is there a way to export registry key but in an incremental way , many copies ?


Recommended Posts

Hi

i would to export some registry key with a bat file but in incremental way  (keep many reg files , with a name and a suffix for example export1.reg export2.reg and so on ) ?

I 'm thinking about a bat file ,just because i can use the windows 11 or 10 task manager and run every x hours or every day

i don't want to export the entire registry but only 1 key or 2 ,with all the subkeys and keep all them

I use a free portable backup jubut portable , cool program ,but only for files, and macrium for image

i'm looking for a script / bat , can a script/bat file do it?

I have't found a free program to export them

thanks

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set /p "numKeys=Enter the number of registry keys to export: "
set /p "backupDir=Enter the backup directory path: "

if not exist "%backupDir%" mkdir "%backupDir%"

set "baseFileName=export"
set "fileExt=.reg"
set "counter=1"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    set /p "key%%i=Enter the location of registry key #%%i: "
)

:loop
set "fileName=%baseFileName%!counter!%fileExt%"
set "filePath=%backupDir%\!fileName!"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    reg export "!key%%i!" "!filePath!" /y
)

set /p "continue=Do you want to export another set of registry keys? (Y/N): "
if /i "!continue!"=="Y" (
    set /a "counter+=1"
    goto loop
)

 

  On 21/04/2024 at 08:15, cacoe said:

 

Expand  

hi Cacoe

may i a question ?

let's say i want to backup these keys 

  Quote

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla

Expand  

to X:\backupregistry

is your script correct ?

I have added HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla 

the backup folder is X:\backupregistry

about the number of registry key to export what does it mean how many backups?

thanks Caoce

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set /p "numKeys=Enter the number of registry keys to export: "
set /p "backupDir=x:\backupregisry: "

if not exist "%backupDir%" mkdir "%backupDir%"

set "baseFileName=export"
set "fileExt=.reg"
set "counter=1"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    set /p "key%%i=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla #%%i: "
)

:loop
set "fileName=%baseFileName%!counter!%fileExt%"
set "filePath=%backupDir%\!fileName!"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    reg export "!key%%i!" "!filePath!" /y
)

set /p "continue=Do you want to export another set of registry keys? (Y/N): "
if /i "!continue!"=="Y" (
    set /a "counter+=1"
    goto loop
)

 

## Export registry key

# Specify registry key
$registryKey = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla"

# Specify the path to save .reg file
$exportPath = "X:\backupregistry\Mozilla.reg"

# Export the registry key
Invoke-Expression -Command "reg export `"$registryKey`" `"$exportPath`""

# Check if the export was successful
if (Test-Path -Path $exportPath) {
    Write-Host "Registry key exported successfully."
} else {
    Write-Host "Failed to export registry key."
}

Save as <filename>.ps1, run with PowerShell.

  • Thanks 2
  On 21/04/2024 at 11:44, binaryzero said:
## Export registry key

# Specify registry key
$registryKey = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla"

# Specify the path to save .reg file
$exportPath = "X:\backupregistry\Mozilla.reg"

# Export the registry key
Invoke-Expression -Command "reg export `"$registryKey`" `"$exportPath`""

# Check if the export was successful
if (Test-Path -Path $exportPath) {
    Write-Host "Registry key exported successfully."
} else {
    Write-Host "Failed to export registry key."
}

Save as <filename>.ps1, run with PowerShell.

