What should be in registry editor

Or, you can restore the whole registry from a backup. For more information about how to restore the whole registry, see the Method 2: Restore the whole registry section later in this article. To restore the whole registry, restore the system state from a backup. For more information about how to restore the system state from a backup, see How to use Backup to protect data and restore files and folders on your computer in Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Windows Server Resources Kit. Inside the Registry. DPM is the new standard for Windows backup and recovery and delivers continuous data protection for Microsoft application and file servers that use seamlessly integrated disk and tape media.

For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, see How to back up and restore the registry in Windows XP and Windows Vista. Feedback will be sent to Microsoft: By pressing the submit button, your feedback will be used to improve Microsoft products and services.

Privacy policy. Skip to main content. This browser is no longer supported. Download Microsoft Edge More info. Contents Exit focus mode. Applies to: Windows 10 - all editions, Windows Server R2 Original KB number: Description of the registry The Microsoft Computer Dictionary , Fifth Edition, defines the registry as: A central hierarchical database used in Windows 98, Windows CE, Windows NT, and Windows used to store information that is necessary to configure the system for one or more users, applications, and hardware devices.

Note Security features in Windows let an administrator control access to registry keys. Note There is a 64K limit for the total size of all values of a key. Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. Is this page helpful?

Yes No. Any additional feedback? Skip Submit. Contains the root of the configuration information for the user who is currently logged on. The user's folders, screen colors, and Control Panel settings are stored here. Then you can type in the key, value, or data string you're looking for.

The Registry Editor Find function doesn't always return what you're looking for. If it returns no values, head back to the manual search. Alternatively, check out h ow to open the Windows Registry to any key without searching!

To edit the value, right-click the name, and select Modify. Change the Value Data to whatever is appropriate and press OK.

At times, you may need to create a new registry value. For instance, if the registry value for a setting you want to edit doesn't exist, you can create it. For a new value to work, however, you must make sure you are in the corresponding registry folder. There is no use in placing a new registry value in any old folder; it could negatively affect your system or worse.

First, make sure you are in the correct Registry Editor location. Type the name of the value, assign it whatever attributes it needs and hit OK. Sounds vague? That's because you will only create new registry values on a case-by-case basis, and there are several different registry value types. But that isn't always the case. If a key, or folder, you need doesn't exist, create the correct folder structure by creating new subkeys in each folder.

You can create your own. Taking a backup is a great idea if you are about to edit the registry. You can back up individual keys and values, or the entire registry. Although backing up the entire registry sounds time-consuming, it isn't. For most people, the registry will amount to hundreds of megabytes. In the Run dialog box, type Regedit and click OK. Some of our troubleshooting articles will instruct you to edit or delete one or more Reg Keys.

Continue expanding folders to locate the Reg Key you need to create, edit, or delete. To create a new Reg Key, right-click the key location where you want to create the new key. Hover the mouse on the New option in the menu that opens, then select Key from the submenu that opens after that.

If our Knowledge Base or one of our support technicians has instructed you to create a key path that ends with a string value, move on to the Create a String Value steps below once you've created the necessary key path. Creating a string value is similar to creating a key — right-click on the key where you want to create the string value, hover on New in the menu, and then select String Value from the submenu.

The new string value will appear to the right of the key you right-clicked. Type a name for the new string value example: InstallPath. To edit a Reg Key or string value, click the Reg Key folder to open it.

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