Name syntax for Windows Registry

The Windows Registry comprises a hierarchical structure in which nodes are called “keys.” The common name of descendant nodes are listed in order (from left to right) and each common name is separated from its parent by a backslash (“\”). Registry storage is local to each machine, but entries may be read from another machine’s Registry by including the machine name in the fully qualified name.

The following example shows a fully qualified name for an entry in the local Registry:

SOFTWARE\SYBASE\SERVER\the_server

The example below names an entry in the machine queenbee’s Registry:

queenbee:SOFTWARE\SYBASE\SERVER\the_server

All entry names for Sybase directory entries are located relative to the key “\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\”.

Registry entries are not case sensitive.