A Closer Look at HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG for Windows 95

Windows 95 normally uses only one hardware profile. If there is more than one profile, an additional set of keys is added to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config.

At startup, you can choose which profile you would like to use, if there is more than one setup. Every time the system is restarted, you must choose. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG is the handle key representing the current hardware profile chosen at startup.

After the system is started, any change to either location automatically updates the other. HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG is used to make access to the configuration information easier for programmers.

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG includes all of the details of the profile that are actually current in the system. The choice made during startup affects which of the two (or more) hardware profiles is current. For example, if Profile 0002 had been chosen, all of the Profile 0002 information would have been mapped into these keys.

All of the settings in this appendix appear in the following format.

Key Name

Full path=Handle Key\Keyname

Description, specific information, values

Second-Level Key Name

Full path=Handle Key\Keyname\Keyname

Description, specific information, values

Third-Level Key Name

Full path=Handle Key\Keyname\Keyname\Keyname

Description, specific information, values

Additional Level Key Names

Full path=Handle Key\Keyname\Keyname\Keyname\Keyname(\Keyname)

Description, specific information, values

Display

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Display

The same information is listed here as in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0001\Display, if there is only one profile. It will match the Display key from whichever profile is used.

Enum

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\Enum

The same information is listed here as in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0001\Enum, if there is only one profile. It will match the Enum key from whichever profile is used.

System

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG\System

The same information is listed here as in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Config\0001\Enum, if there is only one profile. It will match the Enum key from whichever profile is used.

Summary

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG allows software and device-driver programmers to easily update the Registry, without concern for multiple profile information. The same data is in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and any Registry change will update both locations simultaneously.