Where are the Windows registry files in Windows 11/10?

The Windows registry is the central configuration database for Windows NT and Windows 2000, as well as for applications. The Windows 11/10/8/7 registry stores information about configuration settings, device configuration, and user preferences.

On the disk, the Windows registry is not just one large file, but a collection of separate files called hives. Each cell contains a registry tree, which has a key that acts as the root (i.e. a starting point) of the tree. Subkeys and their values ​​are located under the root.

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The registry files are located in the following folder locations. The location of these registry cells is as follows:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM: \system32\config\system
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM: \ system32 \ config \ sam
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security: \system32\config\security
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE: \system32\config\software
• HKEY_USERS\User Profile: \winnt\profiles\username
• HKEY_USERS. default: \ system32 \ config \ default

Support files are as follows:

Some hives are capricious and have no associated coils. The system creates and manages these cells entirely in memory; So the hives are temporary. The system creates volatile cells every time the system starts. Examples are:

• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Devices: volatile cell
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CLONE: volatile cell

These files are database files and only RegEdit, Regedit32, and Kernel32 can read them. The main Windows 11/10/8/7 tool for working directly with the registry is the Registry Editor.

Read: Make Windows automatically back up the registry.

To access it, just type regedit in the Start menu search bar and press Enter.

If you need to know more about it, go to technet.

Modernization: AccidentalADMIN provided a helpful comment. Says:

Every Windows system has a registry key that lists every cell in the system. escape from regedit To open the Registry Editor and navigate to the following key for a complete list:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist

While you’re on the topic of history, you may also want to see if any of these links interest you:

1. How to browse and edit history from Explorer
2. How to open multiple instances of the registry.