Where to find the registry in windows 8. How to open the Windows registry editor. If the OS does not start

It’s been a while since I wrote in the “For Beginners” section, so I think that’s enough rambling. After thinking a little about the topic of the article, I decided to write about ways to enter the Windows Registry Editor. Although I write in each of the articles how to enter the registry. I'd rather write everything down possible ways, available by default on Windows operating systems. So what is a registry?

The Windows registry is a database containing all the settings and parameters necessary for the operation of the operating system. It contains settings for both hardware and software. Most changes in control panel, editor group policies and additional system parameters are written to the registry.

So, how do you enter the Windows Registry Editor?

Login through the Run utility

This is the method I use in my articles, since, in my opinion, it is the fastest and most convenient. We perform three simple steps.

Via search in the Start menu

First, let's look at Windows example 7, since she has old version Start menu and this option is suitable for older operating systems.

For Windows 7, Vista and earlier versions

For Windows 8 and Windows 8.1

Opening through Windows Explorer

A very simple way: you just need to find required file in the system folder. To do this, we follow the path:C:\Windows. We look for the file and run it.

The change in the familiar working environment in Windows 8 and 8.1 has led to the fact that some actions that were never difficult in Windows 7 and XP began to cause difficulties for users. So, due to the lack of the usual “Start” menu, not everyone understands how to open the system registry. However, there are no fewer ways to launch the registry editor in G8 - there are even more of them than there were in G7. Here are five of the simplest ones.

Five ways to open Registry Editor in Windows 8

Using the Run app

There are two ways to launch the Run program:

through the context menu of the “Start” button in Windows 8.1;

by pressing the Windows + R key combination.

In the “Open” line of the window that appears, enter the command regedit and click OK.

The result of its execution will be the launch of the registry editor:

Using the command line

In Windows 8.1, Command Prompt can also be opened from the context menu of the Start button.

Let's enter the already familiar command into the console window regedit and press Enter.

The Registry Editor will open.

Via Windows Explorer

You can open the Registry Editor in the same way as any other program - simply by launching its file.

While on your desktop, open any folder, go to the C:Windows directory and double-click on the file regedit.exe.

Through search

You can access search in Windows 8 and 8.1 from the following places:

context menu of the “Start” button (item “Find”);

sidebar Charms, which appears on the screen if you move the cursor to the lower right or top corner and move it a little.

start screen (magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).

Enter in the search bar regedit, press Enter and launch the found application.

Using a shortcut

If you frequently make changes to the registry, you will find it convenient to launch regedit.exe using a shortcut. To create a shortcut on the desktop, enter the directory where the program is located (C: Windows), open the context menu of this file and select “Create shortcut”.

Confirm that you agree to place it on your desktop.

Now the registry editor will be launched by double-clicking on the shortcut.

Using the Start screen tile

From the same context menu that we called to create the shortcut, select the “Pin to Start Screen” command.

After this, a regedit.exe tile will be created on the start screen, clicking on which will open the program we need.

Third-party programs for working with the registry

There are a lot of applications for editing the system registry. They differ from the regedit utility built into Windows 8 with registry optimization functions that are necessary to maintain high performance systems. And this is the main purpose of such programs. Let's look at some of them.

Reg Organizer

Reg Organizer is a multifunctional operating system maintenance utility. Allows you to clean and defragment the system registry, manage startup programs, remove applications along with their remains in the registry and on disks, apply various fine-tuning settings, etc.

One of the sections Reg Organizer reminds system utility regedit – through it you can edit the registry manually.

This application can be used as a replacement for the built-in registry editor, but some of its features may break the functionality of your system and programs if used incorrectly. Therefore, Reg Organizer should be recommended only to experienced users.

Registry Booster

Registry Booster is another application that allows you to optimize the system registry to speed up startup and Windows operation. The program has only three main functions - checking, cleaning and defragmenting the registry, but everything except checking works only after purchasing a license.

Registry Booster is designed for any user, including beginners. Corrects detected problems automatically and does not allow you to manage this process manually.

RegScanner

The RegScanner utility from Nir Soft is a convenient replacement for the built-in registry editor, aimed exclusively at experienced users. Designed to search for data in the registry using a variety of parameters, including length and date last change. Found entries can be immediately deleted by first making them backup copy.

RegScanner is convenient to use for cleaning the system after a virus infection and searching for remnants remote programs. Available in 32- and 64-bit versions. Free.

Registrar Registry Manager

Registrar Registry Manager is an application that resembles the built-in Windows registry editor, but significantly exceeds its capabilities. It allows you to keep the registry in order on local and remote machines throughout the network. It has the functions of backing up and restoring data (both individual branches and the entire registry), cleaning, defragmenting, comparing registry keys with each other and monitoring all changes.

Designed for advanced users and system administrators.

