Working with the Windows Registry (Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP)

In this guide, you will learn what the Windows Registry is, how to access and configure it, and how to backup and restore it.

This guide covers the following:

• What is the Windows Registry?
• Access the Windows Registry Editor
• Back up the Windows Registry
  • Back up the entire registry
  • Back up a Single Key
• Restore the Windows Registry
  • Restore the Entire Registry
  • Restore a Single Key
• Add Keys or Values
  • Add a New Key
  • Add a New Value
• Examples of Modifying the Registry
• Disable Access to the Registry

What is the Windows Registry?

The Windows registry stores Windows settings, individual program settings, and other important configuration information about your PC. The registry acts like a large shared database for applications to store configuration data and to interact with other applications.

Access the Windows Registry Editor

In Windows 8, 7, and Vista, press the Start button, type regedit, and press Enter
In Windows XP, click Start > Run (Windows Key + R), type regedit and press Enter
When the registry loads you will be presented with a screen that looks like the screenshot below. The registry is made up of the following components:

• Keys
• Subkeys
• Values

To find out more about the root registry keys, check out this guide: What Do HKCR, HKCU, HKLM, HKU, and HKCC Mean? (Registry Root Keys)

Back up the Windows Registry

You may back up the entire registry, or a single key you are working on:

Back up the entire registry using System Restore

Windows 8 / 7 / Vista

1. Click Start, type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and press Enter
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow
2. Wait for Windows to search for available disks and most recent restore points. Click Create
3. Type a name for the restore point and then click Create
4. After the restore point has been created successfully, click OK two times

Note: If System Restore is turned off, click to select the local disk, click Apply and then click Create.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and click OK
2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Create a restore point, and then click Next
3. On the Create a Restore Point page, type a name for the restore point and then click Create
4. After the restore point has been created, click Close

Note: If System Restore is turned off, you receive a message that asks whether you want to turn on System Restore now. Click Yes. Then, in the System Properties dialog box, click to clear the Turn off System Restore check box, click OK, and then repeat this step.

Note: This method only provides recovery capabilities if a system restore is performed. How to perform a system restore.

Back up the Entire Registry to a File

Note: I do not recommend restoring from a file created using this method; however, you can use this method to take a snapshot of your registry. This file can be opened in any text editor and referred to for previous values and keys you may have deleted/edited. To backup the entire registry to a file:

1. Open the registry editor
2. Right click Computer in the left-hand column and click Export
3. Give the backup a name and save the file

Back up a Single Key

To back up a single registry key, find the key you want to back up, right click on it, and click Export

Restore the Windows Registry

You may restore the entire registry, or a single key you are working on:

Restore the Entire Registry from a System Restore Point

Note: If you elected to make a restore point to backup your registry, you can use it to revert any changes you may have made. This is the safest method; however, a system restore will roll back any Windows Updates, program installations and removals etc. that were performed since the restore point was made.

Windows 8 / 7 / Vista

1. Click Start, type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and press Enter
   If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow
2. Wait for Windows to search for available disks and most recent restore points. Click System Restore
   
3. Select Choose a different restore point and click Next
4. Select the restore point that you want to use and click Next
5. Confirm your restore point, and then click – this restores the selected Windows configuration and then restarts the computer
6. Log on to your computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK

Windows XP

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and click OK
2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and click Next
3. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the system checkpoint. In the On this list select the restore point area, click an entry that is named “Guided Help (Registry Backup),” and click Next
   If a System Restore message appears that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make, click OK
4. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next
   System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration and then restarts the computer
5. Log on to the computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK

Restoring a Single Key

To restore a single key:

1. Find the key that you previously saved
2. Double click on the file and click Yes

Add Keys or Values

In some of the tutorials on this website you will need to create a new key or value.

Add a New Key

To add a new key, do the following:

1. Right click on the parent key
2. Click New > Key
3. Follow the guide’s instructions for what key name to assign

Add a New Value

To add a new value do the following:

1. Navigate to the key that you want to add a value to
2. Right click in the blank space of the right pane and click New > xx (Where xx is the value specified in the guide)
3. Follow the guide’s instructions for what value to assign

Examples of Modifying the Registry

Here are some example guides that involve registry modification:

• [Fixed] Problem with Desktop Shortcuts (.lnk-files) opening in wrong program
• Change the behaviour of Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnails [Quick Tip]
• CleanUp MsConfig Application List [How To]
• Hide Account Usernames in Windows for Extra Security [How To]
• Display more of your Most Popular Sites in IE9 [Quick Tip]

For more examples, here: /?s=regedit

Disable Access to the Registry

If you’re using a Professional or Ultimate version of Windows, you can disable access to the Registry Editor using the Group Policy Editor.