What is the Windows Registry and should you change it?

The Registry is Windows' main instruction book. It contains thousands of hidden settings that control how Windows and your programs work. You almost never need to touch it. If you're reading instructions that tell you to edit the Registry, we recommend getting in touch first so we can help you do it safely.

Windows stores most of its important settings in a big database called the Registry instead of storing them as regular files. The Registry sits hidden in the background and you almost never see it. Most of the time you change settings through the normal Windows Settings app, and Windows automatically updates the Registry for you in the background. Editing the Registry by hand is only needed in rare situations, and a small mistake there can cause big problems.