Registry - Backup and Restore

How to Backup and Restore the Registry in Windows 7 and Vista​

   Information

This will show you a few options on how to export the registry as a .reg file backup, and how to import the .reg file to restore to the registry in Windows 7 and Vista.

   Warning

Importing or merging a .reg file backup will only restore the keys and values that were included in the exported backup. If you have added new keys and values since the .reg file backup was created, then these items will not be affected or restored when you import or merge the older exported .reg file backup to the registry. If you wanted to replace the registry completely with a backup, then System Restore (see Method One in OPTION ONE & TWO below) will allow you to do this instead.

OPTION ONE

Backup Registry

METHOD ONE

Using System Restore

NOTE: This is the best method to use since it will replace the current registry with the contents of the registry as it was on the date the restore point was created. These restore points contain information about registry settings and other system information that Windows 7 uses. System Restore points do not include the personal user files.
1. Create a restore point.
NOTE: See information at that link for more details on this.

   Tip

Creating a restore point before making any changes to Windows 7 is the recommended method to use to have the registry backed up.

METHOD TWO

Export Only Part of the Registry as a Backup

NOTE: This will allow you to only export a HKEY or key branch in the registry to a .reg file as a backup.
1. Open the Start menu and type regedit in the search line, then press Enter. (See screenshot below)

2. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to approve.

3. To Export a Registry HKEY Branch
NOTE: This will allow you to backup the entire selected HKEY branch with all of it's subkeys and key values to a .reg file as a backup.
A) Right click on a HKEY branch that you want to backup, and click on Export. (See screenshot below)

B) Select where you want to save the exported .reg file to, type in a name for the .reg file, and click on the Save button. (See screenshot below)

4. To Export a Registry KEY Branch
NOTE: This will allow you to backup the entire selected KEY branch under a HKEY with all of it's subkeys and key values to a .reg file as a backup.
A) Right click on a KEY branch under the HKEY that you want to backup, and click on Export. (See screenshot below)

B) Select where you want to save the exported .reg file to, type in a name for the .reg file, and click on the Save button. (See screenshot below step 3B)

OPTION TWO

Restore Registry

METHOD ONE

From a System Restore Point

NOTE: This will replace your current registry and system files in Windows by restoring the registry and system files in Windows back to how they were on the date the restore point (Option One, Method One) was created.
1. Do a System Restore using a restore point with the date you want to restore you Windows 7 registry and system files back to.
NOTE: See information at link for more details on this.

   Tip

Doing a system restore is the recommended method to use to undo any changes made to Windows with a restore point dated before you made the changes.

METHOD TWO

Restore a REG File to the Registry in Windows

NOTE: Any new keys and values added to the registry not included in the .reg file at the date it was created will not be affected.
1. Merge from the REG File
A) Right click on the backup .reg file and click on Merge. (See screenshot below)

B) Click on Yes and Yes to approve the merge.

C) Go to step 3.
OR

2. Import from Regedit
A) Open the Start menu and type regedit in the search line, then press Enter. (See screenshot below)

B) If prompted by UAC, click on Yes to approve.

C) Click on File on the menu bar, then click on Import. (See screenshot below)

D) Navigate to where you saved the backup .reg file and select it, then click on the Save button. (See screenshot below)

E) You will now see the import progress window. (See screenshot below)

3. Click on OK.

   Tip

If you get the error below, then you will need to do a system restore instead since the keys are in use.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 7
• How to Create a System Restore Point in Windows 7
• How to Backup User and System Files in Windows 7
• How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 7
• How to Extract Files from Windows 7 System Image using Virtual PC
• How to Enable or Disable Regedit in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Add "New Registry File" to the Context Menu in Windows

 

[Infinite]

The Registry worked perfectly.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.

 

[Injust]

Something the ERUNT readme file says:
"Note: The "Export registry" function in Regedit is USELESS (!) for making a complete backup of the registry. Neither does it export the whole registry (for example, no information from the "SECURITY" hive is saved), nor can the exported file be used later to replace the current registry with the old one. Instead, if you re-import the file, it is merged with the current registry without deleting anything that has been added since the export, leaving you with an absolute mess of old and new entries."

