registry

Noun Full Form A database repository for information about a computer's configuration. The registry contains information that Windows continually references during operation, such as: profiles for each user; the programs installed on the computer and the types of documents that each can create; property settings for folders and program icons; what hardware exists on the system; which ports are being used. The registry is organized hierarchically as a tree, and it is made up of keys and their subkeys, hives, and entries.