An idea on the registry

I rather like Windows, but it is living in the past! The registry, invented for Windows 95, was great back then, and helped make Windows what it is today. But, with how complex Windows and operating systems in general have gotten, I think it may be time to adjust how windows goes.

 

1) Another registry: Have a registry that applications install to. One separate from the one that Windows uses to boot up and store its settings in. This way, if one is infected with a virus, one only has to delete the second registry, and re-install their applications. Now, one might say that this is not a better idea than just reformatting. But with reformatting, you data is also deleted. With deleting this registry, you only have to find the folder you installed the programs in, delete the install, and then reinstall (and at some point re-initialize the registry chunk)

2) Portable Applications: There is already a system set up on the internet for portable applications on Windows. I think a more unified and supported system that does not use the registry at all would be great and allow one to actually move their data over from one computer to another. Now this has a security problem, so I think it would be nice if one could encrypt their applications with a password so that if it moves, or even at all that all of ones applications would be encrypted. It doesn’t have to be that strong, but just enough to stop the casual hacker. Maybe more power for the security aware. Also, these applications need to be integrated wit Windows. I want them to appear on the start menu. This would require some kind of scanning for shortcuts, but I would be willing to deal with some scanning some times for new applications. Or, better yet, have windows detect it automatically.

 

So, that’s my ideas. I know nobody is going to do this, but I thought it would be nice. I know there are portable applciaitons out there already and I could use those, but they are not offically supported by windows, and are not intergrated with Windows settings and shortcuts.