The registry is a large database that stores all the parameters necessary for the normal operation of the operating system. You can view it through the registry editor, which is available in Windows. Any user can log in if their account has administrator rights.

And if you made any changes, or the computer turned off by itself, for various reasons, or you accidentally pressed the wrong key and deleted a parameter or an entire registry branch, then this may not have the best effect on the operation of the computer.

And yet, if this happens, let's figure out what ways there are to restore the Windows 7 and Windows 8 registry so that the computer can operate normally.

Using a backup

As you probably guessed, this method is not suitable for everyone. If you previously created backup copies of the registry through “File” - “Export” - read on, if not - move on to the next method.

So, you have a backup copy. Press the combination Win + R, the “Run” window will open. In the “Open” field we write regedit and click “OK”.

The Registry Editor window should appear. In it, go to the “File” tab and select “Import” from the menu.

Explorer will open, find the previously created backup in it and click “Open”.

Wait while the files are copied.

Using System Restore

System recovery can be done using restore checkpoints. You could create them earlier, when the system was stable and you were satisfied with everything. Or they could be created automatically by the system: when making changes to the computer configuration, before installing drivers, etc.

Let's first consider how to restore the registry if the operating system boots. In Windows 7, go to Start - "Control Panel".

Here we are interested in the point "Recovery".

In the next window, click "Run System Restore".

Now you need to select a restore point. If there are several points, and you are in doubt, look at the date the point was created - did your computer work normally on these dates?! - choose her. Clicking "Search for affected programs", you can see which programs will be removed as a result of recovery. Click "Next".

We confirm the system rollback to the selected state by clicking “Finish”.

All data, including the registry, will correspond to the state that was at the time the selected recovery point was created.

If you have Windows 8 installed on your computer, read the article: Windows 8 restore point and system rollback. There you will be interested in the second part. The steps you will need to perform are the same as those described above.

If the OS does not start

Restore the registry if the computer does not turn on It's also possible. In the operating room Windows system 7, When the computer boots, press the F8 button at 1 second intervals. A window will appear "More download options". In it, use the arrows to select the item "Troubleshooting your computer".

In the next window, select your language and click Next.

Choose yours account, it is better that she has administrator rights, then enter the password if you have one set when logging in, and click “OK”.

The following window should appear, select the item in it "System Restore".

A recovery window will open, click “Next” in it and repeat the steps described in the paragraph above.

If you have Windows 8 installed on your computer, you can press F8 or Shift+F8 when loading, but the window additional options You are unlikely to get any downloads. It's best to use a system repair disk or bootable USB flash drive. You can create them on any other computer with Windows 8 installed.

Follow the link and read the article on how to restore Windows 8. Everything is described there in detail. You should see the following window. Then follow the path: “Diagnostics” – "System Restore", and select the desired restore point.

Via command line

In Windows, the files that are responsible for the operation of the registry are stored in the following path: C: (your system drive letter)/Windows/System32/config. There is also a folder RegBack, it stores backup copies of all registry branches. They are updated automatically by the system, depending on the settings, every 5-10 days.

We need to do the following: delete the files DEFAULT, SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, which are located in the config folder, and replace them with similar files from the RegBack folder.

IN operating system we will not be able to do this, since we will need to replace the files responsible for its operation. Therefore you need to use additional parameters download, and open the command line.

In Windows 7, press F8 when the system boots. Then you need to do everything as described in the paragraph above. In the window "System Recovery Options", select item "Command line". As a result, the command line will launch as administrator.

In Windows 8, you can open the command line using the combination. This is described in detail in the article: Windows 8 Safe Mode. Read the point: go to safe mode using the combination Shift+reboot. When the following window appears, select "Command line".

If the computer does not turn on at all due to changes in the registry, then read the paragraph: enter safe mode using a system repair disk (you can create it on any computer with installed Windows 8).

So, we launched the command line. Now enter the following commands line by line. At the end of each line, press Enter. First, let's create a badreg folder on system disk, we will copy all the files of our non-working registry into it. Then we safely delete the files DEFAULT, SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE from the config folder, because we have copies of them. And lastly, copy the backups from the regback folder to the config folder.

MD c:\badreg
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\badreg
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\badreg
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\badreg
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\badreg
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\badreg

delete c:\windows\system32\config\default
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software

copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\default c:\windows\system32\config\
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\sam c:\windows\system32\config\
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\system c:\windows\system32\config\
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\security c:\windows\system32\config\
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\software c:\windows\system32\config\
exit

After you enter the exit command, the command prompt window will close and the computer will restart.

I hope one of the methods will help you restore the registry in the Windows 7 or 8 operating system.

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Discussion: 16 comments

I enter the commands in the line as shown, for some reason it says: “the system was unable to find this path,” what should I do?

