5.1 How RegEdt32 and RegEdit Differ

Since RegEdit was originally written for Windows 95, it doesn't support the full capabilities of the Registry in Windows NT and 2000. In particular, it doesn't have any support for Windows 2000's security features, so you can't change or view permissions on keys. While this may make RegEdit look like the computer equivalent of a tricycle when compared to RegEdt32, this isn't really accurate. A better comparison is between a bicycle and a car. Each has its uses; sometimes a bicycle is the best, cheapest, most enjoyable, or fastest way to reach your destination, but it's not a good way to bring home a new baby from the hospital or take six friends out to dinner.

So it is with the two Registry editors. RegEdt32 has a number of features RegEdit doesn't, but it also has some unique limitations:

• RegEdit can search keys and values, while RegEdt32 can search only key names. You'll quickly become comfortable with firing up RegEdit to find the value you're looking for, then editing it as needed in RegEdt32.

• RegEdt32 fully supports Windows 2000's security features. It allows you to view and set ownership, permissions, and auditing controls for root keys and their subkeys.

• RegEdt32 can load and save keys in binary format. In addition, it can import these saved keys as self-contained hives, making it easy to transfer data from machine to machine.

• RegEdt32 supports many more display options, and its interface allows you to view as many or as few root keys as you wish, each in its own window.

The two are similar in many respects, too. Both allow you to view and edit Registry data on remote computers, and both allow you to edit different data types with an appropriate editor (though RegEdt32 supports more of Windows 2000's Registry data types than does RegEdit).

Microsoft warns against using RegEdit to edit any value type other than REG_DWORD and REG_SZ. In particular, if you edit REG_MULTI_SZ or REG_EXPAND_SZ strings, they'll be saved as REG_SZ.