Where does it go???

Hello, last night I carried out System Restore. All went well. I installed
new version of Software. I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted it.
So done System Restore.
My query is, what happens to all the registry settings of which there were many more than older version. Where do they go??
Not a big problem, one of those things I would like an answer to.

 

It seems a lot like myself, nobody knows the answer.

 

LowWaterMark thanks a million, the perfect answer.
I imagined all these new files lying discarded in the registry.
Well almost, I know it's a funny old place.

 

That thought was not so strange as you might think. In fact that's exactly what happens when you uninstall programs or delete files.
They are still present, but Windows can't find them anymore, because the "links" to it have been broken. These links are a big part of what the regsitry is all about. The files will get overwritten in time, because Windows will start re-using the space on your HD they take up.



Edited typos
Edited lots of typos

 

The registry doesn't contain "files" it is a file...a rather large database of locations, settings and information required to allow Windows to interact with other software. the files are stored on your hard drive, most often in the directory named Program Files.

If you used the restore feature to rollback an install, then you may want to check for orphanned entries under the Prgram Files directory, because this iw where you would find any files.

 

Thanks StAnger and mjc for further replies to this question which I have often pondered over. I appreciate your interest.

 

Hello,

In Windows 95/ 98/ Me, the Registry is contained in two hidden files in your Windows directory, called USER.DAT and SYSTEM.DAT.
In Windows 2000 /Windows XP/2k3s, the Registry is stored in several Hives, located in the \windows\system32\config and \Documents and Settings\{username} folders which of course contain files

Rgds,

 

Thanks people for all the replies. The thread is interesting.
I had the old version of software on earlier restore points. When the
new version wasn't installing properly I rolled back to old version. It starts to get complicated to put on paper, but I now have the new version satisfactorily installed.
What brought me back here to-night was to say I run RegCleaner to
do a clean-up of the registry. I then remembered about the orphened
files, run it again and not a single thing came up.
When "I" do a search in the registry I miss nothing, always do a second run to make sure all is gone.
PS. The reason I rolled back to old version was because I had to uninstall it before installing new. Phew!

PPS. At one stage I had both versions uninstalled before eventually d/loading again and successfully installing.

 

LWM I was having another read over your last post about making the restore point and that. Seems like good advice.