Creating a Complete Registry Backup
From TPU Reference
Why would you want to do this?
The registry is one of the most important areas of your computer, storing information about nearly every application you have installed, and can be very sensitive to change. Due to this nature, if any software were to install/uninstall incorrectly or if you accidentally delete the wrong key, your Windows installation could find itself malfunctioning. Therefore, backing up the registry before any major actions such as updating drivers or installing complex software is strongly recommended. You should make a habit of backing up your registry at least once a month.
How to backup your registry
Backing up the registry is actually a relatively simple procedure, taking anything from a few seconds to a few minutes depending upon the speed of your computer and how much software you have installed. Below are the steps you should follow (intended for Windows XP and Vista but other versions of Windows will follow a similar procedure):
- Firstly, launch the Registry Editor. To do this, open your Start menu and select “Run…”
- Once the Run window has opened, type in “regedit” (without the quotes) and hit enter - this should load the Registry Editor
- Next click on “File” and select “Export…”
- After this, the window shown in the screenshot will be displayed. In this window you firstly need to select “All” in the bottom left corner of the screen to ensure your complete registry is backed up
- Next you need to select a name for you backup – something like “reg_backup” used in the screenshot would be suitable, possibly adding the date so you know when the backup is from
- Finally chose a location to save your registry backup and click on “Save”. It might be a good idea to copy your backup to another computer or at least a portable storage device in case something goes wrong with your computer
This will begin the backup procedure which may take a few minutes, so be patient
Please note: although backing up the registry is useful in a number of circumstances it does not make a copy of any of your personal files or applications, so ensure you have backup copies of any important data at all times
