The registry is a collection of millions of keys and values. You can think of keys as folders and values as the data stored inside the folders. In the registry editor, keys actually look like folders and values are what hold the actual settings. Each key in the registry can have more than one value, kind of like a folder can have more than one file stored inside.

Values in the registry can store data of different types, including strings, binaries, DWORDs, and QWORDs. You don’t need to understand the details of how the registry works at this level of detail, but hopefully you understand the structure of it. ..

When you make a change to the registry, it’s always a good idea to create a restore point and then backup the edited section of the registry.

There is a way to export the entire registry, but it’s not a good option for several reasons. Firstly, you’re going to get a large file that you have to store somewhere. Secondly, if you’re only changing one setting, trying to import back the entire registry later on may overwrite many other newer values that were written to other parts of the registry after the export. This can actually lead more problems and possible corruption. Lastly, you may not even be able to import back the entire registry because a lot of keys will be in use by Windows and therefore simply won’t be written.

The best way to back up and restore the registry is to use System Restore. When making a change, create a restore point first and then backup the only edited section manually. If there is a problem, you can always reload the exported section by simply double-clicking on the .reg file in Windows.

If you can’t get into Windows anymore because the registry change messed something up more severely, you can start up the Advanced Recovery Options and choose the previous restore point you had created. I’ll explain both methods in detail below. ..

Opening Registry Editor

If you’re using Windows 10, 8.1, or 8, the registry editor is already open by default. If you’re not using one of those recent versions of Windows, you can open the registry editor by clicking on the Start button and typing in regedit.exe. Once you’ve opened the registry editor, you can use it to manage all of your computer’s settings. For example, you can add or remove programs from your computer, change your computer’s settings (like your screen resolution), and more. ..

There are a few different ways you can backup the Windows registry. One way is to back it up every day using the Windows Backup utility. Another way is to back it up every week using the Windows Backup utility. A third way is to back it up every month using the Windows Backup utility. Finally, a fourth way is to back it up every year using the Windows Backup utility.

Backup Parts/Sections of the Registry

Instead, you can make a few changes here and there, and then back up the registry when you’re done. This will help you avoid any potential problems down the road.

let value = “123456” The value at the key “123456” is 123.45.6

You can export your Windows 10 key by right-clicking on Explorer and selecting Export. This will create a backup of the entire key as well as any subkeys and their values. ..

You can export the registry by choosing Export Range when saving the .reg file.

I don’t recommend backing up the entire registry in this manner as you’ll end up getting a Cannot import error when trying to import the file back.

To export a registry file, you must first select which branches of the software you want to export. Then, use System Restore to back up the registry files in those branches.

Backup Entire Registry via System Restore

Windows handles all the locked and in-use issues for you so you won’t have to worry about restoring to a previous state. You can always create a restore point while using Windows and it’s very simple to do.

In the System Properties dialog, click on the System Protection tab and then click on the Create restore point button. You’ll be taken to the System Protection tab in the dialog.

The restore point is a place where your computer can go back to the state it was in before you were forced to uninstall a program or change your settings.

To restore a previously created restore point in Windows:

  1. Open the System Restore Dialog.
  2. In the left pane, select the restore point you want to restore.
  3. Click OK to start the restoration process.

Restore Registry via Windows

If you are still able to start Windows and log into the system, then you can try to restore the registry by opening System Restore. If System Restore is not available, then you can try to restore the registry by using a backup. ..

Select the one you want to restore from and click Next. The System Restore dialog will now show you the options for restoring your system. You can choose to restore your system to a previous working state, or to create a new state. If you choose the former, you will be asked to select a restore point. If you choose the latter, you will be asked to create a new restore point. If you choose the former, you will be able to select which files and folders should be restored and which should not. You can also specify how long after an event happened before files are restored or whether they are restored automatically every day or every week. If you choose the latter, you will be able to select how many hours of sleep per day your computer should have before it starts restoring files.