Expand  

Hi @binaryzero  @cacoe

if i click on run with powershell it does work ,I have tried even  in power shell ISE and the error translated in English with google translator is

Failed to load file X:\backupregistryJriver\eportaregistryJriver.ps1. Script execution is disabled on your system. For more information,
see about_Execution_Policies at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=135170.
    + CategoryInfo : Protection error: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnauthorizedAccess

here a command

  Quote

 Get-ExecutionPolicy -List

        Scope ExecutionPolicy
        ----- ---------------
MachinePolicy       Undefined
   UserPolicy       Undefined
      Process       Undefined
  CurrentUser       Undefined
 LocalMachine       Undefined

Expand  

so i opened powershell as administrator windows 11 pro , and copied everything it does create it but only 1 registry backup

i would like to create many backups and only 1

could be make maybe with the bat/cmd  files many files (i have no limit)?

thanks

Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted

# Import CSV file
$csvData = Import-Csv -Path "X:\backupregistry\regkeys.csv"

# Backup directory
$backupDir = "X:\backupregistry"

# Check the backup directory exists
if (!(Test-Path -Path $backupDir)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backupDir | Out-Null
}

# Loop through each registry key in the CSV file
foreach ($row in $csvData) {
    $key = $row.RegistryKey

    # Define the backup file path
    $backupFile = Join-Path -Path $backupDir -ChildPath ("$(($key -replace '\\', '_')).reg")

    # Export the registry key
    Invoke-Expression -Command "reg export `"$key`" `"$backupFile`""

    # Check if the .reg file has been created
    if (Test-Path -Path $backupFile) {
        Write-Output "Backup for $key created successfully at $backupFile"
    }
    else {
        Write-Output "Failed to create backup for $key"
    }
}

Save as ps1. Create a csv file with the header "RegistryKey", list key paths underneath. 

  On 21/04/2024 at 15:52, binaryzero said:

Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted

 

Expand  

hi

i have set unrestricted by default

Get-ExecutionPolicy -List

        Scope ExecutionPolicy
        ----- ---------------
MachinePolicy       Undefined
   UserPolicy       Undefined
      Process       Undefined
  CurrentUser       Undefined
 LocalMachine       Undefined

thanks

  On 21/04/2024 at 09:09, drugo said:

hi Cacoe

may i a question ?

let's say i want to backup these keys 

to X:\backupregistry

is your script correct ?

I have added HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla 

the backup folder is X:\backupregistry

about the number of registry key to export what does it mean how many backups?

thanks Caoce

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set /p "numKeys=Enter the number of registry keys to export: "
set /p "backupDir=x:\backupregisry: "

if not exist "%backupDir%" mkdir "%backupDir%"

set "baseFileName=export"
set "fileExt=.reg"
set "counter=1"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    set /p "key%%i=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla #%%i: "
)

:loop
set "fileName=%baseFileName%!counter!%fileExt%"
set "filePath=%backupDir%\!fileName!"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    reg export "!key%%i!" "!filePath!" /y
)

set /p "continue=Do you want to export another set of registry keys? (Y/N): "
if /i "!continue!"=="Y" (
    set /a "counter+=1"
    goto loop
)

 

Expand  

The number is simply the amount of keys you would like to save, so if you know you want to save 5 keys, enter 5, then you will proceed to get 5 prompts for 5 different key locations, then it will save to 5 different files to the backup location.

All entries under each key will be saved to each file.

  On 21/04/2024 at 17:05, cacoe said:

The number is simply the amount of keys you would like to save, so if you know you want to save 5 keys, enter 5, then you will proceed to get 5 prompts for 5 different key locations, then it will save to 5 different files to the backup location.

All entries under each key will be saved to each file.

Expand  

hi Cacoe

but there is something doesn't work , might you please check it?

thanks

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set /p "numKeys=5"
set /p "backupDir=x:\backupregistry\"

if not exist "%backupDir%" mkdir "%backupDir%"

set "baseFileName=export"
set "fileExt=.reg"
set "counter=1"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    set /p "key%%i=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla"
)

:loop
set "fileName=%baseFileName%!counter!%fileExt%"
set "filePath=%backupDir%\!fileName!"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    reg export "!key%%i!" "!filePath!" /y
)

set /p "continue=Do you want to export another set of registry keys? (Y/N): "
if /i "!continue!"=="Y" (
    set /a "counter+=1"
    goto loop
)

 

  On 21/04/2024 at 18:41, drugo said:

hi Cacoe

but there is something doesn't work , might you please check it?

thanks

@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

set /p "numKeys=5"
set /p "backupDir=x:\backupregistry\"

if not exist "%backupDir%" mkdir "%backupDir%"

set "baseFileName=export"
set "fileExt=.reg"
set "counter=1"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    set /p "key%%i=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla"
)

:loop
set "fileName=%baseFileName%!counter!%fileExt%"
set "filePath=%backupDir%\!fileName!"

