REG: User Preferences Entries, PART 1

Last reviewed: May 8, 1997
Article ID: Q102976
The information in this article applies to:
  • Windows NT operating system version 3.1
  • Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1

The article contains REGISTRY entries for User Preferences, Part 1. These subgroups are included:
  • Hive information user profiles
  • Console entries for users
  • Color, pattern and screen saver entries for users

This is the first of five articles on the User Preferences entries; for the other entries, see "User Preferences Entries, Part 2," "User Preferences Entries, Part 3," "User Preferences Entries, Part 4,"and "User Preferences Entries, Part 5".

REGISTRY ENTRIES FOR USER PREFERENCES

Information about Registry entries for user preferences about the following topics can be found in the following sections.

The information presented here is primarily for troubleshooting, showing the default entry values and explaining the meaning of important entries. There are no hidden values that you can set for user preferences. All of these values can be set using the icons in Control Panel or the tools in the Administrative Tools group, or other programs provided with Windows NT.

All Registry paths shown here are for HKEY_CURRENT_USER, to show how you can view entries for the currently logged on user. However, most of these entries also appear in HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT, where changing entries will change values for the default user profile.

HIVE INFORMATION FOR USER PROFILES

Information about user profile files appears in the following keys:

  • The HiveList subkey lists all hives that are active but not profiles that are not active. (See its entry in "CurrentControlSet\Control Subkeys," earlier in this chapter.)
  • The ProfileList subkey lists all the profiles known on the computer, whether or not the profiles are active, under the following Registry path:

          HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
          \Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\SID_#
    

Each installed user profile has its own subkey under the ProfileList subkey, and that subkey contains the following entry:

ProfileImagePath   REG_EXPAND_SZ   Profile hive filename
Default: %SystemRoot%\system32\config\hiveFilename
Sid    REG_BINARY   Number assigned by system

Specifies the path and filename for the hive for this user. The hive file name that is the value for ProfileImagePath includes a portion of the username associated with that SID_#, so that you can identify the user to which it belongs.

CONSOLE ENTRIES FOR USERS

The Console key contains several subkeys that define screen size and buffer size for character-based screens in Windows NT. These subkeys appear under the following Registry path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Console\subkeyNames

The Command Prompt subkey does not appear unless the current user has changed the screen colors or font for the command prompt and also checked the Save Configuration options. Use the commands on the Control menu in the command prompt to change these values.

Console subkey       Default value entries

Command Prompt       FontFamily=0x30
(All data types      FontSize=0xc0008
are REG_DWORD)       FullScreen=0x1
                     PopupColors=0xf5
                     QuickEdit=0
                     ScreenBufferSize=0x190050
                     ScreenColors=0x9f
                     WindowsPosition=0x150004
                     WindowSize=0x190050
Configuration        CommandRecallBufferSize=50
(All data types      FillAttr=0x07
are REG_SZ)          ScreenBufferColumns=80
                     ScreenBufferRows=25
                     WindowColumns=80
                     WindowRows=25
Introducing          FullScreen=0x1
Windows NT
Microsoft QBASIC     FullScreen0x1

COLOR, PATTERN, AND SCREEN SAVER ENTRIES FOR USERS

This section describes the subkeys that contain settings for user preferences related to the desktop.

Colors Entry Values

The Colors subkey specifies the color as a series of three numbers for each area of the Windows screen, in the following Registry path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors

Each entry has a REG_SZ data type. The following lists the defaults for each entry under the Colors subkey:

   ActiveBorder=192 192 192
   ActiveTitle=0 0 128
   AppWorkSpace=255 255 255
   Background=255 255 255
   ButtonFace=192 192 192
   ButtonHilight=255 255 255
   ButtonShadow=128 128 128
   ButtonText=0 0 0
   GrayText=128 128 128
   Hilight=0 0 128
   HilightText=255 255 255
   InactiveBorder=192 192 192
   InactiveTitle=192 192 192
   InactiveTitleText=0 0 0
   Menu=255 255 255
   MenuText=0 0 0
   Scrollbar=192 192 192
   TitleText=255 255 255
   Window=255 255 255
   WindowFrame=0 0 0
   WindowText=0 0 0

Color Schemes Entry Values

The entries in the Color Schemes subkey define the colors for each element of specific color schemes, as set by choosing the Color icon in Control Panel. These entries appear under the following Registry path:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Color Schemes

The Current subkey specifies the current color scheme, based on those listed in the Color Schemes subkey.

The Custom Colors subkey defines the custom colors in the color palette, as set by choosing the Color icon in Control Panel. The entries are designated ColorA through ColorP, and all have the value FFFFFF by default.

Each entry in these subkeys has a REG_SZ data type. The following list shows the defaults for each color scheme.

