Which registry hive contains hardware and software configuration information?

Which registry hive contains hardware and software configuration information?

• A. HKEY_USERS
• B. HKEY_CURRENT_USER
• C. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
• D. HKEY-CURRENT_CONFIG

Answer: (C)

Machine-wide configuration is stored in the registry hive that holds hardware and software information for the entire computer. This hive contains keys like SOFTWARE for installed programs and SYSTEM for drivers, services, and boot-time settings, providing a complete view of what’s installed and how the machine is configured. Because these settings apply system-wide rather than to a single user, this hive is the primary source for hardware and software configuration in forensic investigations. The other hives focus on user-specific data or transient hardware profile information, not the comprehensive machine-wide configuration.

Machine-wide configuration is stored in the registry hive that holds hardware and software information for the entire computer. This hive contains keys like SOFTWARE for installed programs and SYSTEM for drivers, services, and boot-time settings, providing a complete view of what’s installed and how the machine is configured. Because these settings apply system-wide rather than to a single user, this hive is the primary source for hardware and software configuration in forensic investigations. The other hives focus on user-specific data or transient hardware profile information, not the comprehensive machine-wide configuration.