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How to Back-Up your Windows Registry

By: Deborah S. Moore


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The Windows registry is a urgent database that is used to store configuration info for Microsoft Windows. The registry is a focal storage point for all personal computer configuration files and data which also takes important software and hardware into account.

Common-or-garden information like the addition or removal of new devices, the installation of software and modification option for programs are stored in the registry as well as more sophisticated info. The registry database even retains key info about stuff like user preferences with a marked effect on the way a user works with his computer.

This information is ceaselessly circulated through the Windows operating system during use to ensure your PC behaves in the way you expect it to.
This information is stockpiled in the registry as a structured and hierarchal table of keys, sub-keys and values. If this info is wrongly changed, the results may cause serious damage to your computer and Microsoft recommend that the registry is backed up before any editing takes place.

it's critical to notice that the registry isn't located to a single file, but is essentially place around a P. C. in many different files. Depending on the system configuration of the computer you are using, the registry can be discovered in any of the locations that follow :

C:Documents and SettingsUser Name ( On Windows 2000 and XP ).
C:WindowsSystem32Config ( On Windows 2k and XP ).
C:Windows ( On Windows 95, 98 and ME ).
C:WindowsProfiles ( On Windows 95, 98 and ME ).

Registry data can be discovered in registry hives that are usually found in the following files :

System.dat, User.dat andPolicy.pol ( On Windows 95, 98 and ME ).
Security, System.alt, Default, Sam, Software, System, NTuser.dat and other files. ( On Windows 2k, NT and XP ).

It is important to note the registry files can't be backed up with Windows NT, two hundred, XP or Vista because they remain locked while the Windows operating system is still in use. Because of this, the 'System Restore' feature need to be used for registry back-up.

Another alternative is to use the registry editor to export either complete or partial files of the registry and back them up employing a popular form of back-up application software. This way, any mistakes in revising can be restored using the backed-up file.
To use the registry editor, use the following technique :

Click Start Run.

In the open box, type the word 'regedit' then click 'OK'.
locate and highlight the root sub-key that contains the junior sub-keys you need to back-up.

Click File Export.

Using the 'Save In' box, choose a location for the .reg file to be saved, name the file and click 'Save'.

Whilst backing up is a studious process when using Windows 2k, NT and XP, the method when using older versions of Windows is essentially automated though back-up can be performed manually if needed.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

To learn much more on how to backup your windows registry, visit AllAboutWindowsRegistry.com where you'll find this and much more, including how to clean a windows registry and fixing windows registry issues.

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