Book excerpt: Expert Advice for Windows XP Power Users Created for Windows power users and anyone who aspires to be one, Mastering Windows XP Registry provides focused, practical coverage of Windows' most important--and most challenging--element: the registry. Inside, you'll learn to customize Windows XP, optimize the network, and avoid scores of potential disasters, all by working with registry settings. If you're a power user, a system administrator, programmer, or consultant, this guide is absolutely essential. Coverage includes: * Understanding registry keys and data types * Applying the secrets of the most important registry keys * Adjusting the Windows GUI through registry settings * Using the registry in networking * Optimizing performance by editing registry settings * Working with registry tools * Recovering from disasters * Eliminating unwanted keys, entries, applications, and files * Taking advantage of the registry in your own programs * Tracking registry changes made by applications * Navigating registry entries