Copying a Registry Key

In some cases, you might want to copy a Registry key or subkey in order to transfer that information to another computer. This process can be a simple and effective method of distributing corporate categories or entry types in Outlook. There are two main cautions to consider when copying a Registry key from one computer to another.

The first is that copying Registry keys between computers with different operating systems can sometimes fail. For example, if you try to copy a Registry key from Windows 2000 to Windows 98, it will likely fail. However, copying a Registry key from Windows 98 to Windows 2000 or Windows XP might work. Copying information between a computer with Windows XP and a computer with Windows 2000 should always succeed. If you're trying to copy a Registry key from one computer to another and it's failing, it might be due to differences in operating systems.

The other caution to be aware of is that when you import a Registry key to another computer, the imported key will take the place of the current key. So, if you're importing a Registry key to transfer category information from one computer to the other, the destination computer loses any customized categories its user has created.

To copy a Registry key from one computer to another, simply export it from the source computer and import it on the destination computer. Detailed instructions for importing and exporting Registry keys are presented in the next section.