If you've never heard of the Registry (much less had to edit it), consider
yourself lucky. Windows 2000 Help defines it thus:
Windows 2000 stores its configuration information in a database called the
registry. The registry contains profiles for each user of the computer and
information about system hardware, installed programs, and property
settings. Windows 2000 continually references this information during its
operation.
Registry editors are available that enable you to inspect and modify the
registry. However, you should not need to do so. Instead, allow Windows 2000
programs to modify the system registry as needed. It is strongly recommended
that you do not edit registry settings yourself.
Warning
* Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. At
the very least, you should back up any valued data on the computer before
making changes to the registry.
If you do damage your system, you may be able to repair the registry or
restore it to the same version you were using when you last successfully
started your computer. Otherwise, you must reinstall Windows 2000. When you
reinstall your system, you may lose any changes that have been made, such as
Service Pack upgrades, which you must reinstall separately.
