HOW TO: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP
HOW TO: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP
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Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition
This article was previously published under Q322756
For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 322755
IN THIS TASK
Back Up the Registry
Export Registry Keys
Back Up the Whole Registry
Edit the Registry
Restore the Registry
Restore Registry Keys
Restore the Whole Registry
REFERENCES
This step-by-step article describes how to back up, edit, and restore the registry in Windows XP. Microsoft recommends that before you edit the registry, you back up the registry and understand how to restore it if a problem occurs.
Back Up the Registry
Before you edit the registry, export the keys in the registry that you plan to edit, or back up the whole registry. If a problem occurs, you can then follow the steps in the Restore the Registry section of this article to restore the registry to its previous state.
Export Registry Keys
You can follow these steps to export a registry key before you edit it.
NOTE: Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry hive (for example, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive). If you must back up whole registry hives, back up the whole registry instead.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the key that contains the value that you plan to edit.
On the File menu, click Export.
In the Save in box, select a location in which to save the .reg file. In the File name box, type a file name, and then click Save.
Back Up the Whole Registry
To back up the whole registry, use the Backup utility to back up the System State (which includes the registry, the COM+ Class Registration Database, and your boot files). For additional information about using the Backup utility to back up the System State, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
HOW TO: Use Backup to Back Up Files and Folders on Your Computer in Windows XP
How to Use the Backup Utility to Back Up Files and Folders in Windows XP Home Edition
Edit the Registry
To edit the registry, Microsoft recommends that you follow the steps in the Microsoft documentation only. If possible, use the Windows user interface instead of directly editing the registry.
Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from incorrectly using Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
For more information about editing the registry, follow these steps in Registry Editor
On the Help menu, click Help Topics.
On the Contents tab, double-click Registry Editor.
Double-click How To.
Double-click Change Keys and Values, and then click the topic that you want.
Restore the Registry
Restore Registry Keys
To restore registry keys that you exported, double-click the .reg file that you saved.
Restore the Whole Registry
To restore the whole registry, restore the System State from a backup. For additional information about how to restore the System State from a backup, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
HOW TO: Use Backup to Restore Files and Folders on Your Computer in Windows XP
NOTE Backing up the System State also creates updated copies of the registry files in the %SystemRoot%\Repair folder. If you cannot start Windows XP after you edit the registry, you can replace the registry files manually by using the steps in the "Part One" section of the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:
How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry that Prevents Windows XP from Starting
REFERENCES
For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
HOW TO: Distribute Registry Changes to Computers in Windows XP
How to Manage Remote Access to the Registry
Description of HKEY_CURRENT_USER Registry Subkeys
Description of the RunOnceEx Registry Key
How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry that Prevents Windows XP from Starting
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