A resource that documents Windows 11 registry keys and their allowed values?

classic35mm · Apr 26, 2024

I doubt a comprehensive resource (website, wiki, etc.) exists, but can anyone recommend resources that documents Windows 11 registry keys: what they do and what values they can have?

I'm interested in speeding up animations in Windows 11, but there seems to be precious little information about registry keys and what they do. Winaero's Windows 11 Tutorials page gives some clues, but the list there doesn't seem comprehensive and it isn't sorted by registry key.

Kees · Apr 26, 2024

classic35mm said:
...can anyone recommend resources that documents Windows 11 registry keys: what they do and what values they can have?

I certainly can recommend the tutorials of Elevenforum.:

Tutorials

Windows 11 tutorials, tricks, tips, and guides.

www.elevenforum.com

But they have no overview what registry entry does what.

I would not know any list of that kind. You should not forget that registry entries to tweak Windows functions often tend to change (or don't function at all anymore). Someone who would keep such a list would have very much work on it and people would still complain that some entries are no longer valid or belong to another Windows version.

Besides that: not every tweak can be done by changing a registry value. Some functions only can be set via the normal settings app, while others only can be done by third party software or by Vivetool tricks. Or whatever other methods are possible in Windows...

But what about starting a topic in which you describe (as precisely as possible) what you are after?

antspants · Apr 26, 2024

classic35mm said:
I doubt a comprehensive resource (website, wiki, etc.) exists, but can anyone recommend resources that documents Windows 11 registry keys: what they do and what values they can have?

You’re a busy little bee, aren’t you.

The only registry keys you should really need to be concerned with are the ones you need to change to bend Windows the way you want it to bend.
Kees is right, tutorials are the key here, and if not found, searching outside recourses is the answer. But not everything you want to do, is always possible.

A list would be impossible I would imagine. Do you realise how many registry keys there are? And that’s before you install something. But I am not saying there isn’t one.

You need to create your own database, perhaps via Notepad files or Excel, to keep track of the tutorials, key changes or tweaks you find that help you to bend Windows to your liking.

It isn’t always better to know everything, but it’s certainly wise to know what you need to know. And you’ll know what you need to know when you need to know what it is you need to know

TairikuOkami · Apr 27, 2024

Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 Group Policy Administrative Templates

antspants · Apr 27, 2024

TairikuOkami said:
Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 Group Policy Administrative Templates

Nice.

Try3 · Apr 29, 2024

That download is for 21H2. And there was a second version for 21H2 later on.
Here are the latest versions.
Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 10 2022 Update (22H2)
Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 11 2023 Update (23H2)

classic35mm said:
can anyone recommend resources that documents Windows 11 registry keys

@classic35mm
These downloads are the closest thing there is to comprehensive Registry Key documentation.
They can be useful sometimes by giving you a brief description about what a Registry entry does.

The downloads are .msi [installers] and they copy .admx files to the folder you select & they copy .adml files to a subfolder of that.
The filenames match and you use both of a pair.
- The .admx files provide the Registry Key & ValueName of the entries concerned. These are not always in the same column of the file, you have to look for them.
- The .adml files provide descriptions.
The files can be dropped into Excel windows to read them. Excel objects to them twice but you can override that to open the files.
You can delete the foreign language subfolders to save a bit of space.

Pro users have additional means of reading the files, I think.

All the best,
Denis

PhilB · May 21, 2026

Try3 said:
That download is for 21H2. And there was a second version for 21H2 later on.
Here are the latest versions.
Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 10 2022 Update (22H2)
Administrative Templates (.admx) for Windows 11 2023 Update (23H2)

@classic35mm
These downloads are the closest thing there is to comprehensive Registry Key documentation.
They can be useful sometimes by giving you a brief description about what a Registry entry does.

The downloads are .msi [installers] and they copy .admx files to the folder you select & they copy .adml files to a subfolder of that.
The filenames match and you use both of a pair.
- The .admx files provide the Registry Key & ValueName of the entries concerned. These are not always in the same column of the file, you have to look for them.
- The .adml files provide descriptions.
The files can be dropped into Excel windows to read them. Excel objects to them twice but you can override that to open the files.
You can delete the foreign language subfolders to save a bit of space.

Pro users have additional means of reading the files, I think.

All the best,
Denis

@denis,

I found this old thread, which interested me. Did I miss the downloads? My hope is that I can integrate this info into an AI generated PowerShell script that tells me what selected key branches are intended to do and their current value. I know that this idea may be aspirational at best.

Try3 · May 21, 2026

My reference to 'downloads' was a reference to the links I posted.

Denis

glasskuter · May 22, 2026

I had a LOL moment when I ran across this thread. I don't think anyone will be tackling the job to create a "reference list" anytime soon.
Co-pilot's answer.
There is no fixed, official, or even stable number — but a clean Windows 11 Pro install typically contains well over 100,000 registry keys and several hundred thousand values. On a fully‑updated, OEM‑touched, driver‑complete system, this can climb into the millions.

PhilB · May 22, 2026

glasskuter said:
I had a LOL moment when I ran across this thread. I don't think anyone will be tackling the job to create a "reference list" anytime soon.
Co-pilot's answer.
There is no fixed, official, or even stable number — but a clean Windows 11 Pro install typically contains well over 100,000 registry keys and several hundred thousand values. On a fully‑updated, OEM‑touched, driver‑complete system, this can climb into the millions.

Oh well. It seemed like a good idea.

gunrunnerjohn · May 23, 2026

glasskuter said:
I had a LOL moment when I ran across this thread. I don't think anyone will be tackling the job to create a "reference list" anytime soon.
Co-pilot's answer.
There is no fixed, official, or even stable number — but a clean Windows 11 Pro install typically contains well over 100,000 registry keys and several hundred thousand values. On a fully‑updated, OEM‑touched, driver‑complete system, this can climb into the millions.

I saw this thread and was tempted to answer, but I see you beat me to it! :lmao:

I think the list would rival the size of the Encyclopedia Britannica!

Feuer · May 26, 2026

I recommend you this website

Windows 11 Forum

Windows 11 Forum: Get expert help, tutorials, tips & troubleshooting for Windows 11. Active community support, guides & discussions.

www.elevenforum.com

kelper · May 26, 2026

Feuer said:
I recommend you this website

Windows 11 Forum

Windows 11 Forum: Get expert help, tutorials, tips & troubleshooting for Windows 11. Active community support, guides & discussions.

www.elevenforum.com

The first truly recursive recommendation!

Edwin · May 26, 2026

classic35mm said:
I'm interested in speeding up animations in Windows 11

I turn animations off, but, to speed up Windows' performance, so to speak, there are settings such as:
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse\MouseHoverTime and
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\MenuShowDelay
... set them to a much lower value than the default of 400.

Feuer · May 26, 2026

kelper said:
The first truly recursive recommendation!

I always like details.

TairikuOkami said:
Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 Group Policy Administrative Templates

@TairikuOkami 's github also very useful.

A resource that documents Windows 11 registry keys and their allowed values?

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