Microsoft explains the lack of Registry backups in Windows 10

Bree said:

My theory is that they broke it in 1803 and can't work out how to fix what they broke, so just called it a 'feature' instead.

That doesn't make sense. How could there be a registry setting to turn it on, and it works when you do then?

bjm said:

Registry restore using command prompt is over-my-pay-grade.

What made you think you need to use the command prompt? If you use acelogix regbak, Restore from within windows using the ui, and restore from outside windows by rt clicking on the regres.cmd and run it - no more input required. A 5yr old could do it.

There should also be copies of the hives in your shadow copies ( if you have shadow copies).

SIW2 said:

What made you think you need to use the command prompt? If you use acelogix regbak, Restore from within windows using the ui, and restore from outside windows by rt clicking on the regres.cmd and run it - no more input required. A 5yr old could do it.
There should also be copies of the hives in your shadow copies ( if you have shadow copies).

Well, I've read.... "If Windows 10 is turned on, you can’t replace the original registry files in the %windir%\System32\Config since they are locked by the system."
Restore Windows 10 Registry from Backup using Command Prompt – TheITBros
Long time since I've been 5yr old.

Ztruker said:

Not so easy to automate a fix, rats. Has to be a two part before and after reboot hack. Oh well.

Code:

From Elevated Command Prompt or Powershell window:
REG ADD "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Configuration Manager" /V EnablePeriodicBackup /T REG_DWORD /D 1

Reboot

From Elevated Command Prompt or Powershell window:
SCHTASKS /RUN /I /TN RegIdleBackup

Edit: That doesn't work:

SCHTASKS /RUN /TN RegIdleBackup
ERROR: The system cannot find the file specified.

The task exists and schtasks can see it:

Folder: \Microsoft\Windows\Registry HostName TaskName Next Run Time Status Logon Mode ================ ======================================== ====================== =============== =======================DESKTOP RegIdleBackup N/A Ready Interactive/Background

Assuming we have added the EnablePeriodicBackup with value 1, then if we provide the full pathname to the RegIdleBackup task and issue the SCHTASKS command as shown above, then the backup will work?
Dan

dalchina said:

Good to see some outcome.. however, whilst clued-in techies might implement this 'fix', the people it is NOT going to help are the (very few) users who have a system that is unbootable or fails to log in because of registry corruption alone.

Why? Because they won't have implemented it. So in that sense knowing this helps us not in trying to help such users who don't e.g. have a disk image to fall back on.

Only good thing is... such situations aren't too common.

Hi there

For most people just get them to take regular backups with FREE programs like MACRIUM -- then any problems with unbootable systems -- just restore.

Once you start encouraging "The Great Unwashed" to start playing around with these things on Windows -- you will create a really hopeless mess of zillions of unuseable computers -- Personally even basic windows I think should come with an automatic prompt every so often for users to backup their systems. It's FREE software, doesn't take long and is easy to do. Forget about registry backups etc -- Even for Geeks why bother if you can image a whole system in around 15 mins -- I hope these people would automatically backup before tinkering around with registry edits etc etc anyway.

Cheers
jimbo