The registry in Windows XP is a centralized location for configurations, both of the system and of individual programs. There are four ways the Registry can be altered. system-wide configuration Many configurations that you perform with a system-wide setting such as the control panel alter the registry so a Registry-hack may be available in an easier and more conventional manner. Of course it is both fun and nice to have granular control over your system. programs Most programs needs to become a part of the Windows system. With a few exceptions that means certain settings need to be made or maintained when the program is installed, the settings are altered, or the program is uninstalled. REDEDIT-like utility REGEDIT is a program that browses the Registry in a hierarchical manner like Windows Explorer browses does the file system. In Windows 95 this was done with a program called REGEDIT and later was called REGEDT32. REGEDIT will still work with NT-family Operating Systems but they will not use settings that involve unicode and therefore they will not be available on a multi-national basis. .REG file A .REG file is simply a text file that specifies changes to the Registry. You can import that file through REGEDIT to add, edit, or delete a registry entry. You can also export all or part of the Registry into a text file.