If Windows were designed today, would the Registry still exist? Mark Russinovich breaks down how the Registry works—and why a more flexible, file-based configuration model might win out in a modern design. Registry info:

It is a pendulum. Try to fix the pains of working with plain-text configuration files (Windows 3 started with .INI files) and you'll probably end up with something resembling the Registry. Try to fix the pains of the Registry, and you revert to text configuration files. 🤪

Linux configuration can be a mess, one thing I would add tho to the Windows registry entries is a comment field attached to every value that can be left null or hold some meaningful content so people would actually be able to navigate Regedit with some context available.

Linux has dconf/gconf, which does the same thing as the registry though! The reason the Registry is good, is that it lets you put watches down on specific keys. fsnotifies on config files means every change => dozens of apps reparse and re-read every setting in a giant file

If Registry was file based it would DRASTICALLY slow down windows. There MILLIONS of registry calls per minute. The registry is a genious solution. Most people don't know: access right per key. Auditing. Remote access. Never ever possilble with a stupid text file.

Next time I would love to hear the rationale behind use of \ instead of / for path? Also what did you add white space in program files but not in programdata

Thank you. That said, this could have been standardized.

Don't you remember win 3 .ini files? System.ini, win.ini? The registry was specifically designed to address the limitations of .ini files. Maybe interview someone who understands why the registry is designed the way it is.

The windows registry needs to die. It adds needless complexity.

@acjuelich I remember the rumor for, I think it was XP or 2000, was that the registry was going away.

registry is not a bad idea so it should not go away but improve it, less cryptic and more transparent on the use of each branch

just use SQLite

/etc

Couldn't you just use the reg format and structure it the same way if you didn't want a db? That is what WINE does

Apple already does this with plist files - definitely much better approach. The registry has always been one of the worst and most vulnerable things in windows

windows literally started out with .ini files per application.

Absolutely not. Registry is superior in all regards. The only thing missing is simple binary import/export of subkeys with proper support for ACL inheritance.

Like linux?

So make SysInternOS

Like Linux?