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    reg export "!key%%i!" "!filePath!" /y
)

set /p "continue=Do you want to export another set of registry keys? (Y/N): "
if /i "!continue!"=="Y" (
    set /a "counter+=1"
    goto loop
)

 

Expand  

I don't see the issue, I tested it, it's a batch file, I ran it, set it to only do 1 key, selected a random key and it saved the contents to a reg file. What is not working?

  On 21/04/2024 at 20:50, Dick Montage said:

Would it not make sense to just learn PowerShell? Literally so useful

Expand  

This. 

I provided two code samples, with comments; up to them now...

  • Like 2
  On 21/04/2024 at 22:24, cacoe said:

I don't see the issue, I tested it, it's a batch file, I ran it, set it to only do 1 key, selected a random key and it saved the contents to a reg file. What is not working?

Expand  

hi Cacoe

it does not save any reg files...

i have tried even this key with all the sub keys

for /l %%i in (1,1,%numKeys%) do (
    set /p "key%%i=HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\J. River"
)

maybe the problem is this

set "baseFileName=export"
set "fileExt=.reg"
set "counter=1"

i should set  ?

set "fileExt=backup.reg

thanks pal 

  On 21/04/2024 at 15:52, binaryzero said:
# Import CSV file
$csvData = Import-Csv -Path "X:\backupregistry\regkeys.csv"

# Backup directory
$backupDir = "X:\backupregistry"

# Check the backup directory exists
if (!(Test-Path -Path $backupDir)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backupDir | Out-Null
}

# Loop through each registry key in the CSV file
foreach ($row in $csvData) {
    $key = $row.RegistryKey

    # Define the backup file path
    $backupFile = Join-Path -Path $backupDir -ChildPath ("$(($key -replace '\\', '_')).reg")

    # Export the registry key
    Invoke-Expression -Command "reg export `"$key`" `"$backupFile`""

    # Check if the .reg file has been created
    if (Test-Path -Path $backupFile) {
        Write-Output "Backup for $key created successfully at $backupFile"
    }
    else {
        Write-Output "Failed to create backup for $key"
    }
}
Expand  

Save ^ as "BackupRegistryKeys.ps1".

Create a CSV file called "regkeys.csv", save it in X:\Backupregistry, copy and paste the below.

RegistryKey,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\J. River,

(or use Excel, save as .csv)

Open PowerShell, run the script, .\BackupRegistryKeys.ps1. Tada

When you want to add more registry keys, add them to the csv file. No need to hardcode paths in the script...

  • Thanks 2

Tidy little script that :) -
(+Extra credit for commenting it properly👍
)

Still surprises me there is no export-item functionality for the registry in PowerShell, you can do everything else - but for exports you still have to call reg.exe
 

Instead of adding number -01 etc index numbers, you could just use the date, if you did that you could have just a 1 liner, something like this:

reg export "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla" "X:\backupregistry\%DATE:/=-%.reg" /y

Depending on your local date format you might need to change the format of the date variable to suit, or add the time variable too if you are doing multiple exports per day.

  On 22/04/2024 at 16:08, binaryzero said:

Save ^ as "BackupRegistryKeys.ps1".

Create a CSV file called "regkeys.csv", save it in X:\Backupregistry, copy and paste the below.

RegistryKey,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Mozilla,
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\J. River,

(or use Excel, save as .csv)

Open PowerShell, run the script, .\BackupRegistryKeys.ps1. Tada

When you want to add more registry keys, add them to the csv file. No need to hardcode paths in the script...

