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Windows 2000 Registry Books Reviews |
| A
good registry reference can be worth its weight
in gold when you're trying to tweak the Windows
2000 Operating System from inside out. Although
the registry can be a valuable mine for some
administrators, it can also spell disaster
for others. We don't believe that a single
definitive reference exits for the Windows
2000, so you'll probably end up getting more
than one book to meet your needs. All of these
books are excellent, they just have different
strengths and focus. We hope you'll find our
review to be helpful. |
Newest
Reviews
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Microsoft Windows 2000 Registry Handbook
Jerry
Honeycutt. Published by Que, June
2000. Paperback 366 pages, ISBN 0789716747
If you're looking for a book that
will actually teach you the art of
managing the registry instead of just
providing page after page of hacks,
this is what you should be reading.
The book is divided into 5 parts and
15 chapters, plus an index. The first
2 parts cover the basics of understanding,
managing and editing the registry
using Regedit and Regedt32. The next
section explains how to customize
Windows 2000 using the registry, and
includes an excellent chapter on tracking
down registry settings using a variety
of tools. Part 4 includes two well
written chapters on Troubleshooting,
diagnosing and repairing the Registry.
The last section is a Reference of
file associations, as well as per-user
and per-computer settings. Each chapter
includes plenty of examples, useful
tips, author's notes, and the occasional
screenshot as needed. The author does
a great job of presenting the information
you'll really need. It's an easy to
read, well-organized reference that
is balanced and actually useful. Highly
recommended. |
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Admin 911: Windows 2000 Registry
By Kathy Ivens. Published by McGraw
Hill, October 2000. Paperback 354
pages, ISBN 0072129468 A very
hands on and useful reference for
Administrators looking to get a grip
on a variety of registry tweaks. After
the obligatory chapters which provide
an overview of the registry, maintenance
and editing tools, the book dives
right into entire chapters which outline
various settings for the control panel,
networking, computer startup and policies,
and configuring user environments.
The most valuable sections (in our
humble opinion) were the last 2 chapters
which covered "Tweaking and Troubleshooting
Application Settings" (which focuses
on MS Office and IE), and an excellent
chapter on analyzing the subtrees
within the registry. One of the strengths
of this book is the format of the
"Admin911" series which includes plenty
of tips, author notes, and special
"Code Blue" callouts to help you avoid
critical pitfalls. |
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| Our Recommendations... |
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Mastering Windows 2000 Registry
By Peter Hipson, Published by Sybex February
2000. 725 pages. ISBN 0782126154. Designed
for experienced administrators, this should be
the only Win2000 Registry reference you'll need.
The book is well organized, and illustrated. It
also includes lots of side notes and tips by the
author that we found insightful and very useful.
The early chapters of the book are sorted by function
(basics, backing up and restoring the registry,
advanced functions, and MS Office Registry.) The
last half digs straight into each of the registry
hives one by one, making it easy to find what
you need. Strongly recommended.. |
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Windows 2000 Registry (Little Black Book Series)
By Nathan Wallace, Published by Coriolis Group,
February 2000, Paperback 454 pages, ISBN 157610348X
One of the things you'll notice right away
when you pick up this book is that the chapters
are organized by task rather being alphabetized,
or separated by subkey. We had mixed feelings
about this finding it useful in some cases, and
annoying in others. We also disliked the repetitive
instructions on how to open Regedt32.exe (shouldn't
once be enough?). What we did like was its compact
size and the sheer number of tips and registry
tweaks. We also liked the quick reference pull
out cards on the inside cover. Now if it only
came with a searchable CD-ROM.... |
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Managing the Windows NT Registry
By Paul Robinchaux. Published by O'Reilly and
Associates. April 1998 Paperback 416 pages. ISBN
1565923782. A "must have" as far as we're
concerned. Paul is a well respected author,
and his experience with NT shows well in this
book. After a well written introduction, Paul
dives right into backing up the registry, the
differences between RegEdit and RegEdit32, Policy
Editor, Programming, and administrating the Registry.
The last 2 chapters covers the Registry layout
and core NT Keys, and Registry Tweaks that any
admin will find useful. |
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Windows NT 4.0 Registry: A Professional Reference (w/ CD)
By Steven Thomas. Published by McGraw Hill,
Jan 1998. 760 Pages. ISBN 0079136559 A fairly
large "tome" that's tough to read cover to cover,
but an excellent and complete reference to the
NT 4.0 Registry that belongs on your desk. This
is the most comprehensive resource yet and the
CD includes full database from the book
in a searchable format. The only downside is its
$59.99 retail price, but you can get it for $35.50
at Bookpool.com |
| Where to find great books
at great prices.... |
| Bookpool.com
Everybody knows about Amazon.com, but Bookpool
is frequently less expensive, and they specialize
in Technical Books. They carry MS Press, O'Reilly,
Que, Osborne, SAMS, and others.
FatBrain.com
Another online professional bookstore. Although
we prefer Bookpool's prices, FatBrain has
a better selection in a few categories. Essentially
our second stop on the web when looking for
a title.
Half Price Computer Books
Another source for great deals on
computer books. Much cheaper than Amazon and
B&N
O'Reilly and Associates
Publishers of some of the best books in the
industry. Well written, concise, accurate,
and great cover art!. If I'm looking for a
reference book, I always check O'Reilly first.
I've never been disappointed. (This is
not a paid endorsement!) |
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