Windows XP Registry Files Revealed: Structure and Location
On each computer, the registry is saved in separate files in the Windows directory. Windows XP log files are located in the %systemroot%/system32/config directory where %systemroot% is typically WINDOWS or WINNT. Inside the Windows XP log files are the structure of the hives and the corresponding location of each hive. This article will help you understand how Windows XP log files correspond to the hierarchical structure.
In the registry there are hives that correspond to several files. Hives are a collection of keys, subkeys, and values that contain settings for the operating system and programs. In the registry, there are 5 groups: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT(HKCR), HKEY_CURRENT_USER(HKCU), HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE(HKLM), HKEY_USERS(HKU), and HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG(HKCC).
For the corresponding hives, you will see several types of extensions: no extension, .alt, .log, and .sav.
No extension: the entire registry section
.alt: an alternate copy of the registry section
.log – A record of changes that have occurred within the registry hive
.sav – This is an automatic backup created when a setup or installation of a program occurs.
Here are the corresponding files:
HKCC: System, System.alt, System.log, System.sav
HKCU: Ntuser.dat, Ntuser.dat.log
HKLMSAM: Sat, Sat.log, Sat.sav
HKLMSecurity: Security, Security.log, Security.sav
HKLM Software: Software, Software.log, Software.sav
HKLM System: System, System.alt, System.log, System.sav
HKU.DEFAULT: Default, Default.log, Default.sav
Another thing to mention is that there is a “repair” copy in case your registry gets corrupted. These files are located in the %systemroot%/repair directory. These will usually come in handy when you get boot errors and need to find a clean copy of the registry. One way to fix this problem is to use the Windows CD to access the recovery console. From there, you can copy the log files from the “repair” folder to the system32/config directory.
So you can see the logic behind the registry editor with the structure and location of Windows XP registry files. By knowing this information, you can understand how a registry works with the operating system. These files can get corrupted just like any other file and knowing where they are located can help fix many problems in the future. Windows XP registry files are very delicate to work with, so be sure to be very careful when handling these files.