Regedit won't import registry backup saved as .reg file.

[BGC]

Hi,
I backed up my registry by exporting it to a .reg file before I started
making a few changes to the registry.

Now I want to restore the registry, but it won't let me. When I try to
import the saved .reg file I get the following
error message:

"Cannot import regbakfile.reg: Not all data was successfully written to the
registry. Some keys are open by the system or other processes."

I tried to boot to Safe Mode and login as Administrator (even though my user
acct. is also admin), but I get the same message
in Safe Mode as I did before.

What do I have to do to import this saved registry file completely?

Thanks,
BGC

 

[Ron Martell]

Hi,
I backed up my registry by exporting it to a .reg file before I started
making a few changes to the registry.

Now I want to restore the registry, but it won't let me. When I try to
import the saved .reg file I get the following
error message:

"Cannot import regbakfile.reg: Not all data was successfully written to the
registry. Some keys are open by the system or other processes."

I tried to boot to Safe Mode and login as Administrator (even though my user
acct. is also admin), but I get the same message
in Safe Mode as I did before.

What do I have to do to import this saved registry file completely?

Thanks,
BGC

A whole bunch of manual edits of the regsitry, that is what.

Backing up the entire registry as a .reg file is, as you have
discovered, rather useless.

There are two ways of doing what you want to achieve:
1. Use System Restore to set the system back to the date and time
where the registry was the way you want it to be. All System Restore
points include registry data.

2. Use a specialized registry backup utility such as ERUNT (free)
from http://www.snapfiles.com/get/erunt.html

Please note that reverting to a backup registry that is more than a
few days old will quite likely cause more problems than it fixes.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."