Chapter 3: Backing up the Registry

Overview

Mistakes happen—whether due to your own silly errors or users' meddling with the registry when they shouldn't. Nothing can happen that warrants large doses of anti-anxiety drugs, however. Ninety-nine times out of 100, the tools you learn about in this chapter can prevent or overcome any registry error. Because I know how to use these tools, there's only been one time when I busted a computer so badly that I gave up and reinstalled Microsoft Windows XP. The sad part is that after spending hours reinstalling the operating system and incumbent applications, I discovered an easy fix for the problem.

Most of these tools have a higher calling than just backing up and protecting the registry. They're features that push the reliability of Windows XP far beyond the levels of earlier versions of Windows. System Restore ensures that you can roll back the configuration of Windows XP to an earlier snapshot, which the operating system makes automatically. Other features that make Windows XP more stable include Device Driver Rollback, Error Reporting, and Windows Driver Protection. See http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/techinfo/planning/reliability for the "Reliability Improvements in Windows XP Professional" white paper.

In this chapter, I show you many ways to restore a configuration, and you won't need all of them. Pick the one or two techniques that work for you and stick with them. In particular, decide which of the methods you're going to use to protect the registry while editing it. I prefer to save keys to hive files before making changes to the registry, but you might prefer to make backup copies of individual values. Also, you definitely want to know about System Restore and how to fix troublesome settings. The last part of this chapter describes the advanced troubleshooting tools, which you turn to only when things are so fouled up that you have no other choice.

Many of these tools require advance preparation. For example, to restore a backup copy of the registry, you must have made a backup. Likewise, to use Automated System Recovery, you must have created the disk. Thus, don't come to this chapter just when you have a problem. Read it first in preparation for problems that hopefully won't come.



Microsoft Windows XP Registry Guide
Microsoft Windows XP Registry Guide (Bpg-Other)
ISBN: 0735617880
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 185

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