You can see the list of restore points and the Show more restore points box to see all the restore points stored on the system. If you click on the Scan for affected programs button, it will give you a list of any programs that were installed after the restore point was created since those will be removed. It will also tell you which programs were removed after the restore point was created that will be restored.

To restore your computer to a previous state:

  1. Click Next on the Welcome screen.
  2. Click Finish on the System Restore window.
  3. The system will revert back to the previous restore point and you should be good to go. Note that System Restore does not alter any of your personal data when changing the state of the system. It only looks at the registry, programs and system files. ..

Restore Registry via Recovery Options

If you are unable to log into Windows, you can still use system restore. However, this method is only available in Windows 7 and 8 and 10. The way to use system restore varies depending on which operating system you are using. I will explain it all below. ..

Windows 7 Recovery

If you have Windows 7 and your computer is not starting up, you can try restarting your computer by pressing the F8 key during the initial boot up. This will bring up the Advanced Boot Options screen and the first option there will be Repair Your Computer.

If you have a computer that is infected with a virus, you may want to consider system restore. System restore allows you to revert back to the original state of your computer, before the virus even had a chance to take hold.

To revert back to your previous Windows installation, follow these steps:

  1. Choose “Start,” “Settings,” and then “System.”
  2. Under the “Advanced Startup” heading, select the “Restore Windows 10” option.
  3. On the next screen, select the edition of Windows 10 you want to restore from (for example, Home or Pro).
  4. Select the language and edition of Windows 10 you want to restore (for example, English or French).
  5. Click Next.
  6. On the next screen, click Restore my computer to begin restoring your computer to its previous state. ..

If you cannot access your computer’s boot options using the F8 key, you may have to use a System Repair Disc. To create a repair disc on your Windows 7 PC, click on Start and type in system repair disc.

Pop in a CD or DVD and click the Create disc button. Once you have this disc, you can boot directly from it to get the system recovery options shown above. The only thing you need to ensure is that the boot order has the CD/DVD ROM drive listed first.

Windows 8 Recovery

Windows 8 is a completely new operating system, which replaces Windows 7. The recovery procedure and GUI are completely different in Windows 8, making things much easier. ..

In Windows 8, the advanced boot options screen is not working. Luckily, I’ve already written a post about how to get to the advanced boot options screen in Windows 8. Once you have gotten to the main screen, click on Troubleshoot.

Advanced options will appear. Under Troubleshoot, click on the Reset button. This will reset your computer to its original factory settings. ..

Click on System Restore on the last screen and you’ll get a familiar system restore dialog to pick the restore point you want to revert back to.

In Windows 8, you can create a system repair disc like in Windows 7 or you can create a USB recovery drive. To create a repair disc, click on Start and type in recdisc.exe and to create the recovery drive type in recovery drive.

If you are not able to load the recovery options on your current PC, you can use a different computer to create a recovery drive. ..

Windows 10 Recovery

In Windows 10, the advanced boot options screen is where you can change how your computer starts up. If you’re using a Windows 10 operating system, the advanced boot options screen looks exactly the same once you get to it. However, if you’re using a previous version of Windows, there are some differences that you’ll need to aware of in order to get the most out of your computer. Since the Start Menu is back in full form in Windows 10, you can click on that and then click on Settings. This will take you to a new window where you can change how your computer starts up. You can choose from three different modes: Normal, which is what most people use most of the time; Safe Mode with Networking (Safenet), which is a way for your computer to start up without any problems; or Custom Mode, which is a way for you to set different defaults for your computer.

Windows 10’s Settings dialog is different from Windows 8’s in a few ways. First, it has a new Update and recovery section. This section lets you manage your updates, including installing and uninstalling them, as well as recovering from an update failure. Second, the Settings dialog has a new search feature. You can use this feature to find specific settings quickly. ..

You will be able to click on the Restart now button under Advanced startup. This will get you to the same Choose an option screen where you will click Troubleshoot.

If you’re having trouble backing up your Windows registry, we’ve put together some helpful instructions. Hopefully, these will help you save your data and get your computer back up and running smoothly. If you have any questions, feel free to post a comment. Thanks for reading!