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200-201 Practice Question: Which Windows registry hive contains…

Which Windows registry hive contains user-specific configuration settings that can be modified by applications?

⚠ Common exam trap

Many exam-takers confuse HKEY_CURRENT_USER with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, assuming all configuration settings are system-wide, but Cisco tests the distinction that per-user application settings are stored in HKCU, not HKLM.

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) is the correct answer because it stores user-specific configuration settings, such as desktop preferences, environment variables, and application settings, that are loaded from the NTUSER.DAT file when a user logs in. Applications modify this hive to persist per-user customizations, making it the primary location for user-level registry changes.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

    Why it's wrong here

    HKCR contains file association and COM class information.

  • ✗

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

    Why it's wrong here

    HKLM contains system-wide settings, not user-specific.

  • ✓

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER

    Why this is correct

    HKCU stores per-user configuration.

  • ✗

    HKEY_USERS

    Why it's wrong here

    HKU contains hives for all users, but HKCU is the active user's hive.

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JA

Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security

Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva

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