Backing Up the Registry

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If you're planning on messing with your Windows Registry, it's probably a good idea to back it up first!

Here's how:

1. Click Start /Run and type in "regedit" (no quotes). (If you're in Windows Vista or 7, just type it into the search box.)

2. Next, click the File menu, then " Export".

3. Select a location from the resulting box and give your backup registry a
name. Something like:

Regbackup12-23-2009.

Just a quick note: By default, Windows backs up the registry when you shut down your machine. The above is probably best used for those (like myself) who like to tinker with registry settings.

Now, how to restore the registry you just backed up...

First, if Windows gets an error when loading your registry, it will automatically revert to its backup, so it should never give you any kind of trouble loading.

OK, but what do you do if you've been playing around in your registry and have *really* messed stuff up?

Click the Registry menu (in the Registry Editor) and select Import Registry . Then just point the computer to your back up file.

~Steve

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