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Registry Tutorial - Part 2
Windows MeWindows Me backups are similar to Windows 98, but Windows Me does not offer restarting in DOS as an option for restoring the Registry. It does, however, provide a more user-friendly approach to restoring the system to an earlier state via Windows.
In Windows Me click Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. Then select the option to "Restore my computer to an earlier date." Click Next and follow the instructions. You'll be able to choose by date and time, with the help of a graphic calendar, the previous
"checkpoints" at which the system was backed up.
Windows XP
There are two way to backup the Registry under Windows XP:
1) In the Registry Editor. (explained under "Accessing the Registry" below) under the Registry Menu, click Export Registry File.
Save the file to any location you would like. The extension .reg will be added automatically. Later, if you want to restore the Registry to how it was before things took a turn for the worse, under the Registry Menu, click Import Registry File and select the .reg file you saved previously.
2) Back up the Registry manually:
Open KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CotnrolSet001\Control\HiveList\ with the System Registry Editor. This will display the locations of the files that make up the Registry. Make copies of NTUSER.DAT, USRCLASS.DAT, and all the hive files to create a full backup.
All Versions of Windows
In all versions of Windows, you can also manually save a current version of the Registry. In the Registry Editor. (explained under "Accessing the Registry" below) under the Registry Menu, click Export Registry File.
Save the file to any location you would like. The extension .reg will be added automatically. Later, if you want to restore the Registry to how it was before things took a turn for the worse, under the Registry Menu, click Import Registry File and select the .reg file you saved previously.
Accessing the Registry
Every version of Windows since Windows 95 includes a program called the Windows Registry Editor. To launch it, click Start > Run, then type in "regedit" (without the quotes), followed by OK. The Registry Editor window will then reveal a number of folders in a pane on the left side of your screen.
Don't let the names of the files intimidate you. They sound very high-tech, starting with "HKEY," which is actually short for "Handle to a Key." Savvy Registry users refer to them as simply "keys."
Open each folder (key) by clicking on the little plus sign (+) to the left of each folder. Each key opens to display sub-keys, which can sometimes be opened again to display sub-sub-keys, and on and on it goes.
For starters, click on the HKEY_CURRENT_ USER key to display its contents, then click on Control Panel to expand that sub-key, and then click on the Desktop key.
Editing the Registry
Whenever you select a key, you'll notice a two-column list of information that appears in the pane on the right side of the Registry Editor window. These are values you can revise to make changes in your system. Changing anything in the Registry can cause major problems to your system -- MAJOR problems -- so don't get creative in the Registry.
The first column ("Name") after the icon contains the value name. For example, if you select Desktop, you may see CursorBlinkRate listed. This is a value that determines how quickly the cursor blinks.
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The second column ("Data") contains the actual value data.
Looking at my computer, the CursorBlinkRate is set at "600," which means the cursor is set to blink every 600 milliseconds.
There are three kinds of value data: String Value, Binary and DWORD. String Value data (which is what the CursorBlinkRate uses) consists of an easy-to-read series of words or numbers (the number 600 in this case) within quotation marks.
Binary data are hexidecimal numbers, so you'll see strange values like d0 04 72 6e. Let's ignore this one. Nobody really understands hexidecimal numbers and the few people who possibly do understand hexidecimal numbers we wouldn't want to associate with anyway.
DWORD data is also based on hexidecimal code but is presented in Double WORD format, like 0x00100022 (1048610). No need to know anything more about this, either. Editing Binary and DWORD data is for geeky types -- not groovy dudes and dudesses like us -- so we're going to limit our focus to string values or "values" for short.
To change the value data, double-click on the value name, such as CursorBlinkRate. An "Edit String" dialog box will appear in which you can enter new data or edit the existing data. Don't change anything at this point, but if we wanted to change the 600 to 900, we would enter it here, then click OK to exit.
Deleting and Adding Values
You can also delete or add new values to the Registry. Let's add a new value to the HKEY_CURRENT_ USER > Control Panel > Desktop key.
Right-click the Desktop sub-key and from the menu that appears select New > String Value. "New Value" appears in the right pane at the bottom of the list of values.
Right-click on it and select Rename.
Give it the new name of MenuShowDelay.
Now let's enter some data:
Double-click on MenuShowDelay to bring up the Edit String box and enter "100" (without the quotes). Click OK.
Next, close up the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
When you're back up and running, place your cursor over Start Menu items displaying the small black triangular arrows. Notice any difference? (Work with me here.) Of course you do!
Windows had a built-in delay of 500 milliseconds (half a second) before submenus were displayed. By adding the MenuShowDelay value in the proper place in the Registry and assigning value of 100 (milliseconds), you changed that delay to one-tenth of a second. Now your menus go flying out much quicker, saving you hundreds of milliseconds each year! Talk about a time saver!
Feel free to go back into the Registry Editor and change the MenuShowDelay value data again to establish the amount of delay (longer or shorter) that you would prefer.
Next Article: The exciting conclusion: Registry Part 3, which contains the following sections:
Making Registry Edits Take Effect
Saving and Restoring Individual Keys
Additional Precautions
Searching the Registry
Why Search the Registry?
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