Windows XP Hacks

Track and Restore Registry Changes with RegSpy

Protect your Registry and track changes to it made by programs with this downloadable goodie.

An excellent way to keep your Registry safe is with RegSpy, which watches the changes programs make to the Registry, tracks and reports on those changes, and then lets you restore your Registry or use your knowledge about the changes the program makes to fine-tune the way the program runs. One of the program’s more useful features is the way it lets you undo changes on a program-by-program basis by building a RollBack script for that program. When you roll back the Registry, you’ll roll back only changes made by that one program, not by any others. This is far superior to XP’s System Restore, because System Restore makes changes en masse; there’s no way to use it to save some changes and delete others.

My favorite RegSpy feature is its SnapShots, which creates files in JavaScript or Visual Basic format and lets you review all the Registry changes and repeat all the Registry changes that took place, step by step. That way, you can get a better understanding of the changes programs make during the installation process, and you can better undo or customize any changes made. It’s also a great way to learn more about the Registry; watching the changes made by several different programs gives you insight into its inner workings.

RegSpy is shareware and free to try, but it costs $19.95 if you continue to use it. It’s available from http://www.utils32.com/regspy.htm ...