Backing up the Windows XP registry

[LK.]

*Prepare the PC (no viruses, spyware, adware or malware on the disk)

*Defragment Windows using the Disk Defragmenter

*Create a folder titled registry backup in My Documents or your own personal directory

*Open the start menu and click run - type regedit in the search box

*Right click on HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and select Export - export it to the folder you created earlier and name it HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

Do the same for the other branches, like you did with the above, they are:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

HKEY_USERS

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

As always it's best to create a backup when/if the computer is in "working" condition

ie. no errors, viruses, and corrupted files, for obvious reasons :yes: :no:

This is only useful for restoring a damaged registry, not files/folders :yes:

[+Warwagon MVC]

why don't we just backup the files under c:\windows\system32\config that way if it breaks we just have to replace 1 file and it can be done outside of windows if windows doesn't wanna boot

[turkishdelight]

Would work, unless the C: partition is damaged somehow. Also, it's a pain to use up that much space when you have a 10 GB C: partition and can't back it up (like me) :no:

[futb0l]

why don't we just backup the files under c:\windows\system32\config that way if it breaks we just have to replace 1 file and it can be done outside of windows if windows doesn't wanna boot

586221251[/snapback]

Yeah. This way is good if you messed up your Windows for some reason, and you haven't backed up your registry :p

[RPCR]

Why not just right-click on "My Computer", in regedit, and then Export the whole thing?