Strictly speaking, creating a copy of the Windows registry is possible only in theory, but in practice this is not done. The reason is that the registry is not a file or several files, it is a kind of virtual structure that is created by the system when the OS boots, based on a set of variables and their values obtained from different sources. However, Windows provides a mechanism that allows you to save and then restore all the settings that make up the system registry, or a selected part of them.
Instructions
Step 1
Open Windows Registry Editor. This can be done by right-clicking the "My Computer" shortcut on the desktop and selecting "Registry Editor" from the drop-down context menu. If the display of this icon is disabled in the system settings, then the exact same context menu can be seen by clicking the "Computer" item in the main menu on the "Start" button. In addition, the registry editor can be opened through the standard program launch dialog, which is invoked by pressing the WIN + R key combination or by selecting the "Run" item in the main menu. In the dialog box enter the regedit command and click the "OK" button.
Step 2
Open the "File" section in the editor's menu and select the "Export" item - this way you will open the file saving window.
Step 3
Type a name for the file with the current system registry settings in the "File name" field. It is best to indicate the date and time of the backup in the name - this will make it easier to deal with backups if the need arises.
Step 4
By default, the file will be saved to the "My Documents" folder, which is located on the same disk where the operating system is located. If you want to choose a safer place, do it in the "Folder" drop-down list located at the very top of this window.
Step 5
Select one of the two items in the Export Range section located in the lower left corner of the dialog box. By checking the box next to the "Selected branch" item, you will be able to specify the desired registry key. If the checkbox is set in front of the "Entire register" item, then the settings will be saved in full, without exceptions.
Step 6
Click the Save button. The program will create a backup copy of the system registry settings and save it to a file with the specified name and in the location specified by you.
