[windows2000] Link to have handy: How to back up, edit, and restore the registry in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003
- From: "Jim Kenzig Kenzig.com" <jkenzig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, windows2000@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2005 07:26:59 -0700 (PDT)
Well I blew up my new Thin.net server last night with one click in the
registry. Gone in 2 seconds. And of course I didn't have a backup yet..so I am
running on my old server which is 3 months behind in updates.
Had I performed the simple steps in this KB article I might of been able to
recover. Tip...when you are restoring a programs key in the registry don't do
it over the top of the hklm software key...create the key first and restore
over the top of that. I of course knew that but had a senior moment and knew
as soon as I did it that I had just f_ed up. Ended up with a HKLM software key
that had nothing but the info for the one program. Couldn't do nothing after
that. Instead of pulling the plug I pushed the power switch(mistake number 2)
and that darn safety feature in windows 2003 of course didn't shut the computer
down right away until it of course wrote the bad settings to the backup dir.
Damn windows safeguards anyways. I know way better than this. Lesson learned,
don't f with the registry unless you are in a very clear state of mind. God I
feel like an idiot. Happens to best of us.
Jim
Here is the KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/
How to back up, edit, and restore the registry in Windows XP and Windows Server
2003View products that this article applies to.
Article ID:322756Last Review:June 23, 2005Revision:6.4
This article was previously published under Q322756
For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see 322755.
For a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 version of this article, see 323170.
For a Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, and Microsoft Windows
Millennium Edition version of this article, see 322754.
IN THIS TASK?SUMMARY ?Back Up the registry ?Export registry subkeys?Back up the
whole registry?Edit the registry ?Use the Windows user interface?Use Registry
Editor?Use Group Policy?Use a Registration Entries (.reg) File?Use Windows
Scripting Host?Use Windows Management Instrumentation?Use Console Registry tool
for Windows?Restore the registry ?Restore the registry subkeys?Restore the
whole registry?REFERENCES
On this pageSUMMARY Back up the registry Edit the registry Restore the
registryREFERENCESAPPLIES TO
SUMMARYImportant This article contains information about modifying the
registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure
that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For
information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry
NoteThe registry in 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 is
divided into 32-bit and 64-bit subkeys. Many of the 32-bit subkeys have the
same names as their 64-bit counterparts, and vice versa. The default 64-bit
version of Registry Editor that is included with 64-bit versions of Windows XP
and Windows Server 2003 displays the 32-bit subkeys in the following registry
subkey, or "hive": HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node
For additional information about how to view the registry on 64-bit versions of
Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base: 305097 How to view the system registry by using
64-bit versions of Windows
back to the top Back up the registryBefore you edit the registry, export the
keys in the registry that you plan to edit, or back up the whole registry. If a
problem occurs, you can then follow the steps in the Restore the registry
section of this article to restore the registry to its previous state.
back to the top Export registry subkeysYou can follow these steps to export a
registry subkey before you edit it.
Note Do not follow these steps to export a whole registry subtree.
(HKEY_CURRENT_USER is an example of such a subtree.) If you must back up whole
registry subtrees, back up the whole registry instead. 1.Click Start, and then
click Run.2.In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.3.Locate and then
click the subkey that contains the value that you want to edit.4.On the File
menu, click Export.5.In the Save in box, select a location where you want to
save the Registration Entries (.reg) file, type a file name in the File name
box, and then click Save.back to the top Back up the whole registryTo back up
the whole registry, use the Backup utility to back up the system state. The
system state includes the registry, the COM+ Class Registration Database, and
your boot files. For additional information about using the Backup utility to
back up the system state, click the following article numbers to view the
articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 308422 How to use Backup to b
ack up
files and folders on your computer in Windows XP
320820 How to use the Backup utility to back up files and folders in Windows XP
Home Edition
326216 How to use the Backup feature to back up and restore data in Windows
Server 2003
back to the top Edit the registryUse the Windows user interfaceWe recommend
that you use the Windows user interface to change your system settings instead
of manually editing the registry. However, editing the registry may sometimes
be the best method to resolve a product issue. If the issue is documented in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base, an article with step-by-step instructions to edit
the registry for that issue will be available. We recommend that you follow
these instructions very exactly.
back to the top Use Registry EditorUsing Registry Editor incorrectly can cause
serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system.
Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems that result from incorrect use of
Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Editing the registry involves the following six types of procedures: ?Locating
a subtree, key, subkey, or value?Adding a subkey?Adding a value?Changing a
value?Deleting a subkey or a value?Renaming a subkey or a valueLocating a
subtree, key, subkey, or value
There are five top-level registry subtreesEach of them starts with "HKEY." In
the following example, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is the subtree, SOFTWARE is the key,
and Microsoft is the subkey. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
In Registry Editor, you can search through the keys and subkeys in the same way
that you search through your folders in Windows Explorer.
The keys and the subkeys are listed in a folder tree in the left pane of
Registry Editor. If you click a key or a subkey in the left pane, information
about the value name, the value type, and the value data appears in the right
pane.
As in Windows Explorer, each folder may be expanded by clicking the plus sign
(+) that is next to it. After a folder is expanded, the plus sign changes to a
minus sign (-).
Note When this article says to expand an item, click the plus sign next to that
item.
To locate the Microsoftsubkey that is mentioned earlier in this section, follow
these steps: 1.Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2.Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.3.Expand SOFTWARE.4.Click Microsoft.
Note When you click the Microsoft subkey, its values appear in the right pane.
To view the next lower level of subkeys, expand the Microsoft subkey. To locate
a value, click the subkey that contains the value, and then view the contents
of the right pane.Adding a key
To add a new subkey named TestSubkey to the Microsoft subkey, follow these
steps: 1.Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.2.Expand SOFTWARE.3.Click the Microsoft
subkey.4.On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click Key.5.Type TestSubkey,
and then press ENTER.Adding a value
To add a new DWORD Value named TestDWORD and to set its value data to 1 in the
TestSubkey key, follow these steps: 1.Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.2.Expand
SOFTWARE.3.Expand Microsoft.4.Click the TestSubkey subkey.5.On the Edit menu,
point to New, and then click DWORD Value.6.Type TestDWORD and then press
ENTER..7.Right-click the TestDWORD DWORD Value, and then click Modify.8.Type 1,
and then click OK.Changing a value
To change the value data for the TestDWORD DWORD Value to 0 in the TestSubkey
key, follow these steps: 1.Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.2.Expand SOFTWARE.3.Expand
Microsoft.4.Click the TestSubkey subkey.5.Right-click the TestDWORD DWORD
Value, and then click Modify.6.Type 0, and then click OK.Renaming a key or value
To rename the TestSubkeysubkey to Test, follow these steps: 1.Expand
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.2.Expand SOFTWARE.3.Expand Microsoft.4.Right-click the
TestSubkey key, and then click Rename.5.Type Test, and then press
ENTER.Deleting a key or value
To delete the TestDWORD DWORD Value in the TestSubkey subkey, follow these
steps: 1.Expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.2.Expand SOFTWARE.3.Expand Microsoft.4.Click
the TestSubkey subkey.5.Right-click the TestDWORD DWORD Value, and then click
Delete.6.Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete the value.For more
information about editing the registry, follow these steps in Registry Editor:
1.On the Help menu, click Help Topics.2.On the Contents tab, double-click
Registry Editor.3.Double-click How To.4.Double-click Change Keys and Values,
and then click the topic that you want.back to the top Use Group
PolicyMicrosoft Management Console (MMC) hosts administrative tools that you
can use to administer networks, computers, services, and other system
components. The Group Policy MMC snap-in allows administrators to define policy
settings that are applied to computers or users. You can implement Group Policy
on local computers by using the local Group Policy MMC snap-in, Gpedit.msc. You
ca
n
implement Group Policy in Active Directory by using the Active Directory Users
and Computers MMC snap-in. For additional information about using Group Policy,
see the Help topics in the appropriate Group Policy MMC snap-in.
