Understand Registry Hives to Stop Error Messages and Slowdowns

When discussing the Windows Registry, the term "hives" comes up quite often. The honey in these hives contains information that is crucial to the operation and performance of your PC.
May 2009
by Robin Wark

The Windows Registry is split into main branches, called hives. They store information such as your preferences, operating system settings and data on your hardware and software. Inside each hive are keys, which are similar to folders. Keys contain what are known as Values, as well sometimes sub-keys. The Values contain the actual information your PC needs to run well.

Your Windows Registry, depending on which version of the Microsoft operating system you are using, contains several hives. However, there are five main ones:

  1. HKEY_CLASS_ ROOT: This hive features the core aspects of the Windows user interface. For example, it contains key information about file types, filename extensions (such as .doc or .pdf), and lets your Windows operating system know how to handle various types of files and controls such features as double-clicking and drag and drop.
  2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER: As its name suggested, this hive contains the preferences for the person logged into the computer. It controls such features as the screen colours and desktop arrangement as well as managing the connections to the network and devices such as digital cameras or printers.
  3. HKEY_USERS: This branch has all of the preferences for each PC user. The specific settings are stored for each user in sub-keys.
  4. HKEY_LOCAL MACHINE: This hive stores information specific to the computer that applies to all of its users. For example, it has details about the hardware (keyboard, printer ports, etc.), security settings, installed software and drivers.
  5. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: It stores information about the current hardware setup and links to sections of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.

The hives are critical in keeping the Windows Registry orderly. However, in spite of their presence, over time the Registry can still become corrupt. Registry keys are left behind when software is installed and uninstalled. The Windows Registry continuously grows and can become unstable, which can cause slowdowns and erratic performance. It is important to clean the registry regularly to keep your PC performing at its best.