Backing Up Registry

[Kardon]

I can not get into my primary Windows installation. So, I installed a second copy of Windows, and am now booted into that. I am giving up on trying to save the primary installation and am going to reinstall over it, thus erasing my registry.

How can I back up the registry from the first copy of Windows, without being in it?

 

[Ryoga]

The default location for the registry hive is %systemroot%\Config\, so for most WinXP installations tat's c:\Windows\Config. Usually, you can't see any files at all there if that's where the current registry is running, but you should find "SECURITY.", "SAM.", "SOFTWARE.", etc. Those are the registry files.

If you want to access the registry files for the current install, you'll need to boot into the Recovery Console.

 

[Kardon]

So, I should be able to boot into MS-DOS

Then use cp to move the c:/Windows/config and c:/docs and settings folders to a seperate place, then move them back after a fresh Windows install? I don't assume there will be a terrible crash, maybe a few program issues.

 

[Ryoga]

Generally, MS-DOS won't read Windows XP installs. WinXP is generally installed on NTFS partitions, and DOS can't read those without 3rd party software. You have to use the Recovery Console, which is a command-line interface but not DOS, per se.

In any case, if you're planning to do a fresh install the old registry isn't useful anymore. What are you trying to get? The activation files?

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Ryoga
The default location for the registry hive is %systemroot%\Config\, so for most WinXP installations tat's c:\Windows\Config. Usually, you can't see any files at all there if that's where the current registry is running, but you should find "SECURITY.", "SAM.", "SOFTWARE.", etc. Those are the registry files.

If you want to access the registry files for the current install, you'll need to boot into the Recovery Console.

....almost!

It's actually C:\windows\system32\config. The files are System, SAM, Security, and Software. Move them all together if you start playing around with this.

A copy of the registry that was in place at the time of the installation is at c:\windows\repair.
If you've ever done an NTBACKUP of your system state, a copy of the registry at that time is in c:\windows\repair, overwriting the copy that was in c:\windows\repair.

Of course, in the System Volume Information / _repair folders you'll find lots of copies of registries (assuming XP with System Restore points turned on).

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: Kardon
I can not get into my primary Windows installation. So, I installed a second copy of Windows, and am now booted into that. I am giving up on trying to save the primary installation and am going to reinstall over it, thus erasing my registry.

How can I back up the registry from the first copy of Windows, without being in it?

Quick question - why can't you get into it? If you go into the original install's registry and turn off the auto-reboot, do you get a blue screen? What actually happens?

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: Ryoga
The default location for the registry hive is %systemroot%\Config\, so for most WinXP installations tat's c:\Windows\Config. Usually, you can't see any files at all there if that's where the current registry is running, but you should find "SECURITY.", "SAM.", "SOFTWARE.", etc. Those are the registry files.

If you want to access the registry files for the current install, you'll need to boot into the Recovery Console.

....almost!

It's actually C:\windows\system32\config. The files are System, SAM, Security, and Software. Move them all together if you start playing around with this.

A copy of the registry that was in place at the time of the installation is at c:\windows\repair.
If you've ever done an NTBACKUP of your system state, a copy of the registry at that time is in c:\windows\repair, overwriting the copy that was in c:\windows\repair.

Of course, in the System Volume Information / _repair folders you'll find lots of copies of registries (assuming XP with System Restore points turned on).

Don't forget .default too.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: DopeFiend

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: Ryoga
The default location for the registry hive is %systemroot%\Config\, so for most WinXP installations tat's c:\Windows\Config. Usually, you can't see any files at all there if that's where the current registry is running, but you should find "SECURITY.", "SAM.", "SOFTWARE.", etc. Those are the registry files.

If you want to access the registry files for the current install, you'll need to boot into the Recovery Console.

....almost!

It's actually C:\windows\system32\config. The files are System, SAM, Security, and Software. Move them all together if you start playing around with this.

A copy of the registry that was in place at the time of the installation is at c:\windows\repair.
If you've ever done an NTBACKUP of your system state, a copy of the registry at that time is in c:\windows\repair, overwriting the copy that was in c:\windows\repair.

Of course, in the System Volume Information / _repair folders you'll find lots of copies of registries (assuming XP with System Restore points turned on).

Don't forget .default too.

<shrug> It's a user-based key, so for machine disaster recovery it isn't terribly important.

 

[imported_Phil]

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: DopeFiend

Originally posted by: dclive

Originally posted by: Ryoga
The default location for the registry hive is %systemroot%\Config\, so for most WinXP installations tat's c:\Windows\Config. Usually, you can't see any files at all there if that's where the current registry is running, but you should find "SECURITY.", "SAM.", "SOFTWARE.", etc. Those are the registry files.

If you want to access the registry files for the current install, you'll need to boot into the Recovery Console.

....almost!

It's actually C:\windows\system32\config. The files are System, SAM, Security, and Software. Move them all together if you start playing around with this.

A copy of the registry that was in place at the time of the installation is at c:\windows\repair.
If you've ever done an NTBACKUP of your system state, a copy of the registry at that time is in c:\windows\repair, overwriting the copy that was in c:\windows\repair.

Of course, in the System Volume Information / _repair folders you'll find lots of copies of registries (assuming XP with System Restore points turned on).

Don't forget .default too.

<shrug> It's a user-based key, so for machine disaster recovery it isn't terribly important.

Very true, although I've had better results when copying .default as well, not entirely sure why!