Knowing the locations of the Registry settings for users is the most critical part of troubleshooting user problems in the Registry. Windows 95 still uses the WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI files for information, even for 32-bit functions. You will need to familiarize yourself with the Registry locations as well. As an upgrade to Windows for Workgroups, Windows 95 is fabulous, the administrator has many more options for control, and the user has countless options for customization.
The settings for Windows 95 basic functions are in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion. Many system-specific settings required for 95 are also
there. These settings are not usually user-dependent, but even so, much of it still
affects the users and how they
work.
Like NT, the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Fonts key is one of the most important keys in the system. In the Fonts key, Microsoft lists all the fonts that are available to the user. Normally, you would make changes in the Fonts applet in the Control Panel. However, if you lose your font metrics, which matches the screen font to the printer font, you might need to restore this key. Also, it is a good place to look to see where the actual font file is located. Putting the font in the actual Fonts folder, instead of making a shortcut, saves space in the Registry, speeds up the performance of the system, and reduces errors.
The Registry in Windows 95 is very similar in structure to the Windows NT Registry. One of the main differences is in the location of entries. Of course, one of the main reasons to have HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_USER is to make the process of hitting the correct entries easier for developers. It doesn't really matter where the actual entry is as long as there is a pointer to it in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_USER. The developers only point to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Nearly all of the application functions are there; therefore, preparing applications
for users is extremely easy. The only
other component that is used in most cases
is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\
Software. Because of this component, there is a demand to make it the same in
both 95 and NT, in order to achieve compatibility for software. Because of these
requirements,
it also makes it easier for the administrator and technical support
staff.
Every application that will be controlled by the Registry needs to put information into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software. Normally, the installation will add a key under Software for the manufacturer. Additional keys can also be installed for the software title, the version, and any other information required to make the software work correctly.
The new keys will point to the executable files, the .DLL files, the settings, and the user-definable options in the applications. If you have an application that has been moved on the system to a different location other than the original installation, the pointers in the Registry will be wrong.
For the user, Windows 95 normally stores information in the current user's profile, the USER.DAT in the \Windows\Profiles directory. The \Windows\Profiles directory is maintained if there are multiple profiles set up, or if the user logs onto a domain for user validation. If there is only one user, the USER.DAT file will be stored in the \Windows directory.
Inside the USER.DAT file, there are settings for the user to be able to customize the interface, select the keyboard layout, and many other options. That information is accessed through the HKEY_CURRENT_USER handle key in the Registry. Figure 25.1 shows the keys in HKEY_CURRENT_USER in REGEDIT.EXE.
Figure 25.1. User functions in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
Functions relating to logging on to Windows 95 or to the network are located in
the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSNP32\NetworkProvider
and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Network\Logon keys. These keys store the current
username, the domain or workgroup name, the shell name, and much more. If the problem
is in logging on, this is the first place to look. There is still a HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\
CurrentVersion\Winlogon key, but it doesn't have any values in it, and it doesn't
do anything.
How Windows functions will work are in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\
Windows\CurrentVersion key. This key is the same in Windows NT 4.0 as it
is
in Windows 95. Applications can use this key to set up how the windows in their applications
will work.
Just like in Windows NT, you can get rid of the Inbox from your desktop by removing
the key that is used to tell Explorer to put it
there. The key is in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\
Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Desktop\NameSpace. There are actually
four keys there in Windows 95: one for the Inbox, one for the Recycle Bin, one for
the Internet, and one for
the Microsoft Network. Removing the icon only changes how
the system looks. The Inbox button allows you to install the Windows Messaging System,
the Recycle Bin allows you to easily undelete files you have sent there, and the
Internet button allows
you to install Internet Explorer. Once Internet Explorer is
installed, the icon changes, as does the Inbox function. Be very careful about deleting
the Recycle bin. You can still delete things to the bin, but you must go to the Recycler
directory in
Explorer.exe to retrieve files. Also, all the files are shown
in a bin named after the SID of the user.
Another great key in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion is Run. When an application is loaded there, it will start during the startup of the system. The difference between this and using the Startup folder in the user profile is that this works for anyone using the system, and it requires a Registry change to take it out.
Windows 95 has a key that is very different from the ones in Windows NT. In the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunServices key, you can set up services to run at startup that are not normally part of the system. In Windows NT, the services are all loaded the same way, at startup, so there is no need for this key.
The icon font, the wallpaper, the screen saver, and other preferences are stored on a user-by-user basis in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop. Though these are normally changed through the Control Panel, you can easily use the location for remote editing and for custom templates in System Policy Editor.
Working with Windows 95 users can be complex, because of the myriad of locations that store the entries. If you know where to look, you can certainly find the settings. Remember, though, that some information is still stored in WIN.INI and SYSTEM.INI. Use the Find command to help you troubleshoot the challenges users might run into working with Windows 95, applications, and system preferences.
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