For Windows servers and workstations, the registry is the brains of the system. Myriad pieces of information are stored there, from such details as the location of the Windows installation files to the name of the most recent logged-on user to specific settings for each program. Indeed, if the registry becomes corrupt, the system may be unable to boot, users may be unable to log on, or programs may run improperlyâ€"if they are able to run at all.
Because of its importance to the proper operation of the system, managing changes to this critical resource is vital, especially for servers. I'm going to introduce you to a shareware program that can actively monitor the Windows registry for changes and that allows registry key undo/redo and backup/restore. This product, called Resplendent Registrar, is available for download for a trial period of 21 days. After that, you can purchase it for US$44.95.
What it has to offer
Resplendent Registrar provides administrators with a full-featured tool for managing the registry on all Windows systems, including Windows 9x. From interface features such as colour-coding certain registry entries to the ability to back up and restore the registry, this product is more than capable of handling almost any registry task.
One of the most useful features is the program's ability to monitor the registry for changes made by external programs. Although this feature works only on Windows NT, 2000, and XP, it can potentially save administrators hours of troubleshooting time if a server fails because of a registry problem.
Installation
Installing Resplendent Registrar is just a matter of downloading it and running the single executable. This installs the trial version of the program, which works for three weeks before it needs to be registered. For this article, I used version 3.21.
Running Resplendent Registrar
To run the program, use the desktop icon or the Start menu entry. Either way, the first time the program runs, it will make adjustments for any previous versions it finds and then display the main screen, shown in Figure A.
Anything that you can do with RegEdit can be done in Resplendent Registrar, including assigning permissions to keys or hives and assigning ownership. To check on permissions or ownership of any key or folder, right-click it and choose Properties. Then select the appropriate buttonâ€"either Permissions or Take Ownership. See Figure B for an example of the Properties page for the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE key.
In addition, Resplendent Registrar provides additional details about the key or folder you select, such as the number of subkeys, the number of values in the current key/folder, the last time an entry was added or modified, and the name of the user who owns the key.
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