Registry Keys and Values - Part 2

Registry keys are containers that will contain values for software, hardware or the Windows OS itself. Keys can be thought of as folders, in which the values are individual files, follow Registry Keys and Values - Part 1 to know about Keys.

You can navigate the keys using a folder-type hierarchy. Values are the nuts and bolts of the Registry. These are the settings, integers, and strings that provide the data and information that helps Windows load and effectively work with your hardware and apps.

Registry Keys and Values - Part 1

The Registry, when viewed in its entirety, is split into five main sections, or groups. This helps organize the different keys and folder in the Registry to make them easily navigable.

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR):

This section stores information about registered applications, OLE Object Class IDs, and file associations. Sometimes you may see it abbreviated to HKCR. Should a subkey be added that duplicates a key that already exists in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes, Windows will use the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes key as its master.