What is the registry?

The registry is a database that stores configuration data to be used by Windows. It consists of 5 different "KEYS". They are:

    * HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE: Information for all data about installed hardware and software.
    * HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: Pulls data from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key dealing with the active hardware configuration.
    * HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: Stores information about file types and OLE aware applications.
    * HKEY_USERS: configuration information for all user profiles.
    * HKEY_CURRENT_USER: Pulls data from the HKEY_USERS key pertaining to the current user.