First of all, you have to create an initial copy of the Registry. When you run ART first time, the program will do it automatically and will save results under ART_DB.rgf name. To do this yourself, make a new file through the File\ New menu item and scan the current state of the Registry to your file by selecting Registry\ Scan menu item or by clicking the Scan Registry button on the toolbar.
Depending on the Registry size and your computer resources, this procedure can take from a few seconds to about a minute (on 486). The procedure duration (in seconds) is displayed on the status bar. Copy of the Registry will be displayed in form of tree of folders. Name of the root directory is the scan date. It is called Main Node.
Scanning also can be done when a file with saved Registry copies is open.
Each newly scanned copy is saved to the file automatically. No more than 2 copies are stored in RAM simultaneously. Copies stored in RAM are called active, their Keys are yellow. Copies, which are inactive, are displayed with white Keys. For inactive Keys Comment menu item is accessible only.
If you want viewing, comparing, searching, and initial scanning options would be possible the Keys should be active. To switch to active mode, you simply have to open relevant Key of the tree. The only process that will take some time is loading data from file to memory. If you have two active Keys on the tree opened by that moment, the dialogue window appears for choosing a Key to be closed (switched to inactive mode). However, if you have earlier set a relevant option in Settings\ Active Main Node to close newest or oldest Key would be close before opening a new one.
You can add a comment (up to 2000 characters) by clicking right button on the mouse pointing to the Registry scan name (scan date), and selecting Comment.