BACKING UP AND RESTORING THE WINDOWS REGISTRY

How to restore and backup the Windows Registry

 

 

THE PROBLEM: 

  

    I messed up with values in my registry and now my whole computer is messed up.

THE PRINCIPLE:

 

    Fortunately, the specific keys or the whole windows registry can be backed up into a .reg file and restored if things go wrong. Backing up your registry can one day save you from a delicate situation and its as easy as ABC to do and takes just a few minutes.

THE SOLUTION:

 

    First, you must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. If you aren't logged in as an administrator, you can only change settings that apply to your user account. 

1) Open the Registry Editor by clicking the Start button (Widows Vista & 7) or by pressing the Windows key (Windows 8), typing regedit into the search box, and then pressing Enter, If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. (for Windows XP users, to open the Registry Editor follow the steps Start > Run > 'regedit' then press OK and you are done).   

2) Navigate to the very top of the registry key branches until you reach Computer.

                                                                           

3) Highlight Computer by clicking on it once.

    

4) From the Registry Editor menu, choose File and then Export or right click on Computer and choose Export from the menu.

5) In the Export Registry File window that appears, choose a location to save the registry backup file.

    

6) In the File name text field enter a name for the backup file. Anything will do but I recommend you to use explicit files names. for example Registry Backup 01/14 

7) Click the Save button.

    

Upon clicking, a registration File with a .reg file extension will be created in the location you selected in Step 5 and with the file name you chose in Step 6. So if you chose the file name of my example you should have a file 'Complete Registry Backup 01/14.reg' in the location you selected.

You are now free to play with your registry keys :p .

RESTORING THE REGISTRY

    

   If after making some registry changes, you realize that they did not give you the results you were looking for, or messed up your system settings, you can simply restore the Windows registry back to the point at which you backed it up by double clicking on the .reg file created after step 7 above.
   

   Depending on how your OS is configured, you could see a User Account Control dialog box appear next in which you will need to confirm that you want to open Registry Editor and import keys. Just click the OK button on this dialog box.
   
    Assuming the registry key(s) import was successful, you should receive the following message in a Registry Editor window: 'The keys and values contained in [REG file location] have been successfully added to the registry'. Click the OK button on this window.
   
    Depending on which key(s) are imported, you may also have to restart your computer to have the changes take effect, just do that and you are through importing your working registry settings back.

Hope It Helps :)

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