The Windows registry is a repository for all operating system settings on which the correct and correct operation of all software depends. All changes made are saved in it, and often, to solve many problems or to fight viruses, you need to manually find the desired parameter and change the settings in it.
It should be remembered that all changes made can drastically affect the further operation of your computer, and therefore they should be done only when you are confident in your actions.
To enter the registry to change Windows settings, you need to open a window with its directory tree. There are two options here, the first is to click "Start" - "Run" or the second, the key combination "Win + R". A small command line window will open on the screen, in it you need to register the following command - “regedit”. Then press Enter or OK.
Next, a registry will open in front of you, or rather a window in which you can search for software and system support and carry out, if necessary, changes in the settings of its work. 
Let's start with the latest Windows 10, and consider two options for accessing the registry.
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 10
Click the "Start" button with the left mouse button (or the "Windows" key on the keyboard);
When the Start menu opens, type "regedit" (without quotes) on your keyboard;
At the top of the search menu, under the inscription "Best match", the item "REGEDIT - Run command" will appear, click on this item with the left mouse button;
If a confirmation window for starting the registry editor appears, click "Yes";
You will see the "Registry Editor" window, in which you can make changes to the registry itself.
How to open the registry in Windows 10
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 10
Right-click the Start button (or a combination of Win keys+X);
In the menu that appears, select the "Run" item (these two steps can be replaced with one Win + R key combination);
In the Run window that appears, type "regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
In the launch confirmation window, click "Yes";
The "Registry Editor" window will appear, and you can proceed to make changes.
You can clearly see how to enter the Windows 10 registry in this video:
How to open the registry in Windows 8/8.1
To launch the registry editor in Windows 8, you need to follow the same steps as in Windows 10, if you have version 8 and not 8.1, then you don’t have a Start button, so in the first step of the first method, press the Windows key and then follow the instructions above.
Detailed video instruction on how to enter the Windows 8 (8.1) Registry Editor:
How to open the registry in Windows 7
To open the Registry Editor in Windows 7, you need to follow similar steps:
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 7
Type the command "regedit" (without quotes);
Click at the top of the menu, under the inscription "Programs" on the inscription "regedit";
Select “Yes” to the prompt to confirm the launch.
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 7
Press the key combination Win + R on the keyboard (hold down Windows key and, without releasing it, press the R key);
In the "Run" window, type the command "regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
Confirm the launch of the registry editor with the "Yes" button.
Both ways to enter the Windows 7 registry editor can be seen in this video:
How to open the registry in Windows XP
In Windows XP, opening the Registry Editor is slightly different:
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows XP
Click on "Start" with the left mouse button;
In the right column, find the item "Run" (both steps can be replaced with a combination of Win + R)
In the "Start the program" window, write the command "regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
Opening the registry in XP
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows XP (and not only)
Open File Explorer (you can use the keyboard shortcut Win + X);
Go to drive "C:";
Open the Windows folder;
Find the "regedit" file and run it.
And, of course, a video version of opening the registry editor in Windows XP:
The second method is suitable for all listed versions of Windows. Moreover, you can cheat a little:
Once you get to the "regedit" file, you can create a shortcut on your desktop and make it much easier to access the Registry Editor in the future.
Launching the editor There are at least 4 ways to invoke this utility:
Through the Explorer.
Search
Through the Run service. command line. It is not necessary to describe them all, since some require a certain level of knowledge and skills to use, but it would be inappropriate not to mention them. So let's get started.
Through Explorer
Open "My Computer", go to system disk(often it is C) and in the search bar we enter: regedit. After some time, which the machine needs to search, the same editor will be offered in the main part of the window. It remains only to open it and begin to perform the required actions. to content.
Through search
We move the mouse cursor to the right panel, where we select "Search" and set the same command as in the previous paragraph: regedit. Then double click Let's activate the application. The utility itself looks like this: READ ALSO What is virtual machine for Windows 8 and how to run it to the content.
Through the "Run" command
This option involves calling an intermediate component. We use the + [R] combination on the keyboard, after which we enter the already familiar Regedit.exe or without the “.exe” extension into the field and press .
1. Launching the registry editor using the "Run" utility.
I will not tire of repeating that the Run utility is one of the most convenient in Windows, with it you can easily and quickly launch the vast majority of system Windows utilities. In this case, this is done in two three steps:
1. Hold down the Win + R keys
2. We write in the opened command regedit
We write in the opened command regedit
3. Click the OK button. Everything, the registry editor is running.
2. Using the search in the start menu
Here the complexity depends on the operating system, so in Windows 10 the search is right on the taskbar, just write regedit and open the search result.
In Windows 7, you need to open the Start menu and enter the same request at the bottom of it.
In Windows 8.x, open the start menu and click on the magnifying glass in the upper right corner.
And then we enter the search query. And launch the registry editor.
3. Using Windows Explorer
There is also nothing complicated here, open the explorer and go to the folder.
Scroll down and look for the regedit.exe file with your eyes. When found - we launch.
Using Task Manager
Here the principle is the same as in the first method, but more actions need to be done. We launch the "Task Manager". For example, right-click on the taskbar. And select "File" → "Run a new task".
In the window that opens, enter regedit and click OK.
5. Using command line
We already know how to launch the command line, in our context it will be easiest to use the method through the context menu of the Start corner. And in the window that opens, enter regedit
The result of any of the five methods will be the launch of the Windows Registry Editor window.
