How do I backup the registry?

Can someone set me straight please.

Windows XP Home

I would like to backup the registry, just in case something goes wrong sometime.
I thought Regedit\Export would do it.
Checking the Help and Support I see something about the System State.
Is this the same as the registry?
I can’t find anything that says that the registry and System State are one of the same.
In MS backup I can backup the System State.
Will this do it?

Thanks in advance

mopar

 

From regedit>help>how to


To export all or part of the registry to a text file
Open Registry Editor.
On the File menu, click Export.
In File name, enter a name for the registry file.
Under Export range, do one of the following:
To back up the entire registry, click All.
To back up only a particular branch of the registry tree, click Selected branch and enter the name of the branch you want to export.
Click Save.

Caution
Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.

Notes
To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
You can use a text editor like Notepad to work with the registry files you create by exporting.
You can save registry files in the Windows format, in the format used in Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0, as binary hive files, or as text files. Registry files are saved with .reg extensions, and text files are saved with .txt extensions.
In Windows Explorer, double-clicking a file with the .reg extension imports the file into the computer's registry.

 

Thanks Dave

Most helpful, didn’t even think about regedit help. Looked every where else.

mopar

 

Try Erunt . Works great. This is from the readme file that comes with the program:

"Note: The "Export registry" function in Regedit is USELESS (!) to makea complete backup of the registry. Neither does it export the whole registry (for example, no information from the "SECURITY" hive is saved), nor can the exported file be used later to replace the current registry with the old one. Instead, if you re-import the file, it is merged with the current registry, leaving you with an absolute mess of old and new registry keys. "

You be the judge.

 

noahfear,
Follwed instructions you gave, then ended up with this drop down, when I clicked on REG FILE (my name for my backup file) in My Documents.

"Are you sure you want to add the information in:
C:\DOCUME~1\ED|MY DOCUM~1\REGFIL~1.REG to the registry?

I cliked NO and that is where it's at now. What do I do at this point?

Would you please, explain to me how I would use this (REG FILE) file if I needed to restore/correct something in the registry?

 

In MS-DOS based Windows versions (95, 98, Me) the registry consists of the files SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT (and CLASSES.DAT in Windows Me).

The above is an excerpt from the discription of " Erunt. "

It may corrrect for Win95 ONLY. I have no idea about ME as I dumped it after only three days use.

In 98FE & SE The Scanregistry that runs ( or is supposed to ) at bootup backs up the COMPLETE registry consisting of FOUR ( 4 ) files.

I am looking a a RB001.cab file in 98SE right now and the four files are;

System.dat
User.dat
System.ini
Win.ini

And these four files MUST BE kept syncronized. Changes in one can/may effect the other.

These same four files are backed up if you run SCANREG from the start/run line while in Windows and let it make a backup.

And as has been mentioned quite correctly export/import does not backup or replace the FULL registry. only PARTS are taken or added. Nothing is overwrttten on an import.

XP is a different ballgame altogether. I believe System Restore is supposed to do the same.

Win98 & 98SE have the best and most dependable dam registry backup around. As long as the user does not stop it from loading at bootup and at least restarts Windows once per day.

But in any case with any OS a LOT depends on the USER keeping thngs up to date.

AND DOES NOT place his/her full trust in Windows do do everything it should and when it should

I have yet to see Windows XP make a restore point on its own. Somtimes it will make a RP when installing programs and sometimes it don't.

I believe that request is quite correct. You would be ADDING it to the reg. It would not be overwriting anything.

The Scanreg /Restore and System Restore in XP OVERWRITE everything. putting back what may have been removed and taking out what may have been added.

BillyBob

 

Fuzzy,
Those were not exactly my instructions, but an answer to the above question, from regedit help.

I will do my best to explain to you now, how this sort of a backup would be helpful.

