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The Registry in Windows 9x operating systems is managed by two files, namely:
- SYSTEM.DAT
- USER.DAT
SYSTEM.DAT is a file that contains all hardware configurations, plug and play settings, and also the application settings. It is a hidden file that is located in the root or c:\windows.
All of the information that is displayed in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE within the Registry is actually stored in SYSTEM.DAT. The system takes a back up of this file whenever the system boots up. 
