Back up the registry
Windows 8.1 and Windows 8
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search. Or, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, and then click Search.
- In the search box, type regedit.exe,
and then press Enter. If you are prompted for an administrator password
or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
- In Registry Editor, locate and click the registry key or subkey that you want to back up.
- Click File > Export.
- In
the Export Registry File dialog box, select the location where you want
to save the backup copy to, and then type a name for the backup file in
the File name field.
- Click Save.
Windows 7 and Windows Vista
- Click Start, type regedit.exe
in the search box, and then press Enter. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide
confirmation.
- In Registry Editor, locate and click the registry key or subkey that you want to back up.
- Click File > Export.
- In the Export Registry File dialog box, select the location where you want to save the backup copy to, and then type a name for the backup file in the File name field.
- Click Save.
Windows XP
Follow these steps to create a system restore point:
- Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then click OK.
- On the Welcome to System Restore page, click Create a restore point, and then click Next.
- On the Create a Restore Point page, type a name for the restore point and then click Create.
- After the restore point is created, click Close.