How to backup the Windows XP registry?
What is Windows Registry?
The Windows Registry is a Hierarchical Database of all Users, Applications and Hardware Devices in the PC.
A corrupt registry can seriously damage the Windows installation in your computer and leave you with the options to reinstall or if possible, restore a Backup Copy of the Registry. Whenever you plan to make any major changes to a system, make a fresh copy of the Registry and keep it in a safe place – just in case you have problems later.
You can backup the Entire Registry, or if you’re experienced enough you can backup only the Subtree in which you’ll be making changes. Backing up the entire database is fast, so making a full backup is generally recommended.
Method 1:
You can backup the Windows Registry by by going to Start, then Run and type regedit. Next go to File, then Export. This will take you to the Export Registry Window (as shown in the below image), where you can choose where to Export your Registry to. You can choose any Location in your Computer or even an External location to backup your Registry to. The backed up file will be saved with a .reg extension.
In the image above, look at the Red Arrow – in that location, you have an option called Export Range. If you select All, you can Backup the Entire Registry. However, if you only select Selected Branch, then you will only be backing up the particular registry branch. (It is best to leave this option to the more advanced users!)
Method 2:
You can also backup the entire Registry using the Windows XP Backup Utility.. Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, then Backup. Run the Backup Wizard and select Only Backup The System State Data. This will backup the registry, the COM+ class registration database, files under Windows File Protection, and boot files. Save these to an appropriate location.
Method 3:
Another simple way to backup the Windows XP Registry is to just create a System Restore Point.
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