Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services

14. Registry

Posted by Benny Tritsch on August 24, 2008

[Registry] [Introduction] [TS Keys and Values] [App Settings]

 

This chapter focuses on the registry as the central point for system configuration and per-user settings. The registry does not only store static data on the hard disk, it also contains various rather dynamic in-memory structures maintained by Windows system components. This means that the registry is an essential configuration repository for Windows Server 2008. We will, of course, examine in detail those registry topics that are relevant to Terminal Services.

Under Microsoft Windows 2000, the system did not allow the registry to grow larger than 376 megabytes. This was, of course, a major issue for large terminal servers with many user sessions and an equal number of user profiles. In Windows Server 2003 and Server 2008, the registry is managed as a file within the main memory (memory-mapped file), rendering the former size limitation invalid.

IMPORTANT: Changing the values in the registry directly as described in this chapter always harbors a certain amount of risk. You need to take the utmost care in performing this task or use a corresponding user interface to control registry modifications. You should always carry out testing registry settings on a test system before you implement the results on a production system (using scripts or Group Policies). Before you perform risky changes to the registry, always save the current system status using an adequate backup program. This will allow you to restore the prior working environment in case of problems.

 

 

Read in this chapter...
14	Registry
14.1	Introduction to the Registry
14.2	Terminal Services-specific Keys and Values
14.3	Application specific Settings and Compatibility Flags