Web Analytics

Windows Tools, Help & Guides



Windows Guides Feed
    Home Basics Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP Software Freebies Forums About Follow via RSS  Follow via Twitter  Follow via Facebook  Follow via Email   
By Rich
January 15, 2009
View Comments

Working with the Windows Registry (Windows 7, Vista, XP)

This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. In this guide, you will learn what the Windows Registry is, how to access and configure it, and how to backup and restore it.

This guide covers the following:

What is the Windows Registry?

Think of the Windows registry as a control center for your computer. Windows settings, individual program settings, and other important configuration information are stored here.

Accessing the Windows Registry Editor

In Windows 7, press the start button, type regedit, and press Enter.
In Windows Vista, press the start button, type regedit, and press Enter.
In Windows XP, press Start > Run (WINKEY + R) and type regedit and press Enter.

When the registry loads you will be presented with a screen that looks like Figure 1. The registry is made up of the following components:

  • Keys
  • Subkeys
  • Values

Working with the Windows Registry

Figure 1: Screenshot of the Windows Registry Editor

Backing up the Windows Registry

You may back up the entire registry, or a single key you are working on. Following are instructions on performing both of these tasks in Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

Backing up the entire registry

Windows 7

1. Click Start type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow
2. Wait for Windows to search for available disks and most recent restore points. In the System Properties dialog box, on the System Protection tab, click Create
3. Type a name for the restore point and then click Create
4. After the restore point has been created successfully, click OK two times
Note: If System Restore is turned off, click to select the local disk, click Apply and then click Create.

Windows Vista

1. Click Start type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow
2. Wait for Windows to search for available disks and most recent restore points. In the System Properties dialog box, on the System Protection tab, click Create
3. Type a name for the restore point and then click Create
4. After the restore point has been created successfully, click OK two times
Note: If System Restore is turned off, click to select the local disk, click Apply and then click Create.

Windows XP

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then click OK
2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Create a restore point, and then click Next
3. On the Create a Restore Point page, type a name for the restore point and then click Create
4. After the restore point has been created, click Close
Note: If System Restore is turned off, you receive a message that asks whether you want to turn on System Restore now. Click Yes. Then, in the System Properties dialog box, click to clear the Turn off System Restore check box, click OK, and then repeat this step.

Backing up a Single Key

  • Find the key you want to back up and right click on it
  • Click Export (see Figure 2)
  • Save the file somewhere safe with a distinctive name

Working with the Windows Registry

Figure 2: Exporting a Single Key in Windows Registry Editor

Restoring the Windows Registry

You may restore the entire registry, or a single key you are working on. Following are instructions on performing both of these tasks in Windows 7, Vista, and XP.

Restoring the Entire Registry

Windows 7

1. Click Start, type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow
2. In the System Properties dialog box, on the System Protection tab, click System Restore
3. In the System Restore dialog box select Choose a different restore point, and then click Next
4. Select the restore point that you want to use, and then click Next
5. Confirm your restore point, and then click Finish System restore - this restores the selected Windows 7 configuration and then restarts the computer
6. Log on to the computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK..

Windows Vista

1. Click Start, type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow
2. In the System Properties dialog box, on the System Protection tab, click System Restore
3. In the System Restore dialog box select Choose a different restore point, and then click Next
4. Select the restore point that you want to use, and then click Next
5. Confirm your restore point, and then click Finish System restore - this restores the selected Windows Vista configuration and then restarts the computer
6. Log on to the computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK..

Windows XP

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\System32\Restore\Rstrui.exe, and then click OK
2. On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Restore my computer to an earlier time (if it is not already selected), and then click Next
3. On the Select a Restore Point page, click the system checkpoint. In the On this list select the restore point area, click an entry that is named “Guided Help (Registry Backup),” and then click Next. If a System Restore message appears that lists configuration changes that System Restore will make, click OK.
4. On the Confirm Restore Point Selection page, click Next. System Restore restores the previous Windows XP configuration and then restarts the computer.
5. Log on to the computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK..

Restoring a Single Key

  • Find the key that you previously saved
  • Double click on the file and select Yes

Adding Keys or Values

In some of the tutorials on this website you will need to create a new key or value.

Adding a New Key

To add a new key, do the following:

  • Right click on the parent key
  • Select New > Key (see Figure 3)
  • Follow the guide’s instructions for what key name to assign

Working with the Windows Registry

Figure 3: Adding a New Key in the Windows Registry Editor

Adding a New Value

To add a new value do the following:

  • Navigate to the key that you want to add a value to
  • Right click in the blank space of the right pane (see Figure 4)
  • Select New > xx (Where xx is the value specified in the guide)
  • Follow the guide’s instructions for what value to assign

Working with the Windows Registry

Figure 4: Adding a New Value to a Key in the Windows Registry Editor



Looking for something else?


