A+: The Registry and its files

Multiple files under the default Windows folder in a subdirectory named SYSTEM32\CONFIG  (so that's normally C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG) make up the Windows Registry. The files closely, but not exactly, match up with sections of the Registry.

— default.LOG has the .DEFAULT data from HKEY_USERS

— SAM.LOG keeps some of the Security Account Manager information from      HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM  (Beware: there are no user-editable keys, and don’t erase the matching Registry files!)

— SECURITY.LOG is the file with the remainder of the Security Account Manager database from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SECURITY   (Beware: there are no user-editable keys, and don’t erase the matching Registry files!)

— SOFTWARE.LOG has the settings from the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE

— system.LOG has HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM

Each user which has booted on that machine also has:

— NTUSER.DAT.LOG for most preference settings in the \Documents and Settings\username folder for that user

— UsrClass.dat.LOGkeeps the remaining user-preference settings for file associations and applications in the \Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows folder for each user

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