 

[Brink]

Something the ERUNT readme file says:
"Note: The "Export registry" function in Regedit is USELESS (!) for making a complete backup of the registry. Neither does it export the whole registry (for example, no information from the "SECURITY" hive is saved), nor can the exported file be used later to replace the current registry with the old one. Instead, if you re-import the file, it is merged with the current registry without deleting anything that has been added since the export, leaving you with an absolute mess of old and new entries."

Hello Injust,

I agree with that for the complete registry. That's one of the main reasons why I recommended using System Restore for the complete registry instead.

Of course, nothing can beat creating a system image.

 

[Injust]

Yup, but many members here have recommended me to export the registry instead of creating an image or using a third-part tool like ERUNT

 

[Brink]

Ooof, that's not good. Exporting parts of the registry is fine, but not the whole thing. :shock:

 

[Neophile]

Hello,
How would be the command to backup a sub-key like at command prompt to use in a batch file or other simple script, please?

 

[Brink]

Hello Neophile,

You can type reg export /? in a command prompt and press Enter to get more details about it like below.



For example, if you want to export the Software registry key below, ....
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software
.... you would type this into the command prompt below to export it with any filename.reg you like. The Y switch is to copy over if that filename already exists.
REG Export "HKCU\Software" filename.reg /Y
It will export the filename.reg file to wherever you have the command prompt open to. In my screenshot below, this would into the C:\Users\Brink folder.



Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Neophile]

Thank you Brink. I had already tried regedit /?, but this was wrong and just opened the registry editor. I had not found the correct help command. Now I tried, but it does not always work . It works when I export a full key, like reg export HKEY_CURRENT_USER trial.reg
The operation completed successfully.
But not when I try to export a deeper subkey, and get an error asreg export HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion trial.reg
ERROR: Invalid syntax.
Type "REG EXPORT /?" for usage.
I wonder what I am missing or if it does not actually export subkeys as I understand from the results of "reg export /?".

It would be very useful for many usages. An example is the Outlook profile for e-mail accounts settings, because it saves all accounts, passwords, etc. The usage is not limited to this, but with this I could make periodic auto-savings.

 

[Brink]

Since the key path has a space in it, you'll just need to have it wrapped in quotes like below instead.

reg export "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" trial.reg

 

[Neophile]

Since the key path has a space in it, you'll just need to have it wrapped in quotes like below instead.

reg export "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" trial.reg

Thank you Brink and sorry for being so silly. I have got confused because if since both long names (over 8.3) and names with spaces appeared we had to place them wrapped in quotes, for some time now the command line accepts them, so I didn't realize it does accept directories and files paths but not registry paths/key names. I didn't know where my error was .

Now I got it working thanks to your patience .

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[WindowsLover7]

Thanks ,, Useful Tutorial

 

[Joeaa]

restore backedup registry

Restore points are not something I trust
to do the right thing when I need it. They usually fail on me.
I've tried importing the registry while windows was running that will not work.

I've done some reading. Tell me any Pros/Cons from doing it this way.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc742021%28v=ws.10%29.aspx

c:\reg import

In Safe mode:
Type or use batch file
c:\reg import E:\MyDocuments\2013.08.07-FullReg.reg
the Command location of my backed up registry

I have 64bitreg and 32bitreg backups, but I only need the 64bit, Right.

I have repair disks and WindowsImageBackup File.
So, if anything bad happens I'm not S.O.L..

Joe

 

[Brink]

Hello Joe,

It will not work in Safe Mode either since Windows is still running.

Importing the complete registry like that is not advised, and will usually cause issues. It would be best to stick with updated system images for that instead.

 

[Joeaa]

hmm ok I feel like i'm beat thanks

 

[Brink]

Well, don't think of it as beaten, but a better more reliable option instead.

 

[grits]

Am I mis-reading this tut or am I really that thick skulled? Seems like I've read many posts where the helper suggested "registry backup" at which point I quit reading because I assumed a long drawn out process with a back up program, thumb or external drive were needed & I don't have any of that. This tut sounds to me like System Restore & Reg. Back up are the same thing??

 

[Brink]

Hey grits,

A restore point includes the registry, but it's not the same thing. Doing a system restore using a restore point is an easy way to restore the registry to how it was when the restore point was created.

Hope this helps.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Shawn as a matter of habit now I always back up the entire registry on an install I take it I can do this by File > Export without just backing up those separate HKEYS? Is there any benefit from doing that?

Or should I just export the separate keys or sub entries?