quote:

---

Snipet from:
Administering the Windows NT Registry
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/TechNet/prodtechnol/winntas/maintain/mngntreg/admreg.asp

NT implements mapping by trapping the private profile API routines.
Windows applications and components ordinarily use these calls to get
and set data stored in INI files, but when there's a mapping entry, the
NT kernel first checks for the presence of a mapping key. If one exists,
and if it points to a key that contains data, that data is returned to
the caller. If there's no mapping key, or if it points to an empty or
non-existent Registry key, NT will go ahead and try to read the data
from the INI file. The caller need never be aware that the data didn't
come from the requested file.

Mapping only occurs when there's a mapping key in place. These keys are
stored beneath the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping subkey.
If you look there, you'll notice a number of subkeys with names like Clock.INI, Win.INI,
and SYSTEM.INI. These keys tie sections of the old Win 3.1-style INI files to keys in
the Registry so that old Windows 3.1 components like the Clock and the original media
controller interface (MCI) will continue to find their settings.

---