Replace Registry with Manual Backup?

[paulericmurray]

Greetings All,

I could just shoot myself in the head! I double clicked on a registry
file from a backup ghost drive and Windows XP immediately started
importing the registry. Not good because the registry was from a
completely different computer.

After that Windows would only partially boot, but not login screen.

I found some Microsoft documents and used the recovery console to get
back to where I was (years ago, I think). Now none of my important
software works. I started Macromedia Fireworks and it is prompting me
for a serial number. Argh!!

I tried system restore, but I don't think this registry knows about
what happened in the past. I could find any 'snapshot' directories.

Several months ago, I opened up regedit and did a manual backup to my
harddrive. I would be thrilled to be back where I was several months
ago.

But now I am terrified of the registry. If I open up Regedit and
import the manual backup will it replace the registry? Will I end up
with duplicate keys? Is there a way to swap one out for another?

I am willing to pay for a registry tool, but I didn't see one that
claimed to do the grunt work behind the scenes of replacing a registry.
They all just seem to say that they fix registries.

My original/corrupted registry is saved in c:\windows\tmp but I don't
know if a tool that I buy can fix that one and then put it back where
it belongs.

Any help would REALLY be appreciated.

Thanks!!

PEM

 

[S.Sengupta]

Simply go for a repair install that will correct everything.

regards,
S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]

 

[cquirke (MVP Windows shell/user)]

I could just shoot myself in the head! I double clicked on a registry
file from a backup ghost drive and Windows XP immediately started
importing the registry. Not good because the registry was from a
completely different computer.

The XP registry consists of serveral hive files that have no file name
extension, residing in System32\Config...
SYSTEM
SOFTWARE
SAM
SECURITY
DEFAULT
....plus an additional...
NTUSER.DAT
....residing in each user profile in D&S.

The first step is to harvest all of the files by these names that you
can find, preferably without booting the HD at all, and using a search
tool that ignores hidden file attributes and system location
suppression (it has to "see" into System Restore's data sets within
the SVI subtree, for example).

For this I would use a Bart PE bootable CDR with Agent Ransack
integrated as a plugin on it. Such tools are free, but you have to be
able to download and configure them either beforehand, or from another
PC, and some skills may be required (i.e. it's not "on a plate").

The grim reality is that compared to "inferior" Win98, XP is piss-poor
at maintaining automatic registry backups. The thinking seems to be
"if you have System Restore, why would you need them?"

Here's how they compare...

Win95:
- one fallback pair of .DA0 files, created on each successful boot
- one ancient install-time SYSTEM.1ST in C:\
- alternate DOS mode boot as HD-based maintenance OS
- DOS mode boot 1.44M as off-HD maintenance OS

Win98:
- 5 FIFO'd RB*.CAB, newest created on each successful boot
- one ancient install-time SYSTEM.1ST in C:\
- alternate DOS mode boot as HD-based maintenance OS
- DOS mode boot 1.44M as off-HD maintenance OS

WinME:
- 5 FIFO'd RB*.CAB, newest created on each successful boot
- one ancient install-time SYSTEM.1ST and CLASSES.1ST in C:\
- NO alternate DOS mode boot
- DOS mode boot 1.44M as off-HD maintenance OS

WinXP:
- no auto-backups of entire hive files whatsoever
- one sliver of "system" fallback kept within same SYSTEM hive
- backup copies of hives stored within SR data in SVI
- NO alternate HD-based maintenance OS boot
- NO off-HD maintenance OS (you have to build your own with Bart PE)

So if you are unable to do a System Restore roll-back, your only hope
is to find recent hive files within the SVI ("System Volume
Information") subtree and manually copy these into place yourself,
using the maintenance OS that MS did not provide. I'd keep copies of
anything you overwrite, when doing so; yes, things CAN get worse!

If you have another PC to hand that can read your file system and hard
drive safely, then you can drop the HD into that PC and do the search,
rename, replace of the hive files from there. To be safe:
- the PC **MUST NOT** boot your HD!!!
- PC's BIOS must have similar understanding of HD geometry
- if your HD is > 137G, PC BIOS should read > 137G
- if your HD is > 137G, PC OS should be at least XP SP1
- if your file system is NTFS, PC OS should be XP or at least Win2k

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