For the most part, Windows can totally be configured through the interface screens built into the system. For tweakers or for those hard to find settings, you might want to take a look at this reference for common registry entry location and tips.

I found this to be very helpful when I accidentally set my “Documents” folder to an invalid location and Windows would not allow me to change it. I went to the appropriate registry entry, changed the path and then rebooted to fix the problem.

Note: If you are not comfortable changing settings in the registry, don’t. Going through the Windows interface is always the safest, so make sure you take the appropriate precautions before changing anything.