Expand  

hi

first i want to thank you so much

but i can't understand why under windows 11 pro 64bit , from the extension menu run with powershell it doesn't work

it's just handy

will the script save me many *.reg files , like backup.reg , backup1.reg , backup2.reg and so on

appreciate it a lot 

# Import CSV file
$csvData = Import-Csv -Path "X:\backupregistry\regkeys.csv"

# Backup directory
$backupDir = "X:\backupregistry"

# Check the backup directory exists
if (!(Test-Path -Path $backupDir)) {
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $backupDir | Out-Null
}

# Loop through each registry key in the CSV file
foreach ($row in $csvData) {
    $key = $row.RegistryKey

    # Get the current date and time
    $date = Get-Date -Format "yyyyMMdd_HHmmss"

    # Define the backup file path
    $backupFile = Join-Path -Path $backupDir -ChildPath ("$(($key -replace '\\', '_'))-$date.reg")

    # Export the registry key
    Invoke-Expression -Command "reg export `"$key`" `"$backupFile`""

    # Check if the .reg file has been created
    if (Test-Path -Path $backupFile) {
        Write-Output "Backup for $key created successfully at $backupFile"
    }
    else {
        Write-Output "Failed to create backup for $key"
    }
}

Added a line to append the date and time to the end of the filename; you can change the format yourself, https://lazyadmin.nl/powershell/get-date/.

You're going to need to run this in an elevated PowerShell (run as administrator) session if you're backing up HKLM keys.

If you want to create a shortcut, create BackupRegistryKeys.cmd and put "start %SystemRoot%\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe -Executionpolicy Bypass -Noninteractive -File "X:\backupregistry\BackupRegistryKeys.ps1". Right click, run as administrator.

