Opening Entire Registry


  1. Posts : 21
    Windows 10
       #1

    Opening Entire Registry


    This is probably going to sound weird. I decided to move back from Windows 10 to Windows 7. So, I copied what I could onto another drive, did a few app setting exports, etc. so that I could install Windows 7 fresh and get started setting things back up more easily. I knew there were going to be things I would need from the registry, but I couldn't remember what all I would need offhand. So, I decided to export the entire registry, thinking that I would be able to open it up after the reinstall, edit together anything I needed to import, and then import. However, now that I am back in Windows 7, it seems it is not as simple as I thought. I am having trouble loading the exported registry. If I open in Notepad, it does not error or such, but I don't think it is loading the entire file because what I want is not found when searching. Also, if I try to open it in MS Word, it will work on it for a while, but then come back with a message saying the max number of pages has been reached, and again, I cannot find what I need in there. What would you say the easiest way to accomplish what I am after would be? For example, if I wanted to get the Outlook account settings out of there, which I know are located at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook (Outlook 2007). Basically, I want to be able to save bits of data from there out as .reg files to import into my now live registry. Thanks much in advance.
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  2. Posts : 419
    Win 7 Pro/32, Win 10 Pro/64/32
       #2

    Me thinks you've missed the point of a registry.......

    It's a listing of programs and files on ONE particular PC, running ONE particular OS, etc. etc. etc.
    Everything on the PC is linked together in one book, which we call the "Registry".

    Like the Phone book,,,,,,,, the one for N.Y. won't work to find a burger joint in Philly.

    If you want a program to run correctly, on a particular OS and PC, install it!

    Good Luck!
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  4. Posts : 419
    Win 7 Pro/32, Win 10 Pro/64/32
       #4

    There are so many oddities about the registry, that a very high percentage of users don't know, and I wish they did.

    For instance, the registry loads into RAM memory and lives there, being accessed and written to, till the computer is shut down. Then and only then is it written back to the hard drive for permanent storage.
    Windows, in its Home versions, was never designed to be left running continuously.
    Originally, is was just assumed that people would turn off their computers when they were done using them, like with any other home appliance, in which case, the Registry would be saved every day, or maybe even several times a day.

    I'm referring to the Registry itself, not a Registry Restore point. That's a little backup copy of the Registry, that is only made according to certain criteria, set up by the user or their PC tech.

    I've gone out on service calls, where I knew from my customer's complaint, that all I'd have to do is a System Restore and everything would be OK again. Then I get to my customer's house, try to do a System Restore and and find out that some jerk has turned OFF the System Restore feature. Arrrrgggghhhh! Then it can take HOURS to fix the problem, instead of just a few minutes.*

    * Every time I do an upgrade, with Windows 10, the installer deletes all the old Restore Points and then turns OFF System Restore, so I have to manually turn it back on. I wonder, just how many Beta Testers of Windows 10 realize this is happening. ???

    I use and depend on System Restore so much that I run a script (thank you, Brink) which I've put in my startup folder, that forces a new restore point to be created every time I boot up my PC, whether that's one time per day or a dozen times per day, depending on how often I have to reboot my PC. I seldom go one week without having to do a System Restore to fix some little problem.

    I do a lot of registry tweaks, to optimize Windows, when I'm setting up a new PC or doing an OS install.
    But knowing how easy it is to type something wrong, or miss a comma or period, I've committed all my Registry Tweaks to VB Scripts which I can run in a second or two without worrying about typing something wrong.

    It's always been amazing to me, that the writers of MS Windows, put in so many registry entries that represent SAFE Defaults, that can be easily tweaked, like replacing a zero (0) with a one (1) to totally change the way Windows runs.
    Many of those "tweaks" have been published on the WWW for anyone who is interested, can download and apply them.

    Sorry this ran so long.

    Cheers Mates!
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  5. Posts : 46
    64-bit 10240 10 Pro
       #5

    TechnoMage said:
    I use and depend on System Restore so much that I run a script (thank you, Brink) which I've put in my startup folder, that forces a new restore point to be created every time I boot up my PC, whether that's one time per day or a dozen times per day, depending on how often I have to reboot my PC. I seldom go one week without having to do a System Restore to fix some little problem.
    Would you have a link to that script?
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  6. Posts : 21
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #6

    I do actually have a pretty good grasp on what the registry is. The only reason I exported the whole registry was so that I would be able to restore settings that I would have forgotten otherwise to backup before formatting, such as my example (at the time, I was thinking it was stored in one of the setting folders rather than the registry). Anyway, all I am wondering is if there's a way I can easily get in there to extract that info and then import it into Windows 7.
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  7. Posts : 428
    Windows 10
       #7

    Just out of curiosity, does this sound like how you exported the registry?

    Export all or part of the registry to a text file: Core Services

    I really wouldn't recommend a registry transplant on a functioning system, especially as a means of restoring personal configurations. The registry is used by many many parts of the OS and is effectivaly installation-specific. For example an installation of Outlook could have entries in different locations (such as in the firewall or filepaths trees) which if not included (or included without corresponding app settings or keys elsewhere) could affect the stability of the application and even the OS itself. It is far better to do any exporting from within the relevant application and reconfigure any other settings from scratch.
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  8. Posts : 21
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #8

    I definitely would not import the full registry. Just a couple missed bits.

    Yes, that does look like the process used to export.
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