PC Operating Systems

DOS (Disk Operating System)

config.sys

autoexec.bat

Windows 3.1

win.ini

Windows 95/98 and NT

registry: The registry is where the prefs for the os and all apps are saved. It's one single file. You can edit it with either regedit or regedit32. It's a very very ugly thing. Never edit the registry unless you know what you are doing. There are certain files that comprise the registry which should always be backed up. I forget their names though, you'll need to look it up. The registry allows ultimate customization of everything to the nth degree and there are probably over a million keys in it. When you use the Windows control panels, all they are really doing is changing a few reg keys, they give you an interface to a very small set of what is really possible.