Creating a local Registry

I always wondered if it was possible for a user to create a local
registry and use the Windows API's to access it? It appears that XP
(NT) has many Registry related API's;
RegCloseKey RegOpenKey
RegConnectRegistry RegOpenKeyEx
RegCreateKey RegQueryInfoKey
RegCreateKeyEx RegQueryMultipleValues
RegDeleteKey RegQueryValue
RegDeleteValue RegQueryValueEx
RegEnumKey RegReplaceKey
RegEnumKeyEx RegRestoreKey
RegEnumValue RegSaveKey
RegFlushKey RegSetKeySecurity
RegGetKeySecurity RegSetValue
RegLoadKey RegSetValueEx
RegNotifyChangeKeyValue RegUnLoadKey

However, you won't find, RegCreateRegistry. I am certain that there
are also a bunch of .Net calls that also manipulate the registry. And
I would image, .Net being object centric, you would be able to create
a new object of type registry!

Perhaps someone can demystify this for me. As you are always warned
to backup the registry before you 'play' with it, I would think that
it would be safer for an application to have its own Registry.

My registry is a mess. It is huge. I know there are many tools to
fix the registry but each time I try one of them it appears that
something important gets deleted. I have entries that an 'administer'
can not open. I image the REGISTRY is an attractive playground ripe
for hacking.

I an betting that the Registry is a database; I have heard some
speculate that it is an off shoot of MS ACCESS. However, I never came
across an ACCESS mdb that you can map to the REGISTRY. Call me
curious, I just wonder what technology the REGISTRY is based on; what
is the access scheme, etc.? If XP and VISTA use it why can't
programmers make their own?

Fred Jacobowitz