I want to know the structure of system32\config\system on NT platform so I can read the data from that file.

Thanks in advance

They are hive files. You will not be able to read them when windows is loaded.

Information can be found here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default....se/registry.asp

It must be able to access it because the system restore the registry,it uses these files located at systemroot\config to restory the registry.I just don't know how.Any one knows?

From what I understand you can not access those files directly while windows is running, but you can access the registry and export hives using programming APIs.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q145679/

System restore exports hives from the live registry not by accessing those files directly, but by using the above apis to export the information as hives, and stores those copies in c:\_restore c:\system volume information

I am sure those files are acceptable while the system is running because I have tested some software which can copy those files while the system is running.

What software have you used that can do this?