The Windows Registry was created in order to simplify the storage of all the important files needed to run the different programs of your computer. With the Windows Registry you no longer have to wonder where the file that’s needed to run a program is stored you just go directly to the registry and search for the program file there. This simplicity has its flip side though. The fact that all the files for running the programs can be found in place also means that it is a lot easier to mess up those files. Messing up the registry is a common problem for Windows user. Corrupted files can be done by accident or by messing, or trying to edit the registry. That is the reason why it is never recommended for anyone to try and edit the Windows registry unless you really know what you are doing and how to do it properly. Common problems with the computer or some of the programs installed in it can be traced to a messed up registry.
Here are some ways to edit the registry:
The most important step when dealing with the Windows Registry is making sure that you have a backup. Never attempt to edit the registry unless you have created a backup for it first. Here are the steps in order to create a backup:
- Click on the start button and choose run.
-Type regedit and then click ok.
-Once you are inside the registry editor choose the key that you want to back up and then choose Export Registry File.
-Choose the folder where you want to save the backup.
-Choose a name for the backup and make sure that it will be something that is easy to remember.
-Click on save to save the backup file.
Now if you are really sure that you want to edit an entry on the Registry then here are the steps that you can follow:
-Click on start and choose run, choose regedit.
- Choose the entry that you want to edit, right click on that entry and choose the option to modify.
- Make that changes that you want on the box that says “value data”.
- Click on OK and then you can exit the editor.
It would also be possible to edit Windows registry from Ubuntu but again the important thing is to remember to have a backup. Because of viruses and other problems there are times when it becomes impossible to restart Windows. In cases like that the Windows registry can be edited from the outside, for example by using Ubuntu. There are specific steps on how this can be done and one has to be quite sure that he knows what he is doing before he even attempts to install a second system on the computer or uses it in making changes on the Windows registry. The most important thing is to always have the right kind of knowledge so that any changes made on the computer will have no adverse effects on the system.