Answer

Most likely, your DEFAULT, SAM, SECURITY, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE folders are located in a different path, but not c:\windows\system32\config.

Answer
1. So what should I do?
  
  Answer
  1. You need to find out the way to specified files. Do you have the 32-bit or 64-bit version installed?

The registry is a repository of all parameters and settings of the operating system. Editing the registry of windows 7, 8, etc. carried out when you need to quickly change something in the system settings.
But you should only do this if you are confident of success, otherwise you may cause a software or operating system failure

Quick opening

This method is universal for all versions of operating systems, from “seven” and higher. In addition, this method will be the fastest to open 7. It is carried out through the window for entering Execute commands. For some users, it is placed on the main start menu or start screen. If it is not there, then you will have to call the window additionally. To call the console in this way, repeat the algorithm:

Press and hold the Win button and the R button at the same time;
Regardless of the OS type, a small window will appear with the title “Run” and a line for entering a command;

Enter regedit in the field

Press OK or Enter;
The required window will open.

The desired window may not open immediately. First, the system may require you to confirm your administrative rights. Click confirm permissions and start using the console. This method is the simplest and fastest, and therefore it is better to remember the command.

The editor itself looks like this

Launch via Search

In order to call the registry in Windows 7, you can use the search in folders and system files of the computer. To perform a search, do the following:

Open the Start menu by left-clicking on the button in the lower left corner of the screen;
At the bottom of the expanded list, in the left block, there is a line for entering text ( search query);
Type regedit into it and press Search or Enter.

You won't get many results.

Most often this is one required file

But if there are several results with the same name in the search results, choose the one that has the exe format and is marked with a blue cube icon. This method of entering the Windows 7 registry editor is popular among users.

How to open Registry Editor in Windows 8.1

The menu and entire design of Windows 8.1 differs significantly from Windows 7. Of course, for those users who did not configure the function of saving the old menu for convenience using special utilities. Therefore, get into windows registry 8 through Search in the same way as on the “seven” will not work.

To find the search query input line, go to the start screen of the operating system;
Start typing the required command on the keyboard. There is no need to place the mouse pointer in any specific place;
When you enter from the keyboard, a search window will automatically open with what you typed;

Enter regedit in the field and press Enter or the magnifying glass image to the right of what you wrote

The results will show you the same program as in the previous case. By clicking on it, you can enter the Windows 8 registry. The registry opens in the same way on the new “top ten”. But sometimes the search does not work on it and you need to use other methods.

Manually opening a file

This method of entering the registry for Windows xp, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 is universal, as it works on any version of the OS, even old ones. It is understandable even for inexperienced users, but it takes a lot of time. To do this, go to the shortcut to open the registry by clicking from folder to folder or through Explorer.

The location of the shortcut varies depending on the OS version and settings. More often, you can find the registry in Windows 8 by following the path Computer – Disk C – Windows – System32.

You open the same file as when launched from the search, but instead of an automated search in the OS, you go through the path to the program manually.

If the OS is 64-bit, then the path changes, it looks like My Computer - Disk C - Windows - SysWOW64. Another reason for possible differences is the presence or absence of disk partitioning, etc. So the path is different but regedit.exe is in the main folder with system files. Sometimes it’s even the Windows folder itself on drive C.
In addition, if you did not use the search in Windows 7 as in the second method, but opened the folder containing the program, you can see that it contains regedt32.exe. This is also a registry available on 64-bit OSes. You can edit either of the two registers.
In extremely rare cases, the registry does not open in Windows 7 when it is located at this address. Or it may not be in the folder at all. It's on the computer, but you need to find it. Alternative storage location – WinSxS folder V Windows directories. Sometimes there are others alternative places storing a shortcut to open the editor.
The contents of such folders are numerous, and therefore, in order to open the registry in Windows XP or another version of the OS in this way, you will need to spend time searching. Apply sorting, although this is unlikely to speed up the process. Therefore, this method is an alternative and is used only when search does not work in Windows 7.

The Windows Registry is a database of operating system settings that contains information and settings for all computer components: PC hardware, software, system parameters. In many cases, when working on a computer, the user needs to open Windows registry to make operating system settings, change OS settings or installed applications.

The system registry, or Windows registry, contains all the necessary data to manage system settings and settings. The normal functioning of the Windows operating system depends on the state of the registry.

After making modifications to the registry settings, the configuration and settings of the system or programs installed on the computer are changed. To make changes or correct some settings, you must enter the operating system registry. The question arises: how to open the registry editor on a computer? How to enter the Windows registry?

The Windows operating system has a special Registry Editor application (regedit.exe) for working with registry data. The system's built-in tool, the Registry Editor program, is well suited for working with registry branches (the registry has a tree form). Individual registry files have different locations in the operating system. Therefore, to make changes to the system registry, you should launch the Windows Registry Editor on your computer.

