Examining the Regedit User Interface
This section can be used as a brief reference when working with Regedit. It provides a
description of all the functions of the registry editor. The following sections contain
instructions and tips on using Regedit, as well as directions for modifying the registry.
The Registry Editor window contains four main regions (Fig. 3.1
):

The menu bar. The menu bar contains the following menu items: Registry, Edit,
View, Favorites (this menu item was first introduced with Windows 2000), and
Help.

Left pane. The left pane displays the registry hierarchy organized in keys and
subkeys.

Right pane. The right pane displays value entries contained within a selected
registry key. Each value entry is identified by its name, which is displayed in the
Name column; data type, which is displayed in the Type column (a small icon to
the left of the name helps to identify the data type); and the value, which is
displayed in the Data column.

Status bar. The status bar indicates the path to the selected registry entry. It is
helpful when you need to view the full path to the registry key containing the
selected registry entry.

Figure 3.1: The Registry Editor window
When you start Regedit, the Registry Editor window displays only the top-level registry
keys below the My Computer icon. These are the root keys described in Chapter 1
.
If you click [+] to the left of the folder, this will expand the respective registry key
displaying its subkey hierarchical structure. This operation expands the key tree to the
next nesting level and resembles similar methods of opening folders in Windows

by Microsoft use a "Default" name (as you'll see later when you begin intense work with
Regedit). All of the names of the value entries are displayed in the Name column in the
right pane of the Registry Editor window. These names are assigned to the value entries
by the software and hardware developers.
Data types that describe the registry value entries are displayed in the Type column.
Definitions of all of the registry data types defined and used in Windows NT/2000/XP as
well as in Windows Server 2003 are provided in Chapter 1
.
For the sake of convenience, the Regedit.exe utility uses special icons, which are
displayed to the left of the value names. These icons allow the user to quickly distinguish
between binary and text data. A brief description of the icons displayed in the Registry
Editor window is provided in Table 3.2
.

Table 3.2: Icons Used for Designating Registry Data Types in Regedit.exe
Data
type
Description

Designates binary data (including REG_BINARY, REG_DWORD,
REG_RESOURCE_LIST, REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR, and
REG_RESOURCE_REQUIREMENTS_LIST)

Designates text data and readable characters. For example: "On The
Microsoft Network" (string data types, such as REG_EXPAND_SZ,
REG_MULTI_SZ, and REG_SZ)

The Data column contains text or binary data that correspond to the value of the selected
registry entry. You can edit, create, or delete this data to optimize software functionality
or troubleshoot.

from the Save as type list below the File name field. Despite all of the apparent
similarities between the Regedit.exe versions supplied with Windows 9x,
Windows NT 4.0/Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003, these
are different versions of the same application. The Regedit.exe version included in
Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 allows you to save exported registry files
in various formats, including both the newer format used in Windows 2000/XP
and Windows Server 2003 (use the Registration files (*.reg) option for this
purpose) and the registry file format used by Windows 9x and Windows NT 4.0
(use the Win9x/NT 4 Registration files (*.reg) option for this purpose).
Furthermore, now you can save the exported registry file as a hive (select the
Registry Hive Files option) and in text format (use the Text Files (*.txt) option)

Figure 3.2: The Export Registry File window
3. If you need to export only the branch that you have selected previously, set the
Selected branch radio button in the Export range option group. However, if you
frequently modify the system registry, exporting the whole registry would be
better. Exported registry files will provide you with additional options if you need
to troubleshoot a damaged system.
4. Click the Save button.
You can view the saved file using any text editor to make sure that everything was saved
correctly. Exported registry files contain unformatted ASCII text.
Be very careful when working with exported registry files, especially when you export
registry files for experimental purposes. For example, experienced administrators can
solve problems by editing the exported registry file, and then importing this file back into
the system. However, before you start introducing changes, take all necessary
precautions:
1. Create a backup copy of the exported registry file that you need to edit. If you
make an error during the editing session, you can correct the problem by importing
the backup copy of the REG file.
2. If you're going to experiment with the registries of various operating systems