HKEY means “handle to registry key”… Not that that helps anything.
When code opens a file, device, etc, it’s given a “handle” to it, which is an internal reference so that Windows knows which file you’re reading or writing, and it keeps track of where you are in the document. Similarly, HKEY_CURRENT_USER is the handle that gives you the current user part of the registry.
I know that, the HOTKEY_* part of it was a mystery, why is the key hot… I mean, why does HK have to stand in front of it, it could be simple like just LM, CU, U (Users… still does nothing and nothing in it gets transfered as a setting in new user accounts), CR, etc.
Huh… I don’t know where I’ve read this a long time ago, but I could swear it was HOTKEY, not HKEY… your explanation does make sense though, while what I thought never did make sense.
I still have no idea why HK is in front… why is the key hot 🤔… and what key are we talking about…
Oh, yeah, and the different key names… Windows, Windows NT (WITH a white space…), Win…
HKEY means “handle to registry key”… Not that that helps anything.
When code opens a file, device, etc, it’s given a “handle” to it, which is an internal reference so that Windows knows which file you’re reading or writing, and it keeps track of where you are in the document. Similarly, HKEY_CURRENT_USER is the handle that gives you the current user part of the registry.
I know that, the HOTKEY_* part of it was a mystery, why is the key hot… I mean, why does HK have to stand in front of it, it could be simple like just LM, CU, U (Users… still does nothing and nothing in it gets transfered as a setting in new user accounts), CR, etc.
It’s HKEY (handle to key), not HOTKEY. That’s what I was trying to say in my comment. There’s no “HOTKEY”.
Huh… I don’t know where I’ve read this a long time ago, but I could swear it was HOTKEY, not HKEY… your explanation does make sense though, while what I thought never did make sense.