Note:

Incorrect or incorrect modification of registry settings can lead to problems with the operating system. Because of this, the user will have to perform a system restore or reinstall Windows. Before editing the registry, take steps to restore the system's functionality in case of unsuccessful actions: make a backup copy of the registry, create a system restore point, run backup system partition.

How to open Registry Editor in different versions Windows operating system? There are a few universal methods enter the Windows Registry Editor in the same way in all versions of the operating system. In the article, we will further examine how to enter the Windows 10 registry, how to enter the Windows 8.1 (Windows 8) registry, and how to open the Windows 7 registry editor for each system.

Open Registry Editor in Windows are the same Thus, for different versions of the operating system, you can use 5 methods:

Login using the Run dialog box
running the "regedit" file from the "Windows" folder in Explorer
opening via command line or Windows PowerShell
find the application using search on the taskbar or from the Start menu
launching the registry editor using a pre-created shortcut

First, let's look at universal methods applicable to different Windows versions, and then look separately at additional ways for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7.

How to access the system registry from the Run dialog box

Using the Run dialog box to launch the Registry Editor works in all modern versions of the operating system: Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

On a Windows operating system, follow these steps:

Press the “Win” + “R” keys on your keyboard at the same time.
In the “Run” window, in the “Open” field, enter the expression: “regedit” (without quotes), and then click on the “OK” button.

After this, the Registry Editor application window will open on your computer.

How to enter the registry on a computer from the Windows folder

Another way to enter the Registry Editor is to launch the application directly from system folder Windows on a computer. This method can be used on Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP.

The only caveat: you need to be careful in your actions, as you will enter the folder with the operating system. Be careful what you do.

Follow these sequential steps:

Open File Explorer on your computer.
Enter the “C:” drive, open the “Windows” folder.
Find and then double-click the left mouse button on the “regedit” application.

The system Registry Editor will open on your computer.

How to open the registry using the command line

You can launch the Registry Editor from the command line.

Do the following:

Run Command Prompt as Administrator.
In the command line interpreter window, type: “regedit” (without quotes), and then press the Enter key.

How to Login to Registry Editor Using Windows PowerShell

The Registry Editor is launched from Windows PowerShell like this:

Run Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
In the PowerShell window, type: "regedit" (without quotes), and then press "Enter".

Create a shortcut to launch Windows Registry Editor

If the user is not ready to take several steps each time to launch a system application, you can make this task easier. To do this, you need to create a shortcut that will launch the Registry Editor on your computer.

Follow these steps:

Run file manager Windows Explorer.
Open Local Drive "C:".
Enter the "Windows" folder.
Find the "regedit" application, right-click on it.
IN context menu First select "Send" and then "Desktop (create shortcut)".
A shortcut to launch the Registry Editor system tool will appear on your computer desktop.

Now, you can easily open the Registry Editor by double-clicking the left mouse button on the application shortcut.

How to open the registry in Windows 10

Let's see how to enter the Windows 10 registry in a different way, using search. First, we will find the application on the computer and then launch the system tool.

To open the Registry Editor in Windows 10, do the following:

On the Taskbar, click on the search icon, or left-click on the Start menu.
Enter the expression “regedit” (without quotes) on your keyboard, and then execute the command.

The Windows 10 Registry Editor is open and ready to make changes to the appropriate sections.

How to enter the Windows 8.1 registry (Windows 8)

Windows 8.1 (original version) and Windows 8 do not have a Start menu, so some users find it difficult to search desired application on PC.

Windows 8.1 Update 1 has a built-in Start menu, so you can search for Registry Editor on your computer this way:

Right-click on the Start menu.
Select "Find".
In the Search field, enter "regedit" (without quotes).
Launch the application.

Another universal method for Windows 8.1 and Windows 8:

Move your mouse cursor down from the top right edge of the screen.
In the sidebar that opens, click on the “Search” icon.
In the search field, enter the expression: "regedit".
Run the command.

As a result, the Windows 8.1 Registry Editor (Windows 8) will start on the computer.

How to open the registry in Windows 7

Now we will try to enter the Windows 7 registry. In the seven, in addition to the universal methods described above, there is one more way to enter the registry editor.

In the Windows 7 operating system, to open the Registry Editor, do the following:

Go to the Start menu.
In the "Search files and programs" field, enter "regedit" (without the quotes).
Launch the Registry Editor application.

Conclusion

If necessary, the user can enter the Windows Registry Editor to make changes to the system registry settings. There are several ways to enter the Windows registry: using the Run dialog box, running systemic remedy from the previously created application shortcut, opening the registry editor in command line or enter Windows PowerShell, launch the application from the Windows system folder, search for and launch the registry editor in different versions of the operating system.