Buzz
Ever wondered about the Windows Registry Editor, also known as 'regedit?' The Registry serves as a database storing configurations utilized by applications, services, and various other components of Windows. The Registry Editor, commonly referred to as 'regedit,' empowers you to make significant alterations to the system by adding, removing, or modifying keys and values. Incorrectly altering the Registry can cause irreversible damage to your PC, so it's advisable to steer clear of regedit if you're uncertain about its usage. However, if you have a specific requirement to access, modify, or back up the Registry, we're here to assist you! This Mytour guide will walk you through using regedit to view and edit the Windows Registry.
Key Information
- Always create a backup of the Registry before making any modifications.
- Select 'File' > 'Import...' to locate and restore your Registry backup.
- Utilize the left-hand column in regedit to navigate through the Registry contents.
- Utilize the options in the 'Edit' drop-down menu to edit or delete Registry entries.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Accessing Regedit
⊞ Win
Enter regedit into the Start menu and choose Registry Editor. You'll see it represented by a sequence of blue blocks stacked on top of each other.
Press Yes when prompted. Windows will inquire whether you want to authorize regedit to make changes to your computer. Click Yes to proceed with opening the Registry Editor.
- If you're not an administrator on your current computer, you won't be able to access the Registry Editor.
Creating a Registry Backup
Locate and Click on the Computer icon. This icon is located at the top of the Registry sidebar, found on the left side of the window. Clicking it will highlight the icon.
- You might need to scroll up to see this icon in the sidebar.
- This action allows you to create a backup of the entire Registry, although you can choose to back up specific folders or sets of folders instead.
- Always make a fresh backup of the entire Registry before making any edits.
Access the File menu. Located in the top-left corner of the Registry window, click on this tab to reveal a drop-down menu.
Choose Export…. Located near the top of the drop-down menu, selecting this option will open the Export Registry File window.
Provide a name for your backup file. Enter a name for the backup file. It's recommended to use the current date or a recognizable identifier for easy retrieval in case you need to restore it.
Select a destination to save your backup. Click on a folder from the left side of the window to designate it as the location where your backup will be stored. Alternatively, choose a folder from the middle of the window to specify a folder within your current location.
- Ensure you save the backup in a location that you can easily access later.
Press Save.
This option is located at the bottom of the window. By selecting it, you'll create a duplicate of the current Registry settings, values, and other data. This backup can be used to fix minor to moderate issues that may occur while working within the Registry.
- Ensure that the 'Export range' at the bottom of the window is set to 'All'.
- If you're only backing up a portion of the registry, set the range to 'Selected branch' and confirm the field contains the correct key(s).
Exploring the Registry
Click > next to Computer. Located to the left of the Computer icon used for backup creation, this icon expands the Computer folder, revealing its contents.
- If the Computer icon already shows several folders below it, it's already expanded.
Inspect the default Registry folders. Typically, there are five folders within the 'Computer' folder:
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT - The most intricate of the Registry's five primary folders, it contains numerous applications responsible for opening or reading various file types.
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER - This folder holds user-specific information, such as personal folders and Control Panel settings.
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE - Here, you'll find information that applies to all users on the computer, including driver and operating system settings.
- HKEY_USERS - Within this folder, you'll find the same information as in HKEY_CURRENT_USER, along with data for all other users on the computer.
- HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG - This folder stores the current configuration of your computer, which is also found in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, along with any other configurations present on your system.
Click on a Registry folder. Selecting any folder in the Registry Editor will reveal the folder's contents in the right-hand panel of the Registry Editor.
- For instance, clicking on the HKEY_CURRENT_USER folder should display at least one icon on the right side of the page labeled (Default).
Expand a Registry folder. To view the contents of a folder, click the > icon located to its left. This action works for any folder within the Registry.
- You can also double-click on folders to expand them.
- Some folders (e.g., HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT) contain numerous subfolders, resulting in the left-hand sidebar becoming crowded. Despite this, all folders are alphabetically organized, making navigation easier.
Inspect the toolbar options. Positioned in the upper-left corner of the Registry Window, the toolbar includes the following functions:
- File - Import or export a Registry file, or print a selected item.
- Edit - Modify attributes of a selected Registry item, or create a new one.
- View - Toggle the Registry address bar (not available in all versions of Windows 10). Additionally, you can view the binary data for a selected Registry item.
- Favorite - Add a selected Registry item to your computer's Favorites folder.
- Help - Access Microsoft's assistance page for the Registry.
Double-click on an item within a Registry folder. Most Registry folders contain an icon labeled (Default) with a red ab symbol. Double-clicking on it will open the item, allowing you to view its contents.
Click Cancel. This action will close the currently opened Registry item.
Creating New Items
Navigate to the desired folder. Expand folders, scroll to subfolders, and expand them as needed until you locate the folder where you intend to create an item.
Choose the folder. Click on the folder where you wish to create the item. This action selects the folder, indicating that any new item will be placed inside it.
Access the Edit tab. Located in the upper-left corner of the window, click on it to unveil a drop-down menu.
Choose New. This option appears near the top of the drop-down menu, prompting a pop-out menu to appear next to it.
Choose the type of item to create. Click on one of the following options:
- String Value - These control system functions like keyboard speed or icon size.
- DWORD Value - These work alongside string values to dictate certain system processes.
- Key - A Registry 'Key' functions as a folder.
- The selection of DWORD values and string values may vary based on the provided instructions.
Provide a name for your item. Enter a name for your DWORD, string value, or key, then press ↵ Enter. This action will create your item in the specified location with the name you provided.
- Key names cannot contain a backslash ().
- To edit the item, double-click it to open its contents and make necessary modifications.
Removing Items
Click on the Registry item. Ensure that the intended item is highlighted.
- Prior to proceeding, create a backup of the Registry.
- Note that deleting any item other than the one just created may result in permanent damage to your computer.
Click on Edit. This action will prompt a drop-down menu to appear.
Choose Delete. Regedit will attempt to delete all highlighted files or keys, so ensure that only the intended item is selected for deletion.
Click OK to confirm. Your item is now deleted.
Close the Registry Editor. Click the X at the top-right corner of the Registry Editor window. This action will close the Registry Editor.
- You can return to the Registry Editor anytime to restore your backup (and consequently the deleted item).
Restoring the Registry
Access the File tab on the Registry Editor.
Choose Import... from the drop-down menu. This will open a File Explorer window, allowing you to navigate to locate your backup file.
Locate and choose your Registry backup file. Double-click to open and restore your Registry Editor.
- Only restore a backup if you're confident it's a functional copy of the Registry, avoiding any potential harm to your computer.
Pointers
Cautions
- Improperly modifying the Registry can severely damage your computer, potentially rendering it permanently unusable. Prioritize testing changes in a virtual environment before applying them, and avoid unauthorized modifications.