Edited by binaryzero

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Google's AI Ultra for Business supercharges Workspace with advanced AI and next-gen tools by Fiza Ali Google has announced the launch of Google AI Ultra for Business, a new add-on for Workspace that delivers the highest-tier AI models and next-generation tools to organisations. Subscribers gain priority access to the Gemini app’s most capable models; Gemini 2.5 Pro, Veo 3, and Deep Research, and will soon be able to use Deep Think as well. In addition, AI Ultra for Business increases usage limits within NotebookLM, granting access to the best available models when they arrive later this year. Users will also benefit from higher quotas for Audio Overviews, notebooks, queries, and sources per notebook, and will be able to enjoy customisable notebook styles and response lengths. Furthermore, organisations on Business or Enterprise Standard and Plus plans already have Gemini integrated across Workspace apps such as Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. Other qualifying Workspace customers can now obtain the majority of these AI-powered features by adding the AI Ultra for Business. When it comes to creative teams, they will find new capabilities in Flow, Google’s AI filmmaking suite, which uses Veo 3 and premium features to generate consistent, cinematic clips from reference images. Subscribers will also get access to Whisk, the dual text-and-image prompt tool that enables idea exploration and visualisation, while Whisk Animate will allow them to turn still images into eight-second video clips using Veo 2. In the United States, access to Project Mariner offers a research prototype that allows users to assign AI agents to carry out tasks, such as research and data entry, concurrently in the background. The tech giant says that all core services accessed via Google AI Ultra for Business (Gemini in Workspace, the Gemini app, and NotebookLM) are protected by enterprise-grade data safeguards under the Google Workspace Terms of Service or applicable offline agreements. Moreover, user content is not subject to human review nor used to train Google’s generative models outside the user’s domain without explicit permission. Flow, Whisk, and Project Mariner operate under their own privacy policies, which customers are encouraged to review. From 26 June 2025, the add-on is available for self-service purchase by organisations on Business Starter, Standard and Plus, and Enterprise Starter, Standard and Plus. Each licence includes 12,500 AI credits per month for use in Flow, Whisk, and any other credit-enabled products. As far as availability is concerned, it varies by country and by feature, so customers are advised to check the Workspace Help Centre for specific details. Google also plans to roll out Google AI Ultra for Business to G Suite Legacy Free Edition and Education customers in the coming weeks.
    • Pro Max Plus. That had to be some sort of parody.
    • YouTube adds AI summaries to search results and expands conversational AI testing by David Uzondu Today, YouTube announced it is adding two new AI features, and one is sort of like AI overviews for its search results. The platform is also expanding access to its conversational AI tool that can answer questions about the video you are currently watching. The primary update is a new AI-powered search results carousel. For now, this is exclusively for YouTube Premium members located in the United States. When you search for something like "best beaches in Hawaii," YouTube might generate a special carousel with short video clips and brief AI-written topic descriptions. It's interesting to see YouTube try this, especially since Google's own AI Overviews had some dangerous hallucination issues at launch, like that infamous suggestion to add non-toxic glue to pizza. The other update involves its conversational AI tool, which it introduced back in 2023. YouTube is now starting to test this with some non-Premium users in the US as well. If you are part of the test, you will see a new button labeled "Ask" positioned near the like and share buttons below a video. Tapping it lets you directly ask questions about the content. For instance, if you are watching a tutorial, you could ask for a summary or even for a quiz on the main points. It feels like every company is desperately shoving a chatbot into its products now. For creators, the AI-generated search carousel might turn into a serious problem. If people are getting everything they need from a summary without ever clicking through, there's not much reason to watch the actual video. That means fewer views, less watch time, and less money. Bad news if YouTube is your job. YouTube says the AI pulls from creator videos to make these summaries, but a quiet nod isn't the same as sending real traffic. And it's still unclear if any of that credit actually helps creators in a meaningful way.
    • Oh for crying out loud, more AI rubbish. It gets everywhere, well almost. i use Numbers on the Mac, which does what I need, at the moment I can turn any AI off, but maybe i should go back to LibreOffice.
    • Google Sheets gets exciting Gemini feature that is still missing in Excel by Usama Jawad We recently learned that Copilot in Microsoft Excel got a big upgrade in the form of context awareness, which is in addition to the formula generation capabilities that were made available earlier. However, no firm has really won the AI race yet, and Google has now edged ahead in at least one domain today, by adding Gemini text generation capabilities in Google Sheets. In a blog post, Google has announced that while you can already leverage Gemini in Sheets to generate charts and insights, you can now generate text using its new AI function too. This function can utilize a natural language prompt and an optional context window to summarize and generate text, categorize information, and perform sentiment analysis. The syntax for the AI function is fairly straightforward: AI("prompt",[optional range]) So you can invoke the Gemini function as follows: =AI("Perform sentiment analysis on the emails sent by the customers to the barbershop.", C2) Or: =AI("Create an email to the reviewer addressing specific items in their reviews.", A2:G2) It is very interesting to note that a similar capability is not offered by Copilot in Excel yet. In my testing, I did get Copilot to generate charts, formulas, and do some text formatting, it simply doesn't seem to have the ability to actually generate textual data directly in a workbook just yet. While an input range isn't mandatory, Google recommends using it for the best results. Just like any cell using a formula, you can refresh the AI cell, and get an indicator about its sync state. That said, a limitation that is present with regards to the AI function is that it only works for the first 200 selected cells in your range. Once that generation completes, you can select more cells and repeat the process, which is a slightly cumbersome experience. The rollout for this capability has begun across Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium, AI Pro, and Ultra plans, so it should be available to everyone sooner rather than later. In the meantime, you can view details about the AI function here.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      Kavin25 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • One Month Later
      Leonard grant earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      pcdoctorsnet earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Rising Star
      Phillip0web went up a rank
      Rising Star
    • One Month Later
      Epaminombas earned a badge
      One Month Later
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      544
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      206
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      177
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      148
    5. 5
      snowy owl
      118
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!