How to Prevent the Registry Editor from Saving the Last Visited Location (266765)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY

When you close Registry Editor (regedit.exe) after editing or browsing the registry, the location is saved. The next time you open Registry Editor, you return to that saved location. If you want Registry Editor to open with all of the major sections closed, simply scroll to the top of the left pane and select "My Computer" before closing the Registry Editor. Alternatively, you can hold down the left arrow button on your keyboard to collapse all of the branches.

MORE INFORMATION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Windows Millennium stores information about the last visited location in the following location:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Regedit

The value "LastKey" is used to determine which hive to open when the registry is opened. When you select "My Computer" before exiting regedit, the value of "LastKey" becomes "My Computer."