Use Regedit
If you use Microsoft Windows, your operating system stores all of its configuration settings in a large database called the "registry." Even if you don't know what the registry is, the programs you use every day are modifying it. Editing the registry can help you fix major problems with your operating system, and to do that you will need to learn how to use Regedit, the Windows program designed for making changes to the registry.
Steps
- Back up the registry before making any changes to it. Making the wrong change to the registry can cause your Windows system to become inoperable. Backing it up beforehand is a good idea; an easy way to do this is by using System Restore, a utility built-in to Windows, to create a system restore point.
- Launch the Regedit program. Click on the "Start" button, and then click on "Run." In the dialog box that appears, type "regedit" into the text box, and then click the "OK" button.
- Familiarize yourself with the Regedit interface. When the program launches, you will see a window divided into 2 panels. The right panel will be empty, and the left panel will show a list of 5 folders all beginning with the letters "HKEY." These are the 5 "hive keys," or main registry keys. Clicking on the plus sign next to each folder will allow you to navigate deeper into each key.
- Navigate to the key to which you want to make changes. If you aren't sure which key you're interested in, it is best to use the Regedit help file or an online support site to determine what it is you want to do. The Windows registry is massive, and contains crucial system files that can cause serious problems if altered.
- Make the needed changes to the key in which you're interested. Once you've navigated to the right key in the left-hand panel, right click on it. A context menu will appear with several options.
- Click on "New" to add a new key underneath the key you have selected.
- Click on "Delete" to delete the key. If the selected key is associated with a program that you have uninstalled, you can safely delete the key.
- Click on "Export" to save all the information contained in the selected key on your hard drive. This is a good way to back up an individual key before making any changes to it.
- Add any new registry files that you want to import into the registry. Registry keys are saved using the .reg extension, which is really just a plain text file. This is helpful if you are trying to add information to the registry from an online source that is presented as text. Copy the text into a text editor (like Notepad), and save the file with the .reg extension. Once you've saved the file, simply double-click on it to add it to the registry.
- Consider using System Restore as an alternative. If you are using Regedit to attempt to fix a major problem with your operating system, remember that System Restore automatically creates restore points at regular intervals. You can easily choose to restore your system's configuration to a date before the problem arose, and that will restore the registry in the process.
Tips
- There are several applications available that allow you to make changes to the registry without having to use Regedit's intimidating interface.
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Microsoft Windows
