How to Backup and Restore the Windows Registry in XP

Aug. 24, 2009 - PRLog -- (PR WEB) July 20, 2009 -- How to Backup and Restore the Windows Registry in XP

Although it is one of the older Windows operating systems (OS), Windows XP is still a powerful workhorse that is very much in use throughout the PC world. Many people who were unimpressed with the bloated nature of Windows Vista or worried about inherent problems that were addressed in later Service Pack updates simply chose to keep running XP until something better comes along.

By most accounts, that something better may well turn out to be Windows 7 (originally known as Blackcomb or Vienna), as testing reviews seem to be pretty positive. As with any new OS release, however, unforeseen problems are as inevitable as the forthcoming Service Packs. It is highly likely that most XP users will stick with their old standby, at least for now. With official Microsoft support for XP on the wane, however, and the inability to get new installation CDs (don’t lose the one you have, if you can find it), backing up your data and the Windows Registry is more important than ever.

To back up your XP registry, open the Start menu, click Run, and enter %SystemRoot%System32RestoreRstrui.exe into the field. Click OK (you might want to cut and paste that rather than try to type everything with no mistakes). The “Welcome to System Restore” page will open up. Select, “Create a restore point” and click Next. You will be prompted to name the new restore point and when you click Create, your system will be backed up according to the configuration in use at that time. This feature actually crates a backup copy of your registry in case something goes wrong in the future.

To restore the system to a previous restore point, follow the same procedures as above, but this time
choose “Restore my computer to an earlier time” and click Next. You will be asked to confirm your selection and the computer will reboot. Upon restart, you will see the System Restore Confirmation page telling you everything went well.

Hopefully. Windows has a nasty habit of going through what seems like the entire restore process only to give a message that the restore failed. If that happens, begin the System Restore process again, working your way back through the various restore points until you come to one that works.

There are other options available as well. Third party software can backup and restore your software, in many cases even if your Windows OS stops functioning completely. Such programs often can prevent problems by properly maintaining and optimizing the registry by removing unused keys that clog your system. Removing these keys can significantly improve performance.

For more information on the Windows Registry, check out the articles at Answer Registry Reviews (www.answer-registryreviews.com). There are reviews of popular registry cleaning, backup and restore software products and you can even use links on the site to download and purchase software online.

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Answer Registry Reviews (www.answer-registryreviews.com) offers relevant articles on the Windows Registry, compares various registry cleaning software products, and offers links to download and purchase solutions to clean and repair your Windows Registry.