Backing up with whole registry

[Jon Hitchcock]

Instructions for changing registry keys always start by saying that you
should backup the ristry so that it can be restored. The Help for
regedit (and also Knowledge Base article 322756) indicates that the
best way to backup the whole registry is to use the XP "Backup" utility
to back up the system state. And it says that the "system state"
includes "the registry".

But when I try using this backup, I find that only the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE entries are restored (not those for the current
user).

I am aware that the user hives are stored separately, but regedit
presents the registry as an integrated whole, and so I expected the
help to use "the registry" to mean everything.

My questions are:

1. What is a correct description of the "System State"?

2. Is there a reason for not using regedit "Export" to backup the whole
registry?

3. What is a simple answer to the question "How do I backup the
registry"?

This is in the context of using XP Professional on a stand alone
machine (not in a network) when giving a class an introduction to the
use of the registry.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Personally, I use a small program Erunt to backup/restore the Registry as
'Export' does not include some hives. Erunt is possible to use under 'DOS'
as well, if the system is running FAT32:

http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt/index.htm

Please have a look at the documentation for Erunt.

--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Vagabond Software]

Instructions for changing registry keys always start by saying that you
should backup the ristry so that it can be restored. The Help for
regedit (and also Knowledge Base article 322756) indicates that the
best way to backup the whole registry is to use the XP "Backup" utility
to back up the system state. And it says that the "system state"
includes "the registry".

But when I try using this backup, I find that only the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE entries are restored (not those for the current
user).

I am aware that the user hives are stored separately, but regedit
presents the registry as an integrated whole, and so I expected the
help to use "the registry" to mean everything.

My questions are:

1. What is a correct description of the "System State"?

2. Is there a reason for not using regedit "Export" to backup the whole
registry?

Lots of good questions for which I don't have the answers. You may already know this much, but the Export option is like having a built-in "undo" for individual edits. Anytime I'm going to make changes to the registry, I export the branch in which I am making the edits.

For example, here is the name for one of my exported keys:

HKLM_SoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentversionRun.reg

That way if I find that I have mistakenly disabled a critical application while cleaning out this hive, I can always simply double-click the .reg file to restore it to it's previous state without having to restore the entire registry from the last backup.

If admins/users keep their exported reg files in a System sub-folder (e.g. c:\windows\bak), then even the most destructive registry changes can be undone useing the 'reg load' command from the Recovery Console.

carl

 

[Yves Leclerc]

There is an easier method of backing up the registry. In the registry
editor Regedit, you "EXPORT" the entire registry.

 

[Happy]

Can I ask, Where is the best place to export it to, to be able to re install
from?

 

[Alex Nichol]

1. What is a correct description of the "System State"?

Current state of all settings including those that change dynamically

2. Is there a reason for not using regedit "Export" to backup the whole
registry?

Yes. One it is as a unicode Text file and is enormous. But secondly
there is no proper way to restore it. Import does not replace the
current registry but merges the file into it. Thus unwanted additions
made since the export are not removed - which may well be crucial

3. What is a simple answer to the question "How do I backup the
registry"?

It is backed up daily as part of the days System Restore point, and that
is the normal first line to restore it. For an independent backup over
longer periods, use the free ERUNT
http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt

 

[Alex Nichol]

There is an easier method of backing up the registry. In the registry
editor Regedit, you "EXPORT" the entire registry.

And there is no proper way to restore it

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Some of the Security hives (+ others) aren't 'Exported' with that command,
therefore rendering the 'Import' very difficult, if at all possible.

--


Will Denny
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Please reply to the News Groups

 

[Pop]

Alex Nichol wrote:
....

Yes. One it is as a unicode Text file and is enormous.
But secondly there is no proper way to restore it.
Import does not replace the current registry but merges
the file into it. Thus unwanted additions made since the
export are not removed - which may well be crucial

....

Thank you Alex!
I discovered that "way back" in the '98 days! Only, whenever I
say it out loud, or write it in the open, I'm bombarded with
comments about how wrong I am and worse! Those same people will
not try it though, but a few have tired it and -claimed- it
worked fine. So, I pretty much keep my mouth shut these days.

It's really unfortunate how badly Registry write-ups are: They
never, that I've read at least, tell you HOW to restore the
entire registry; only a key or two. Microsoft doesn't even seem
to say so! And almost all places STILL tell you to "backup your
registry"! But they leave out what to do with that backup or how
to use it! It is useful to export it and restore it sometimes,
but you sure don't do it by importing it! I did it twice once,
thinking the first time didn't "take"! Got quite a surprise when
I opened it to look at it. THEN I couldn't miss all the multiple
entries, OR the size of the thing.

Do you know of a web site that handles the descriptions of using
the Registry properly and in easuy to understand terms? I've
found a couple that I think are right, but I'd never recommend
them to anyone; far too complex in how they present it. I'd
really like to find a good synopsis or overview, I think.

I use the "system state restor" faithfully, but ... haven't
restored it yet either <g>, but ... one never knows. What I
hadn't considered though, was to do it every day - that makes so
much sense I can't ignore it. I just did a couple of file
compares and that convinced me!

Regards,

Pop

 

[Alex Nichol]

I discovered that "way back" in the '98 days! Only, whenever I
say it out loud, or write it in the open, I'm bombarded with
comments about how wrong I am and worse!

At least in Win98 you could boot to command prompt and use the DOS mode
command to recreate an entirely new registry from such a back up. Which
did work, though 98's SCANREG /Restore did a far better job, precursor
of that side of System restore in XP.

BTW you can recover from a restore point in XP by booting to Safe Mode
command prompt, and giving
C:\Windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
which loads the regular System Restore GUI