Some aircraft, mostly payware, have registry entries, whereas most freeware downloads do not. Other than the tendency for payware to be more complex, why registry in one case and not another?

It makes them feel important and maybe to have it listed under "add/remove programs".

plus to store configuration settings, maybe license information, etc. etc. etc.The registry is designed for that very purpose so why not use it?A smartass remark "it makes them feel important" is a clear indication you have little or no idea what you're talking about.

One usual entry is the exe path, it's useful when you try to find the application. For example I use the AS2004 registry information to find the exe and retrieve the metars for FSAcars. Besides this information there is the uninstall information if a setup is used.Why some producers prefer to use the registry and not the ini files to store configurations I don't know. The application settings/configurations could be stored with the called privateprofile functions. One good example is FS. The amount of registry use is very small and everything is stored in ini: fs9.cfg, flightplans, saved flights etc. That makes our life easier. It's easier to use notepad to change configurations than regedit. Another good example is FSUIPC that only uses an ini file.Jos

In principle, it should also make it easier to remove the package and all its files.On the other hand, I'm not to happy about installations that change my registry. I have to put up with it but still have doubts about it being changed by a any package - especially those that aren't WinXP compliant

Great responses! Glad I asked.

<<..One good example is FS. The amount of registry use is very small and everything is stored in ini: fs9.cfg, flightplans, saved flights etc. That makes our life easier. It's easier to use notepad to change configurations than regedit. >>Thats a good point, never thought of it that way! :)

>>Why some producers prefer to use the registry and not the ini>files to store configurations I don't know. The application>settings/configurations could be stored with the called>privateprofile functions. >>One good example is FS. The amount of registry use is very>small and everything is stored in ini: fs9.cfg, flightplans,>saved flights etc. That makes our life easier. It's easier to>use notepad to change configurations than regedit. Another>good example is FSUIPC that only uses an ini file.>>Which is indeed very very weird as the MS Logo requirements for Win32 applications say the registry should be used in preference to configuration files.Whether that requirement is a wise one is somewhat debatable but its there yet even Microsoft themselves in at least some applications choose to ignore it :)Flightplans are volatile information, data files, and therefore have no place in the registry.But a lot of the information from the fs9.cfg could well find a place there as it's largely static.