How to backup Registry Keys in Windows XP

How to backup Registry Keys in Windows XP?

Making changes to the Windows Registry in Windows XP can be a little intimidating considering how important and sensitive the registry is.

Before you make any change to any registry key, you should export any registry subkeys that contain values that you're planning to make changes to.

Once backed up, you can feel comfortable that just about any minor change you make can be undone quickly.

Follow these easy steps to backup registry subkeys in the Windows XP Registry.



Step1. Click on Start and then Run....


Step2. In the text box in the Run window, type regedit and click OK. This will open the Registry Editor program.


Step3. Using the [+] icon, navigate down through the branches until you reach the subkey (the folder on the left) that contains the value(s) you're going to change in the window on the right.


Step4. Make sure the subkey you navigated to in the previous step is selected on the left.

Step5. From the Registry Editor menu, choose File and then Export....



Step6. In the Export Registry File window that appears, choose a location to save the file in.

Note: I recommend choosing your desktop or the C:\ drive. Both are easy to access in case you run into problems later and need to use the file.

Step7. Locate the File name: text field and enter a name for the backup file.

Note: This name is for you to remember what the exported registry file is for. This name has no effect on anything and doesn't have to be named something technical. If you're backing up a registry subkey named {EFA24E64-B078-11D0-89E4-00C04FC9E26E}, feel free to call it My Reg Backup or whatever makes sense to you.

Step8. Click the Save button.

Note: A Registration File with an REG file extension will be created in the location you chose in Step 6 and with the file name you chose in Step 7. Continuing the example from the last step, the file would be named My Reg Backup.reg.

Step9. You can now make changes to the registry keys inside the subkey that you just exported.

Step10. If at any point in the future you'd like to undo any changes you've made to these registry keys, simply restore the registry keys back into the Windows XP Registry.




Note: If you feel the above operation is difficult and not convenient. Here we recommend Registry Booster, a powerful tool helps you to clean, backup, restore and defrag registry by few clicks.

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