Windows Registry

Any changes made to your server are stored in the registry. That said, the Windows Registry is a hierarchical database that stores the hardware/software configuration and system security information. After you access the registry, you will notice that its console tree (left-hand side) consists of five registry keys known as hives (that is HKEYs). Note that the syntax of the registry keys and sub-keys follows the standard of the Windows file path separated by a backslash. In Windows Server 2016 there are five HKEYs:

1. HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT: It stores information on installed applications and their extensions.
2. HKEY_CURRENT_USER: It stores information on the user that is currently logged-in.
3. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE: It stores information specific to the local computer.
4. HKEY_USERS: This contains information on logged user profiles.
5. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG: This contains information gathered during the boot process.