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Registr backup - how?

Housten
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Posted May 28, 2012 at 3:31PM

Good afternoon, everyone.

I know this is a silly question, BUT I thought I was backing up my registry and I don't think I am. What I was doing was to get into 'Control Panel', click on 'System', then 'System protection', make certain that my Windows 7 partition was highlighted, click 'Create', usually 'name' it for that day, click 'OK' and 'OK' when it appeared to be done. But I did one this morning and later happened, purely by chance, to see that the size is 1 KB!! I realise this is impossible, and would like - if possible - for some to write an idiot's guide for me so that I have something to follow in order to back the registry up. As I have said eleswhere I can not get 'Backup and Restore' to work from 'Control Panel' and am wondering if that is part of the problem.

Does the registry get backed up when I do a system backup? This is part of my weekly routine but I don't know whether it is or not, and, much more to the point, could I restore the registry from a system backup? I don't know if it can be done, but would dearly like someone with the knowledge to tell me.

Many thanks in anticipation.

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xania

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Posted May 28, 2012 at 3:50PM

To specifically backup registry, the simplest I have found is to run regedit, then which will create a *.reg files you can save wherever you like.

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rawprawn

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Posted May 28, 2012 at 5:17PM

Go to Run >Type regedit > Make sure Compter is highlighted (it is by default) > File > Export > choose where you want the backup stored.

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xania

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Posted May 28, 2012 at 7:34PM

Sorry, but my post corrupted - should have read:

To specifically backup registry, the simplest I have found is to run regedit, then which will create a *.reg files you can save wherever you like.

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Nontek

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Posted May 28, 2012 at 9:17PM

Another way to backup Registry is simply to create a new Restore Point!

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Secret-Squirrel

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Posted May 29, 2012 at 8:32AM

What I was doing was to get into 'Control Panel', click on 'System', then 'System protection', make certain that my Windows 7 partition was highlighted, click 'Create'..............and later happened, purely by chance, to see that the size is 1 KB!!

You're doing the right thing by setting a System Restore point as it not only backs up the complete Registry but also the current state of the operating system allowing you to roll-back if you get problems.

I'm puzzled by the 1KB size you saw. Where did you see this exactly?

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Housten

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Posted May 29, 2012 at 12:21PM

Good morning, everyone,

Thank you all for your replies. being a brian dead old buffer I didn't/hadn't realised that a registry backup was part of a restore point. Knowing this will make me much more confident when creating a restore point that the registry is backed up as well.

Secret-Squirrel,

What I tried to do was to set up a directory for registry backups. I have a 'Documents' directory, under which is another 'Documents' which has various 'My..' somethings in it. As I wasn't using it, it seemed a good place to put 'My Registry', and it is showing a size of 1 KB. However I will now be deleting this and just use restore point creation in future. That is always assuming that I can create restore points, and - much, much more to the point - I can actually restore from a restore point.

So to repeat myself, many, many thanks to everyone for their replies.

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Nontek

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Posted May 29, 2012 at 4:57PM

Good, thanks for your feedback.

Don't forget to Green-tick the thread!

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Secret-Squirrel

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Posted May 29, 2012 at 5:25PM

...."That is always assuming that I can create restore points, and - much, much more to the point - I can actually restore from a restore point...."

It's likely to be fine Housten, but to put your mind at rest, why not do a dummy run?

Create a new System Restore point as normal. Next, click the "System Restore" button near the top of that window and check that your restore point is listed. If it is then click on it and proceed with the restore. The worst thing that can happen to your PC is a message that says: "System Restore did not complete successfully. Your computer's system files and settings were not changed."

PS: It's worth checking to that in the "Protection Settings" section, your "System" drive (usually C:) is showing as having protection "On".

"...What I was doing was to get into 'Control Panel', click on 'System', then 'System protection', make certain that my Windows 7 partition was highlighted, click 'Create'..."

There's no point in specifying a partition by highlighting it as it doesn't do anything - if you need to set a restore point then just click the "Create" button.

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xania

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Posted May 31, 2012 at 11:59AM

Never been too happy with Restore Point. Too many of minme have gone missing. Ok for short term backup but longer term I still prefer my solution.

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Nontek

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Posted May 31, 2012 at 1:55PM

xania

I have only had a PC for twelve years, and in all that time have never had any trouble using System Restore, in fact it has saved my bacon more than once.

I do regularly make full backups with ATI, always the latest paid-for version, but System Restore has saved me needing to use ATI in anger!!

I love System Restore, although I would never be without ATI.

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