The Windows Registry holds some of the most important files for Windows and its applications. However, there may be times when you need to make changes to the Registry for troubleshooting purposes. And if you’re not careful, you could cause irreparable damage to your PC. Therefore, it becomes important to learn how to backup and restore the Registry on Windows 11.
While making changes to the Registry is fairly simple, sometimes things can go terribly wrong. The slightest mistake can make the entire database inaccessible. Or worse, your computer might not even boot. This post will discuss the steps involved in backing up and restoring the Registry on Windows 11. So let’s get started.
How to backup registry files on Windows 11
There are several ways for you to back up the Registry. You can create a backup from Registry Editor or use System Restore to achieve the same thing.
1. Use Registry Editor
To back up registry files via Registry Editor, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open Windows Search, type in registry editor and click Run as administrator to open Registry Editor with administrative rights.
Step 2: Click the File menu at the top and select Export.
Step 3: Enter a suitable name for the file and select a location. Under Export Range, select All and press Save.
Wait a few seconds and the backup file will be created on your PC.
2. Use System Restore
While the above method is quite simple, you can also use System Restore on Windows to back up your registry files. This can be useful when Windows starts improperly and you want to recover your registry files through the Enhanced Startup environment.
Step 1: Open the Start menu, type in create a restore pointthen press Enter.
Step 2: Under System Protection, select your system drive. Then click Configure.
Step 3: In the following window, select the ‘Enable system protection’ option under Recovery Settings. Click Apply followed by OK.
Step 4: Next, click Create.
Step 5: Enter a suitable name for the restore point and press Create again.
Windows will take a while to create a system restore point, and it will back up all your registry files in the process.
How to restore the registry on Windows 11
Restoring your registry files on Windows 11 is easy if something goes wrong. Depending on how you backed up the Registry files, you can use Registry Editor or System Restore to restore the registry files.
1. Use Registry Editor
To restore Registry files using Registry Editor, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Click on the Search icon on the Taskbar, type in registry editorand click Run as administrator.
Step 2: Expand the File menu and select Import from the list.
Step 3: Locate and select your backup file. Then click Open.
Wait for your registry files to be restored.
Alternatively, you can also restore the registry file by right-clicking it and selecting Merge.
2. Use System Restore
Step 1: Press Windows key + S to open Windows Search. Knock on create a restore pointand select the first result that appears.
Step 2: Under System Protection, click System Restore.
Step 3: You will be presented with two options. Select ‘Choose another restore point’ and press Next.
Step 4: Select the restore point you created earlier. Then press Next.
Step 5: Review your restore point and click Finish to start the restore process.
Bonus: How to Backup and Restore Individual Registry Keys on Windows 11
If you are only making changes to a select few parts of the registry, which is more common, then you might consider backing up that particular part of the Registry instead of making a copy complete save. It is quite simple to do so. This is the way.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Knock on re-edit in the box and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open it with Administrator rights.
Step 2: Use the left pane to navigate to the key you want to backup. Right click on it and select Export.
Step 4: Enter a suitable name for the backup file and click Save.
That’s about it. Your registry key will be backed up.
You can restore your backup at any time, in case something goes wrong. Just double click on the backup file and click Yes when asked to confirm.
better safe than sorry
Having a backup is always great. But even then, you should only make changes to your Registry after you’ve exhausted all other options. You can choose one of the methods that you are comfortable with and keep the Registry safe.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
