Is there a way to extract the registry out of a system restore file?

[sathenzar]

Basically, there was a cd key of a game in the registry and my girlfriend can't find the box with the key on it. I checked the system restore point and it is in there (the game is labeled as being removed). I know I could do a system restore to this point but

there were an unknown number of changes to the system since then and if I could just extract the back up registry out of it somehow I could just read the key I needed that it removed. I'm just taking a shot in the dark here, maybe it's not that easy.

[SuperJediMedia]

Good question, that would be something that Microsoft should've thought of, for advanced users.

[Singh400]

Which game?

[+Xinok Subscriber²]

You can access the registry files directly in C:\Windows\System32\Config as well as NTUSER.DAT in your user folder.

If you're using Windows 7 (and Vista?), you can explore previous versions of these files. I'm not sure how you can extract the information from these files directly, but hopefully this is a start.

Edit: A program called RegistryLoaderPE might work - http://www.wieldraaijer.nl/others.html

Edited January 9, 2011 by Xinok

[GreenMartian]

Or you could restore back, and undo the restore after you've recovered the key. Simple.

[xdot.tk]

Easily done...

Change the permissions of the System Volume Information so you have access then start regedit, Highlight HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then click file, load hive and load the appropriate registry hive from the snapshot folder.

Don't forget to unload the hive when you are done.