Windows registery, why so complicated???

[Edward78]

None windows seems to have better system... I mean why not just a system tree with settings & applications then user being the same... I mean I am no expert or near 1 really, but it could be less complex...

[Electronics Wizardy]

welcome to the world of "it worked in the 90's and we don't want to change it"

[DrMacintosh]

Pretty much what @Electronics Wizardy said. 

[SupaKomputa]

windows registry is not suppose to be handle by non technician. why make it easier?

[homeap5]

Registry is database for programs and system. It's made for quick access when program needs data. It's like online forum and MySQL - it's not made for editing directly, even if it's possible. It's not also configuration tool. For config you have control panel.

[Teddy07]

Never change a running system.

[GoodBytes]

On 1/13/2019 at 12:18 AM, Edward78 said:

None windows seems to have better system... I mean why not just a system tree with settings & applications then user being the same... I mean I am no expert or near 1 really, but it could be less complex...

I am confused with what you are saying,

 

Registry is simple:

 

I don't feel like typing a novel, so I'll stay brief, and let you read more on it, if you are truly interested:

• The registry is a database. Very important that you understand that. Keys, are viewed as"folders" in the registry editor for easier editing.
• HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, contains everything related to file associations that affects all accounts on the system (default icons, which program to open
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER, contains everything that is related to the current user. In there you'll have Windows account settings (keyboard, language, environmental variable, personification, program settings, group policies, account restrictions and file association that affects the account (which overrides the global ones). The location of the registry for each account is located in: C:\Users\<account>\NTUSER.DAT. This file is: HKEY_CURRENT_USER that you see under the registry editor 'regedit" that it loads by default.
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, contains everything that affects system wide configurations. Drivers, drivers configuration, system files registrations, programs settings that affects all users, hardware, and has things like: has a place where Windows writes the current hardware configurations for programs to easily use to make life easier for developers. So for example, you develop a software, for debugging purposes, you have a log system in the case of a crash, and you need to know the CPU model. Well you could spend a very long time, and hire experts to build a system that communicates with the hardware, just to get the CPU model (like what HWMonitor and others does), or you could write this massive code file to interact with WMI in Windows to get that information, or in a "1 liner" just pull the CPU model stored in: "Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System\CentralProcessor\0"
• HKEY_USERS. Shortcuts of 2x keys under HKEY_CURRENT_USER that are actively loaded in one location.
• HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG. Shortcut of a key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

And that is pretty much it. There is a learning curve, and you need to know what you are doing, but essentially the registry is not particularly complicated if you understand how Windows works.