Registry protection ?

[morkinva]

Is it possible or even practical to keep the registry from being written to? Win98se

 

[eklass]

you wouldn't want to do that... programs (not to mention windows!) use the registry as a database and constantly store information in there

 

[Smilin]

In Windows NT/2000/XP the registry has permissions just like an NTFS file system.

Not in 98SE, sorry.

 

[Rav3n]

To expand on what eklass said, take for example the settings you have set for your printer drivers. Those settings are stored in the registry (when you choose to default to draft quality instead of best for instance). When you have completely changed the color scheme of windows, those new preferences are stored in the registry. Every time you change any preference at all, the registry value is edited. If you were to lock the registry, you would have to be asked every time a program made a change in the registry to change stuff... now, it MIGHT be practical to have certain sections of the registry lockable - but even then that would be I guess for users who are anal retentive about controlling their computer, and no one else.

 

[Zepper]

The other's answered your main question, but I'll repeat. No you can't write protect the registry (actually two files: system.dat and user.dat) as just about every time you open and close a lot of programs, something is written to the registry
The registry is just another of Win's achilles' heels. IMO, each program should maintain their own preferences and DLLs separately and Win should only link to the programs. For now, the best you can do is back it up regularly when it is known to be in good shape. MS has a little utility called ERU (emergency recovery utility) that I'm not sure is even on the W98 CDs, I think I pulled mine from W95. If you can't find a copy, I could attach it to an email for you.
. When you run it, it backs up the registry files, config.sys, autoexec.bat and the important Windows .INI files and you can add to its list whatever you want. It was designed to save to floppy, but the files have gotten way too big for that. So you need to point it to some folder on your hard disk(s). Win98 also can do automatic backups of the registry but I'm not sure how often. You can run SCANREG from the Start -> Run entry box (or raw DOS). It can test, back up and restore the registry only. SCANREG is the tool Win uses to check the registry when it 'thinks' something has gone awry.
. Any of the good utility packages like Vcom's (www.v-com.com) "SystemSuite" (my favorite) or Norton's "SystemWorks" has a tool to do something similar to ERU. The Roxio product, GoBack, (a "light" version is in Me and XP) and PowerQuest's "Second Chance" (and maybe others) do automated registry and 'other critical files' back ups and restores by whatever terms you set.
. But you may want to avoid investing a lot into a Win98 setup as apparently Billy G. intends to hang it out to dry in June...
.bh.