Hypothetical situation. You have opened regedit to make some minor changes. You also started out by making a backup of the registry because you're going to be editing at several different locations, and should you change your mind after editing ten different keys, you want to be able to restore them all without having to import 10 different exported keys.(1 example of using a backup) You are at
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
with the run key highlighted and about to delete a value, when your 10 month old learning to walk (I'll use this because it seems I've always got one of those) falls and busts his\her mouth open on the coffee table. You jump up and whisk the toddler off to the sink and spend the next few minutes palming cold water in his\her mouth and cooing and coddling and kissing till it's all better. You return to your computer to find that in your absence, your 2 year old (always seem to have one of those too) is at the keyboard brushing up on his\her typing skills and has shown you that he\she can effectively delete the entire Microsoft key. Uh Oh! What now? Well maybe system restore. Or, how about double clicking on that REG File and saying yes to adding it. (another example of using the backup)

Backing up the registry is not intended for recovering from a system failure, but a tool for recovering from incorrect\unintentional changes made to it while using regedit. To restore the registry to a previous state, you would use Last Know Good Configuration (restores only the information in registry key HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet) or as BillyBob pointed out, System Restore.

Hope this helps!

Did I explain this Rightly folks? Feel free to correct or add to anyone.

 

Dave
I liked your example...I have those problem children at my house, too. (The place is infested, actually- we need an exterminator!)

NEVER walk away from your keyboard w/o hitting Winkey & L.
LOL
Johanna

 

I’ve learned never to fiddle with the registry in XP (at great cost!) System Restore works well in backing up the registry. If set correctly it will create "˜restore points’ on it’s own. I am currently looking at four from the past four days. If I intend to do anything drastic, install or uninstall software I always create a restore point - I’ve had need of this occasionally. Very useful if rampant two year old toddlers cause havoc. After I’m certain I no longer need previous restore points I delete them to save HDD space (they take up a huge amount of space). I’ve recently configured the computer to delete these automatically when a certain amount of GB has been used. On this 80Gb drive I’ve set it to delete at 10Gb. It always keeps the last update however, so I ensure frequently that everything is backed up in this way. Have you ever thought of installing another HDD and backing up the information to that one, using it as a store?

H.

 

Well, Well. I see there is at least one other user of Windows XP that has ( or may have ) learned some impotrat lessons well.

I do not mess with the regisrty in XP either.

I also make my own restore point before in/un- installing anything.

I also delete any old no longer needed restore points after finding all is going to be OK. Why do I need a five day old Restore point after adding two new programs and a new Printer and getting them all working within the last three days ?

This lesson was learned after finding out that system restore will put old stuff back in as well a take new stuff out. I do not mind cleaning up and/or fixing things ONCE. But doing it again just because of an OUT OF DATE Restore point ! No way Jose !!

That makes 100% purrrffect sense to me.

I never trust Window fully anyway. 98SE is quite trust worthy as to making the reg backups. But XP having the mind of its own that it does I do not trust it fully.

I am the biggest rampart toddler in this house

BillyBob

 

Mopar,

The System State includes the registry. This excerpt is from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...l/winxppro/proddocs/ntbackup_system_state.asp and I think will answer your question.

"Windows XP Professional
The System State data comprises only the registry, COM+ Class Registration database, files under Windows File Protection, and boot files. "

I believe XP Home's System Restore Point does essentially the same as backing up the System State with Windows Backup or other backup programs like Veritas, etc. plus a little more.
See http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/using/productdoc/en/default.asp and dig into "Fixing a Problem "

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Dan.

>How do I backup the registry?
>Can someone set me straight please.

>Windows XP Home

>I would like to backup the registry, just in case something goes >wrong sometime.
>I thought Regedit\Export would do it.
>Checking the Help and Support I see something about the >System State.
>Is this the same as the registry?
>I can’t find anything that says that the registry and System >State are one of the same.
>In MS backup I can backup the System State.
>Will this do it?

>Thanks in advance

>mopar

 

Dan

Thanks very much for your help.
That's what I thaught, the registry is part of System State.

Thanks again.

mopar

 

Hi all,

See also Microsoft's "How To: Back Up, Edit, and Restore the Registry in Windows XP ", Knowledgebase article 322756.