Arizona=804000,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,808040,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,4080FF,C0C0C0,

   0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,808000,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Black Leather Jacket=0,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,C0C0C0,0,800040,808080,FFFFFF,
   808080,808080,0,10E0E0E0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Bordeaux=400080,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,800080,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,FF0080,
   C0C0C0,0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,800080,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Cinnamon=404080,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,80,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,80,C0C0C0,0,
   C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,80,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Designer=7C7C3F,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,808000,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,C0C0C0,
   C0C0C0,0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,808000,0,0,FFFFFF
Emerald City=404000,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,C0C0C0,0,408000,808040,FFFFFF,408000,
   808040,0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,8000,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Fluorescent=0,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,0,FF00,0,FF00FF,C0C0C0,0,FF80,C0C0C0,0,C0C0C0,
   C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Hotdog Stand=FFFF,FFFF,FF,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,0,0,FF,FFFFFF,FF,FF,0,C0C0C0,
   C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,0,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,FFFFFF
LCD Default Screen Settings=808080,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,0,C0C0C0,0,800000,
   C0C0C0,FFFFFF,800000,C0C0C0,
0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,7F8080,0,808080,800000,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF LCD Reversed - Dark=0,80,80,FFFFFF,8080,0,8080,800000,0,8080,800000, 0,8080,C0C0C0,7F8080,0,C0C0C0,800000,FFFFFF,828282,FFFFFF LCD Reversed - Light=800000,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,808040,FFFFFF,0,
   C0C0C0,C0C0C0,800000,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,7F8080,0,808040,800000,FFFFFF,0,
   FFFFFF
Mahogany=404040,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,40,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,C0C0C0,C0C0C0, 0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,80,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF Monochrome=C0C0C0,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,0,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,C0C0C0,C0C0C0, 0,808080,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF Ocean=808000,408000,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,804000,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,
   0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,0,808000,0,0,FFFFFF
Pastel=C0FF82,80FFFF,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,FFFF80,FFFFFF,0,C080FF,FFFFFF,
   808080,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,FFFF00,0,0,FFFFFF
Patchwork=9544BB,C1FBFA,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,FFFF80,FFFFFF,0,64B14E,FFFFFF,0,
   C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,FFFF00,0,0,FFFFFF
Plasma Power Saver=0,FF0000,0,FFFFFF,FF00FF,0,800000,C0C0C0,0,80,FFFFFF,
   C0C0C0,FF0000,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,0,FFFFFF
Rugby=C0C0C0,80FFFF,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,800000,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,80,FFFFFF,0,
   C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,800000,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
The Blues=804000,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,800000,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,C0C0C0,
   C0C0C0,0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,800000,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF
Tweed=6A619E,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,408080,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,404080,C0C0C0,
   0,10E0E0E0,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,8080,0,0,FFFFFF
Valentine=C080FF,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,8000FF,400080,FFFFFF,C080FF,
   C080FF,0,C0C0C0,C0C0C0,808080,0,808080,FF00FF,0,FFFFFF,FFFFFF
Wingtips=408080,C0C0C0,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF,0,808080,FFFFFF,FFFFFF,4080,FFFFFF,
   0,808080,C0C0C0,808080,0,C0C0C0,808080,FFFFFF,0,FFFFFF

Patterns Entry Values

The Patterns subkey contains entries that define the color values for the bitmap patterns, as set by choosing the Desktop icon. Each value is a set of eight numbers, corresponding to the colors in the eight basic elements of the pattern.

Each entry has a REG_SZ data type. The following list shows the default colors for the default patterns:

   (None)=(None)
   50% Gray=170 85 170 85 170 85 170 85
   Boxes=127 65 65 65 65 65 127 0
   Critters=0 80 114 32 0 5 39 2
   Diamonds=32 80 136 80 32 0 0 0
   Paisley=2 7 7 2 32 80 80 32
   Pattern=224 128 142 136 234 10 14 0
   Quilt=130 68 40 17 40 68 130 1
   Scottie=64 192 200 120 120 72 0 0
   Spinner=20 12 200 121 158 19 48 40
   Thatches=248 116 34 71 143 23 34 113
   Tulip=0 0 84 124 124 56 146 124
   Waffle=0 0 0 0 128 128 128 240
   Weave=136 84 34 69 136 21 34 81

Screen Saver Subkey Entry Values

The various Screen Saver subkeys define user preferences for specific screen savers. All entries have a REG_SZ data type. The following table summarizes the default entries under the Screen Saver subkeys.

Screen Save subkey     Default value entries

Screen Saver.Bezier    -----
Screen Saver.Marquee   BackgroundColor=0 0 128
                       CharSet=0
                       Font=Times New Roman
                       Mode=1
                       Size=24
                       Speed=14
                       Text=Your text goes here.
                       TextColor=255 0 255
Screen Saver.Mystify   Active1=1
                       Active2=2
                       Clear Screen=1
                       EndColor1=255 255 255
                       EndColor2=255 255 255
                       Lines1=7
                       Lines2=12
                       StartColor1=0 0 0
                       StartColor2=0 0 0
                       WalkRandom1=1
                       WalkRandom2=2
Screen Saver.Stars     Density=50
                       WarpSpeed=10

Additional screen saver settings are defined in the Desktop subkey, described later in this section.

Reference: "The Windows NT Resource Kit for Operating System Version 3.1".


Additional query words: prodnt
Keywords : kbother ntregistry
Version : 3.1
Platform : WINDOWS


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Last reviewed: May 8, 1997
© 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.