally, the registry is backed up. System.dat is backed up as System.da0, User.dat is backed up as User.da0, and they are stored in the folder where Windows is located. The attributes are system and hidden.

Here are two ways to back up the registry:

1. Make a backup using the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) in Windows

Run Regedit.exe, click "File"->; "Export

We can achieve some special functions by modifying the registry, but

The "Registry Editor" is a sensitive part of the Windows system. To prevent unauthorized users from modifying the registry after logging in to the server, you can disable access to the registry by editing Group Policy. Take Windows XP as an example to introduce the method:

In the Group Policy Editor window, expand the User Configuration Administrative Templates directory and select the System option. Then set the "Block Access to Registry Editing Tool" policy to "Enabled" in the right pane, so that when a user tries to open the Registry Editor, the system will prohibit the user's operation and a prompt message will pop up.