Backup and Restore of Windows System Registry

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When troubleshooting, there are cases when the Windows System Registry needs to be updated or edited. As a precautionary measure, we recommend creating a back up and knowing how to restore a damaged or corrupted registry before making any changes.

Creating a Windows registry backup

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor by doing either of the following:
   • For Windows XP:
     1. Go to Start > Run.
     2. On the Open field, type "regedit" and then press Enter.
   • For Windows Vista and Windows 7:
     1. Click the Start button.
     2. On the Start Search here field, type “regedit” and  then press Enter.
     3. Click Yes when the User Account Control window appears.
   • For Windows 8:
     1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run window.
     2. On the Open field, type "regedit" and then press Enter.
   The Windows Registry Editor will appear.
2. Click File -- Export.
    
3. Select the directory where the registry backup will be stored (e.g. Desktop).
   
4. Enter a file name for the registry backup (e.g. Backup Registry Date).
   
5. Under Export Range, make sure that the All radio button is selected.
    
6. Click Save.
7. Verify that the backup was created in the specified location in Step 3.

Restoring the Windows registry backup

1. Open the Windows Registry Editor by doing either of the following:
   • For Windows XP:
     1. Go to Start > Run.
     2. On the Open field, type "regedit" and then press Enter.
   • For Windows Vista and Windows 7:
     1. Click the Start button.
     2. On the Start Search here field, type “regedit” and  then press Enter.
     3. Click Yes when the User Account Control window appears.
   • For Windows 8:
     1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run window.
     2. On the Open field, type "regedit" and then press Enter.
   The Windows Registry Editor will appear.
2. Click File - Import.
    
3. Select the directory where the registry backup will be imported (e.g. Desktop) and select the registry backup.
    
4. Click Open.
5. Restart your computer to begin using the restored registry.

For more information about Windows registry backup, check the following Microsoft articles:

• How to back up and restore the registry in Windows XP
• Back up the registry
• Windows registry information for advanced users
• Description of the Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe)
• Command-Line Switches for the Registry Checker Tool
• How to Customize Registry Checker Tool Settings

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