back to the top Use a Registration Entries (.reg) fileCreate a Registration
Entries (.reg) file that contains the registry changes, and then run the .reg
file on the computer where you want to make the changes. You can run the .reg
file manually or by using a logon script. For additional information, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
310516 How to add, modify, or delete registry subkeys and values by using a
Registration Entries (.reg) file
back to the top Use Windows Scripting HostThe Windows Scripting Host lets you
run VBScript and JScript scripts directly in the operating system. You can
create VBScript and JScript files that use Windows Scripting Host methods to
delete, to read, and to write registry keys and values. For additional
information about these methods, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:
RegDelete method
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/script56/html/wsMthRegDelete.asp
RegRead method
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/script56/html/wsMthRegRead.asp
RegWrite method
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/script56/html/wsMthRegWrite.asp
back to the top Use Windows Management InstrumentationWindows Management
Instrumentation (WMI) is a component of the Microsoft Windows operating system
and is the Microsoft implementation of Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM).
WBEM is an industry initiative to develop a standard technology for accessing
management information in an enterprise environment. You can use WMI to
automate administrative tasks (such as editing the registry) in an enterprise
environment. You can use WMI in scripting languages that have an engine on
Windows and that handle Microsoft ActiveX objects. You can also use the WMI
Command-Line utility (Wmic.exe) to modify the Windows registry.
For additional information about WMI, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/wmisdk/wmi/wmi_start_page.asp
For additional information about the Wmic.exe, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 290216 A
description of the Windows Management Instrumentation command-line utility
back to the top Use Console Registry Tool for WindowsYou can use the Console
Registry Tool for Windows (Reg.exe) to edit the registry. For help with the
Reg.exe tool, type reg /? at the Command Prompt, and then click OK.
back to the top Restore the registryTo restore the registry, use the
appropriate method. Restore the registry keysTo restore registry subkeys that
you exported, double-click the Registration Entries (.reg) file that you saved
in the Export registry subkeys section. Alternatively, you can restore the
whole registry from a backup. For additional information about how to restore
the whole registry, see the Restore the whole registry section.
back to the top Restore the whole registryTo restore the whole registry,
restore the system state from a backup. For additional information about how to
restore the system state from a backup, click the following article number to
view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 309340 How to use Backup to
restore files and folders on your computer in Windows XP
Note Backing up the system state also creates updated copies of the registry
files in the %SystemRoot%\Repair folder. If you cannot start Windows XP after
you edit the registry, you can replace the registry files manually by using the
steps in the "Part One" section of the following Microsoft Knowledge Base
article: 307545 How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows
XP from starting
back to the top Back to the top
REFERENCES314837 How to manage remote access to the registry
310595 Description of HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry subkeys
310593 Description of the RunOnceEx registry key
307545 How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from
starting
104169 Files that are automatically skipped by the backup program
(NTBackup.exe) during the backup and restore processes
310426 How to use the Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Registry Editor
features
back to the top Back to the top
---------------------------------
APPLIES TO?Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition?Microsoft Windows
Server 2003, Enterprise Edition for Itanium-based Systems?Microsoft Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition?Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise
Edition?Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition?Microsoft Windows
Server 2003, Web Edition?Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Premium
Edition?Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard Edition?Microsoft
Windows XP Home Edition?Microsoft Windows XP Professional?Microsoft Windows XP
Tablet PC Edition?Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2002?Microsoft
Windows XP Professional for Itanium-based systems?Microsoft Windows XP
Professional for Itanium-based systems
Back to the top
Keywords: kbhowto kbhowtomaster kbregistry kbenv kbbackup kbgpo kbacwsurvey
KB322756
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