How This Book Is Organized

The book is organized into 11 chapters:

Chapter 1, locates the Registry in the evolution of Windows systems. After a historical discussion of INI files and their traditional role as the repositories of configuration information, the chapter offers an apologia for the Registry, its philosophy, and its advantages.

Chapter 2, discusses the keys, subkeys, values, and hives that comprise the Registry structure.

Chapter 3, provides the compendium of caution. The major topics of discussion include the creation of emergency repair disks and strategies for effectively backing up and restoring the Registry.

Chapter 4, is a complete guide to the original Registry editor.

Chapter 5, is a similar guide to Microsoft's 32-bit Registry editor.

Chapter 6, explains the roles of system policies and the management of them with POLEDIT.

Chapter 7, describes Windows 2000's group policy object (GPO) mechanism and explains how to use it to apply policy settings.

Chapter 8, presents the Registry API and follows up with sections on how to administer the Registry with programs implemented in C++, Perl, and Visual Basic.

Chapter 9, covers a number of vital topics, including user accounts, INI file mapping, remote access, security, and a number of Resource Kit utilities.

Chapter 10, is a collection of tips and tricks you can use to bring your own system's Registry under control.

Chapter 11, is a snapshot of the Registry keys created by the Windows 2000 and NT systems.

Appendix A, describes the group policy settings applicable to user accounts. These include desktop lockdown and security policies.

Appendix B, describes the group policy settings that can be applied to computers, including the security and software installation policy components.