Why edit windows registry

Some programs store all or just some of their settings in configuration files—for example, under your Application Data folder. But Windows itself makes extensive use of the registry. Most Windows users will never need to touch the registry. However, you can edit the registry yourself with the Registry Editor, included with Windows. It lets you click through the registry and change individual registry settings. Some things you can only achieve by hacking the registry.

Other settings are available in Group Policy on Professional editions of Windows , but you can usually change them in a Home edition of Windows by tweaking the registry.

We generally recommend backing up the registry and your computer , which you should always have backups of! But if you follow legitimate instructions properly, you will not have a problem. Editing the registry is pretty simple. This gives the Registry Editor the ability to modify system settings. Navigate to whatever key you need to modify in the left pane. To change a value, double-click it in the right pane and enter the new value.

In other cases, you may need to create new keys folders. The registry hack will tell you what you need to do. You can also edit the registry by downloading and running. You should only download and run. Better yet, you can make your own registry hack files. Browse All iPhone Articles Browse All Mac Articles Do I need one?

Browse All Android Articles Browse All Smart Home Articles Customize the Taskbar in Windows Browse All Microsoft Office Articles What Is svchost. Browse All Privacy and Security Articles Browse All Linux Articles Browse All Buying Guides. Best Portable Monitors. Best Gaming Keyboards. Change the Value Data to whatever is appropriate and press OK.

At times, you may need to create a new registry value. For instance, if the registry value for a setting you want to edit doesn't exist, you can create it. For a new value to work, however, you must make sure you are in the corresponding registry folder.

There is no use in placing a new registry value in any old folder; it could negatively affect your system or worse. First, make sure you are in the correct Registry Editor location.

Type the name of the value, assign it whatever attributes it needs and hit OK. Sounds vague? That's because you will only create new registry values on a case-by-case basis, and there are several different registry value types. But that isn't always the case. If a key, or folder, you need doesn't exist, create the correct folder structure by creating new subkeys in each folder. You can create your own. Taking a backup is a great idea if you are about to edit the registry.

You can back up individual keys and values, or the entire registry. Although backing up the entire registry sounds time-consuming, it isn't. For most people, the registry will amount to hundreds of megabytes. For instance, my entire Windows Registry weighs in at MB, as you can see below:. Anyway, back to the exporting. Right-click the registry key in the left panel , select Export. The contents of the key will save to a. Double-clicking a. Adding a. Instead of creating or editing each value manually, double-clicking the.

For many registry hacks or alterations, you will have to restart your system before the change takes effect. You will come across. However, you shouldn't download and run any old. A malicious registry file could wreck your system settings with a single file. Before running the.

Note Use a file name that reminds you of the contents, such as a reference to the name of the subkey. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to export the subkey again, but use a different file name for the. You can use this. Test your changes on the local computer. If they cause a problem, double-click the file that holds the backup of the original registry data to return the registry to its original state.

If the changes work as expected, you can distribute the. To delete a registry key with a. For example, to delete the Test subkey from the following registry key:.

For example, to delete the TestValue registry value from the following registry key:. The following example has a. To rename a key or value, delete the key or value, and then create a new key or value with the new name.

You can send a. When users run the. Registry Editor Are you sure you want to add the information in path of. If the user clicks Yes , the user receives the following message:. Registry Editor Information in path of.

For example, to silently run the. For additional information, visit the following Microsoft Web site:. Distributing Registry Changes Note If the changes work, you can send the registration file to the appropriate users on the network. Need more help? Expand your skills. Get new features first. A subscription to make the most of your time. Try one month free. Was this information helpful? Yes No. Thank you! Any more feedback? The more you tell us the more we can help.