Backing up the Registry is very important. If you delete or change certain keys, you could cause your computer to act improperly or it may not start at all. You should back up the Registry often, depending on how you use your computer (you should always do a backup before making any changes to the Registry). To backup or restore the registry, follow the steps below.
When backing up the Registry, it is recommended that you save the file to a removable media device such as CD-Rom or Zip drive. If you save the file to your computer, you should write down the location of it as you will need this information if you need to restore the Registry, or save the file to a location that is easy to remember (such as the 'C:\Windows' directory).
Backup/Restore The Registry In Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10
To back up the Registry, follow these steps:
1. Click on the Start button and select Run
2. type in 'regedit' and press OK
3. Click on the 'File' menu and select 'Export'
4. In the Export Range section, make sure 'All' is selected
5. Type 'RegBackup' in the File Name field
6. Save the file to the directory you want
7. If saving to a removable media device, save the file to the
Desktop, then use your regular software to transfer it
To restore the Registry, follow these steps:
1. Start your computer and press the F8 key when the 'Please
Select Your Operating System' message appears or right before
the the Welcome screen appears
2. Highlight the 'Safe Mode' option then press Enter
3. Once your computer has booted up in Safe Mode navigate to the
location where you saved the Registry file to
4. Right-click on the file and select Merge
5. Click Yes when asked to add the information
6. Once the process has finished reboot your computer
Backup/Restore The Registry In Windows 95/98/Me
You can use the Reigistry Checker to create a backup of the registry at any time.This is a good idea if you're about to edit the Registry and want to ensure that you get yourself back up and running if anything goes wrong. To run the Registry Checker, click on the Start button and select Run. type in 'scanregw' and press 'OK'.
The Registry Checker will check the Registry for errors, and if none are found, will tell you that a backup of the Registry has already been made today. It will offer to make an additional backup. Click Yes to create a new backup then click OK once the backup has been created.
If something goes wrong and you need to replace the current Registry with one of the backups, shut down your computer then insert your Windows Startup disk into the floppy drive. At the DOS prompt type in 'scanreg /restore' and press Enter. Select the most recent backup from the list then press Enter. Once the restore process is done, take out the Windows Startup disk and reboot your computer.
