Manage the Windows Vista Registry Via Windows Explorer

That's right, in Windows Vista, with the help of an extension, users will be able to manage the registry through Windows Explorer. Through the Windows Registry Shell Namespace Extension, Vista users will be enabled to view, search and interact with the Windows Registry data through their average Explorer window, just as if they were browsing through folders.

According to the authors, the project, implemented using C++ and AT, demonstrates the extensibility of the existing Windows Vista Shell, but also new concepts introduced with the operating system. Property system, property schema extensibility, and content indexing via Protocol Handlers are enumerated among the Vista innovative concepts.

“Windows developers, and especially those with an interest in developing Shell namespace extensions are probably familiar with the original Shell namespace extension sample RegView. This project is an attempt to bring that sample into the Vista era of programming and demonstrates some of the key advances available in the Vista platform,” reads a fragment of the project's description.

The Windows Registry Shell Namespace Extension is intimately connected with the latest release of Windows SDK for Windows Vista. You will be able to read additional details about the Windows Software Development Kit Update for Windows Vista and download the SDK via this link.

“Also, you will need to integrate the Vista SDK environment into Visual Studio. This can be accomplished by running the Integrate Windows SDK with Visual Studio 2005 command that is installed by the SDK. Don't forget to elevate to run the command,” is one of the instructions delivered by the authors.