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Questions tagged [windows-registry]

Window registry is a hierarchical database that stores configuration settings and options on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It contains settings for low-level operating system components as well as the applications running on the platform: the kernel, device drivers, services, SAM, user interface and third party applications all make use of the Registry.

Excerpt from Wikipedia page

The registry was created as a central location to store configuration for COM components and all application settings in a standardised form.

Reading from and writing to the registry is much quicker than for a .ini file as it doesn't have to be parsed. It can also store structured data rather than just text as is the case for .ini files.

However, having a centralised database means that it's harder to backup and restore individual applications.

Windows Registry on Wikipedia

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How do you remove a default program association for file types in Windows 7?

I somehow have set the default file type association for a file type in Windows 7. It doesn't appear to be possible to delete it from the "Change the file type associated with a file extension" options screen. Is it possible to remove it?
Christothes
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How can I disable flashing icons on Windows 7 taskbar?

I set my Windows 7 taskbar to auto-hide. However, sometimes when a program changes or something new happens in a program, the taskbar will show its self, and its respective taskbar icon will begin flashing orange. Here's what I'm talking about: To…
Jeff Gortmaker
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Which special variables are available when writing a shell command for a context menu

When extending the Windows' shell context menu (e.g. for adding an 'Open command here' prompt on directories), a 'command' key needs to be created in the registry. The value of this 'command' key apparently can be any valid command line. I want to…
Gio
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Linux equivalent of Windows Registry

What is the Linux equivalent of Windows Registry? If there is no equivalent or similar structure in Linux, how are the things that are done by the Windows Registry handled in Linux?
serena
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Is “HKLM” an alias for “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE”?

HKLM is often used as an abbreviation for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Somewhat unexpectedly this also appears to be true when I ask reg for a value. C:\>reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v…
Joe Kearney
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How to disable Windows 10 memory compression?

my former wrong assumption: it drains my notebook battery and I've no shortage of RAM. In Task manager you see ntoskrnl.exe is eating more CPU time than any other process. this feature does not appear to be optional and came 2 days ago with the 1st…
Falco Alexander
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"Create new text document" option missing from context menu

I noticed today that there is no longer a "Create new text document" option in my Windows 7 (x64 Ultimate) context menu when I right click. No idea how or when it disappeared, point is it's gone. After searching Google for people with the same…
Matt
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How to restore the Path environment variable I deleted?

I accidentally deleted the Path environment variable by creating a new one with Path name. How can I restore my old Path environment variable?
deno
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When does Windows write registry changes to disk?

TL;DR: I've noticed that if I make a registry change and then hard-shutdown my Windows 10 system, the registry change does not appear after reboot. I've also noticed that the deletion of a hibernation file can impact the ability for a Linux…
Shrout1
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How to reset shortcuts (.lnk file) in Windows 7?

Somehow I went to open a shortcut and Windows couldn't find the target but instead of pointing the shortcut to the .exe it pointed the .lnk file handler to the .exe, so now all my .lnk files are trying to be opened by the borderlands game. What's…
Joel Barsotti
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What's the easiest and fastest way to compare 2 registry files?

I would like to find the changes made in the registry after installing something on my computer. However I would like to also know what can be done with ease as a general procedure.
Notitze
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Where are Registry Files stored in Windows?

Where is the Registry stored in Windows? I want to find the files shown when running regedit.exe (Windows Registry Editor).
oneat
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Is it worth cleaning the registry?

I have heard that you should keep the registry clean on Windows. Is this actually important or is it just myth?
Jeff Yates
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Can I safely remove *.msi and *.msp files that are in C:\Windows\Installer but are not the mentioned in the registry?

My C:\Windows\Installer folder has grown over 10 GB. I noticed that some *.msi and *.msp files are in C:\Windows\Installer but not the mentioned in the registry (e.g. I can see a file named "104a0288.msi" in C:\Windows\Installer but searching for…
Franck Dernoncourt
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Remove Desktop entry from Alt+Tab list

Is it possible to remove the entry for the desktop from Windows 7's Alt+Tab list? So far I have found a post telling me to add an entry to the registry: HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Explorer/AltTabSettings However,…
MichaelM
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