Windows XP Hacks

Safely Edit the Registry Using .reg Files

Forgo the dangers and inconvenience of editing the Registry directly. Instead, use plain-text .reg files.

When you’re editing the Registry, it’s easy to make small errors that cause major repercussions. You may inadvertently edit the wrong key, put in a wrong value, or—given how confusing the Registry is—even make changes without realizing it. The Registry is unforgiving when this happens. It doesn’t keep a backup, so you’re stuck with the new setting unless you’ve made backups yourself, as outlined in [Hack #71].

When you edit the Registry directly, you’re also apt to make errors if you’re making multiple changes, because you have no chance to look at all the changes you’re making at once.

There’s a way to solve both problems: use .reg files to edit the Registry. These are plain ASCII text files that you can create or read with Notepad or any text editor and that you merge into the Registry to make changes. You can create a .reg file from scratch, or you can export it from a portion of the Registry, edit it with Notepad or another text editor, and then merge it back into the Registry. You’ll find that .reg files are particularly useful if you’re going to make changes to the Registry of several computers or if you are leery about editing the Registry directly.

You should also consider creating .reg files to copy the parts of the Registry that you’re about to edit using the Registry Editor. Then, if you make a mistake with the Registry Editor, ...