Complete Guide to Backing Up and Restoring the Windows 10 Registry

Read about creating and recovering a Windows registry from the command prompt. Utilities to work with the registry and how command prompt can help you deal with registry recovery. The Windows 10 operating system has a built-in database of system settings and programs, known as registry. Inexperienced users are not recommended to make any changes to the registry, delete or add settings as it can result in system failures and the need for the registry recovery Windows 10.

Numerous registry errors and incorrect work can also cause the system to become inoperable and even stop loading.

What Should I Do If The Windows 10 Registry Is Deleted or Damaged?

Recover The Data Lost Because of The Damaged or Deleted Registry

Registry file recovery software Windows 10

Damage to the registry Windows 10 can cause loss of important data.

Recovering Windows registry, damaged or overwritten system files, file system errors or HDD bad sectors are only some of the things to cause loss of data.

Recovering Windows registry will restore operability of the operating system but it can result in loss of user files. It is not always possible to restore Windows operability without a clean installation of the operating system or resetting the computer which can also cause loss of files.

Download for free and scan your computer with Hetman Partition Recovery. Learn about the program functions and step-by-step guide.

The tool recovers data from any devices, regardless of the cause of data loss.

How To Create a Backup Copy of The Windows 10 Registry

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How to Recover Windows 10 Registry From a Backup Copy ♻️📝💻

How to Recover Windows 10 Registry From a Backup Copy ♻️📝💻

  1. Start the line «Run» (with a key combination Win + R).
  2. Type in the command regedit and press Enter.

    Command prompt Windows 10: regedit
  3. In the Registry Editor window that opens, select the menu File / Export.

    Registry Editor Windows 10
  4. Specify the path to the place where your registry backup file with the .reg extension should be saved and click Save.

    Export Registry File in Windows 10
  5. Now the registry backup copy is saved.

How To Recover The Registry From a Backup Copy

Method I:

  1. Start the line «Run» (with a key combination Win + R).
  2. Type in the command regedit and press Enter.

    Command prompt Windows 10: regedit
  3. In the Registry Editor window that opens, select the menu File / Import.

    Registry Editor Windows 10: Menu File / Import
  4. Specify the path to the place where a previously saved backup registry file with the .reg extension is stored and click Save.

    Complete Guide to Backing Up and Restoring the Windows 10 Registry
  5. Restart the computer to complete the process of restoring the registry backup copy.

Method II:

  1. Double-click on the .reg file (it is a file containing the previously saved registry backup copy).
  2. Confirm your decision to edit the registry.
  3. Restart the computer.
Registry Editor Windows 10

Method III:

  1. Right-click on the registry backup file.
  2. Select Merge.
  3. Restart the computer.
Registry Merge into Windows 10

If the computer won’t boot because the registry was damaged, load it in Safe Mode and restore the registry with one of the methods above.

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How to Boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode (All Methods) 👨‍💻⚙️🛠️

How to Boot Windows 10 in Safe Mode (All Methods) 👨‍💻⚙️🛠️

How To Recover The Registry Using The Command Prompt Windows 10

Recovering the registry using the command prompt is relevant when the computer won’t boot because of the damaged registry.

To do it:

  1. Boot the computer using a system recovery disk.
  2. In the window Choose action select Troubleshooting / Command Prompt.

    Extra options Windows 10

    Note. Registry backup copy is stored in the C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack. To recover registry from the Command Prompt you need to copy the contents of this folder to C:\Windows\System32\config (the registry file folder).

  3. Copy backup registry files from RegBack folder to config folder using the following commands in the Command Prompt:

    Xcopy c:\windows\system32\config\regback c:\windows\system32\config

    Type each command into the Command Prompt one by one, and press Enter after each command.

    As you enter the last command, exit, the Command Prompt window will close. Restart the computer.

Registry Recovery Software

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How To Clean The Registry, What Programs Can Be Used and How To Do It Manually ♻️📜👨‍💻

How To Clean The Registry, What Programs Can Be Used and How To Do It Manually ♻️📜👨‍💻

There is plenty of software to access and manage Windows 10 registry. Such programs can help you to find and correct registry errors. As a rule, they scan the registry for invalid paths and file types, control elements, obsolete entries and incorrect fonts, obsolete Start menu items, unused file extensions, program startup errors and list all the problems they have found.

With registry recovery software, you can correct errors and therefore restore your operation system back to normal.

Recovery registry Windows 10 c CCleaner

Windows 10 operating systems also have their own utility for such purpose – Regedit.exe

Registry editor Regedit in Windows 10

To start Regedit.exe:

  1. Start the line «Run» (with a key combination Win + R).
  2. Type in the command regedit and press Enter.

    Start command run in Windows 10: regedit

Have you recovered your Windows 10 operating system registry? Leave your feedback and ask questions in your comments.

Vladimir Artiukh

Author: , Technical Writer

Vladimir Artiukh is a technical writer for Hetman Software, as well as the voice and face of their English-speaking YouTube channel, Hetman Software: Data Recovery for Windows. He handles tutorials, how-tos, and detailed reviews on how the company’s tools work with all kinds of data storage devices.

Oleg Afonin

Editor: , Technical Writer

Oleg Afonin is an expert in mobile forensics, data recovery and computer systems. He often attends large data security conferences, and writes several blogs for such resources as xaker.ru, Elcomsoft and Habr. In addition to his online activities, Oleg’s articles are also published in professional magazines. Also, Oleg Afonin is the co-author of a well-known book, Mobile Forensics - Advanced Investigative Strategies.

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