Share/Save/Bookmark

Get free books and software from Windows Guides
www.mintywhite.com

Further Reading

Comments

  • Justin Guy
    Faster shutdown registry tweak:

    Go to start, type in run on the search bar when you see run
    under the programs section, click it and on the box, type in
    regedit. On the next box that opens, navigate to the folder:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control

    and look for or make the key named

    WaitToKillServiceTimeout=0500

    than go to: HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop

    and set string values or make:

    AutoEndTasks=1
    HungAppTimeout=0500 or 0
    WaitToKillAppTimeout=0500 or 0
    WaitToKillServiceTimeout=0500 or 0

    PowerOffActive= 1

    Restart computer.

    Lower time system moves applictaions in foreground

    Go to start, run, regedit, and in the regedit window, go to:

    HKCUControl PanelDesktop

    set ForegroundLockTimeout to 0.

    Faster start up tweak

    We are going to tweak the prefetch on the registry editor.

    Go to start, type in run on the search bar when you see run
    under the programs section, click it and on the box, type in
    regedit. On the next box that opens, navigate to the registry folder:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerMemory ManagementPrefetchParameters
    Look for the key named EnablePrefetcher.
    It has 4 different values.
    0- Disable
    1- Cache application
    2- Cache Boot system files
    3- All, Caches everything.
    A cache is a temporary storage area where frequently accessed data can be stored for rapid access.
    We are going to set this value to 2, so it accesses the boot files only.
    Restart.
    Restart again.
    The second time it restarts, your computer booting time will be somewhat to a lot faster. This does not always work.

    UAC(User Account Control) Registry tweak.

    Click start>type in the search box regedit or if you have run type regedit>then navigate to the key named HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystemEnableLUA

    Double click the key and set it to 0.

    Exit the registry editor, reboot and your settings should take effect.

    If you like UAC, do the same thing except set the value to 1.

    -------------------------------------
    Menu Show Delay Tweak

    Menu show delay registry tweak.

    Start>Run type in regedit or type in regedit on the search box> click it.

    In regedit navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelDesktop.

    Double click on the key called MenuShowDelay and set it to however many milliseconds you want to wait bfore a menu shows. Turning it to 0 turns the delay off. Warning, it will get a little bit harder to navigate through menus by turning the delay off.
  • Justin Guy
    here are some registry tips:
    Better Overall Performance
    Go to start, run, and type in regedit in the search bar. When the regedit window opens, go through the folders

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESystemCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerExecutive
    Set the AdditionalCriticalWorkerThreads and AdditionalDelayedWorkerThreads to a decimal between 1 and 25

    Then exit. Than restart. Your startup and performance will be faster. If your a gamer, set both keys to 5. If your a

    multi- tasker, like me( opening many IM-ing boxes), Set it around 15.



    Faster Speed and Stability

    Go to start, run, type in regedit in the search box. Than in the registry editor window, navigate through:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetContro lPriorityControl

    Change the value of Win32PrioritySeparation from 2 (default) to 38. Close regedit.
    Browse "ComputerToolsFolder OptionsView" and tick the "Launch folder windows in separate process" box. From now on, Windows will open any new window in its own memory and in separate process priority.

    NOTICE:This will increase stability and speed but use much more RAM than before.

    Improve Performance

    Go to start, run, regedit, and in the regedit window, go to:
    HKLMsystemCurrentControlSetControlSessionManagerMemoryManagementDisablePagingExecutive

    Set the value to 1. Restart.

    Making this value to 1 is good when debugging drivers, because all of the code and data are always memory resident. It also improves performance on machines with a lot of RAM, AKA memory, because it prevents disk reads to get code or data.


    Increase Startup and Item opening time

    Go to start, run, regedit, and in the regedit window, go to:
    HKLMsystemCurrentControlSetControlSessionManagerMemoryManagementLargeSystemCache

    Set it to 1. Restart. Your PC should be faster. But, It MAY take up more space on your hard drive. :]

    Increase NTFS Format Drives, Flash Drives, Hard Drives, External etc.

    Go to start, run, regedit, and in the regedit window, go to:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlFilesystem

    Look for NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate and set it to 1, NtfsDisable8dot3NameCreation = 1,
    NtfsMftZoneReservation = 1. If you don't have it, right click anywhere, click new,
    Dword, and name it NtfsDisableLastAccessUpdate and set it to 1. Restart.

    FROM: www.ultimatetweakers.webs.com ( my site)
  • Giorgos.
    Hi! :-)

    For some reason (probably for not violating the trial restrictions), the official regedit doesn't do a complete registry backup.
    A better (at my opinion), freeware complete reg backup program, is ERUNT (from there: http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/ ).

    Greets!!!
    Giorgos. :-)
  • Andrew, have you contacted Corel customer support? I have not used Corel products before and a few Google searches didn't help me answer your question.
  • Andrew Drajna
    have a recurring message when using corel photo house on vista premium , message as follows "Value not set failed to update system registry , try using reg edit "
    how does one do so without knowing the value or the key you need to place in the registry to stop this issue . The program works just annoying with this constant message after each use.
blog comments powered by Disqus


Sponsors / Links
Windows Forums

MVP Profile