Change in habit 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 problems 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 the G8 - there are even more of them than there were in the G7. Here are five of the easiest ones.
Five Ways to Open the 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 key combination Windows + R.
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 also opens from context menu start button.
In the console window, enter the already familiar command 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 - just by running its file.
From your desktop, open any folder, navigate 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 locations:
- context menu of the “Start” button (“Find” item);
- sidebar Charms, which appears on the screen if you move the cursor to the lower right or top corner and move a little.
- start screen (magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner).
Enter in the search bar regedit, press Enter and run the found application.
With a label
If you make frequent 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 the "Create Shortcut" item.
Confirm your consent to place it on your desktop.
Now the registry editor will be launched by double clicking on the shortcut.
Using tiles on the home screen
From the same context menu that we called to create a shortcut, select the “Pin to Start Screen” command.
After that, 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 built-in regedit utility in Windows 8 with registry optimization functions that are necessary to maintain high system performance. And this is the main purpose of such programs. Let's consider 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 remnants in the registry and on disks, apply various fine tuning etc.
One of the sections Reg Organizer resembles the regedit system utility - 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, if used incorrectly, can break the functionality of the system and programs. Therefore, Reg Organizer should be recommended only to experienced users.
Registry Booster
Registry Booster is another application that allows you to optimize your system registry for faster startup and Windows work. The program has only three main functions - checking, cleaning and defragmenting the registry, but everything, except for checking, works only after purchasing a license.
Registry Booster is designed for any user, including beginners. Fixes found problems automatically and does not allow you to manage this process manually.
RegScanner
Nir Soft's RegScanner utility is a handy replacement for the built-in registry editor, focused exclusively on experienced users. Designed to search for data in the registry by a variety of parameters, including length and date last change. Found entries can be deleted immediately, after making a backup copy of them.
RegScanner is useful for cleaning the system after viral infection and search for leftovers remote programs. Exists in 32- and 64-bit versions. Free.
Registrar Registry Manager
Registrar Registry Manager is an application similar to the built-in Windows Registry Editor, but far beyond its capabilities. It allows you to keep the registry in order on local and remote machines throughout the network. Has functions Reserve copy 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.
Many novice users are wondering how to enter Windows registry 10, 8, 7 or XP. No matter how much you go through the Start menu items, you can’t find a shortcut to the registry in it! How to open the registry in Windows?
The fact is that any rash change in the registry can lead to disastrous consequences for your computer. To prevent inexperienced users from getting into trouble, access to the registry has been hidden.
Make a promise to yourself that you will not make rash changes to the registry in order to do not harm your computer!
Details about what is a registry how it works, and how it can be used, can be found in.
For any Windows versions There are several ways to launch a program in which you can change registry settings (it's called " registry editor»).
Let's start with the latest Windows 10, and consider two options for accessing the registry.
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 10
- Click the "Start" button with the left mouse button (or the "Windows" key on the keyboard);
- When the Start menu opens, type " regedit" (without quotes);
- At the top of the search menu, under the inscription "Best match", the item "REGEDIT - Run command" will appear, click on this item with the left mouse button;
- If a confirmation window for starting the registry editor appears, click "Yes";
You will see the "Registry Editor" window, in which you can make changes to the registry itself.
Launching the Registry Editor in Windows 10
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 10
- Click the Start button with the right mouse button (or the keyboard shortcut Win + X);
- In the menu that appears, select the "Run" item (these two steps can be replaced with one Win + R key combination);
- In the Run window that appears, type regedit" (without quotes) and click the "OK" button;
- In the launch confirmation window, click "Yes";
The "Registry Editor" window will appear, and you can proceed to make changes.
You can clearly see how to enter the Windows 10 registry in this video:
How to open the registry in Windows 8/8.1
To launch the registry editor in Windows 8, you need to follow the same steps as in Windows 10, if you have version 8 and not 8.1, then you don’t have a Start button, so in the first step of the first method, press the Windows key and then follow the instructions above.
Detailed video instruction on how to enter the Windows 8 (8.1) Registry Editor:
How to open the registry in Windows 7
To open the Registry Editor in Windows 7, you need to follow similar steps:
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 7
- Type command " regedit" (without quotes);
- Click at the top of the menu, under the inscription "Programs" on the inscription " regedit»;
- Select “Yes” to the prompt to confirm the launch.
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 7
- Press the key combination Win + R on the keyboard (hold down the Windows key and, without releasing it, press the R key);
- In the "Run" window, type the command " regedit
- Confirm the launch of the registry editor with the "Yes" button.
Both ways to enter the Windows 7 registry editor can be seen in this video:
How to open the registry in Windows XP
In Windows XP, opening the Registry Editor is slightly different:
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows XP
- Click on "Start" with the left mouse button;
- In the right column, find the item "Run" (both steps can be replaced with a combination of Win + R)
- In the window "Start the program" write the command " regedit” (without quotes) and click the “OK” button;
Launching the Registry Editor in Windows XP
Launching the Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows XP (and not only)
- Open File Explorer (you can use the keyboard shortcut Win + X);
- Go to drive "C:";
- Open the Windows folder;
- Find the "regedit" file and run it.
And, of course, a video version of opening the registry editor in Windows XP:
The second method is suitable for all listed versions of Windows. Moreover, you can cheat a little:
Once you get to the "regedit" file, you can create a desktop shortcut and greatly simplify access to the Registry Editor in the future.
You can find out more about what a registry is and how it works.
Conclusion
Today you learned how to enter the registry in all current versions Windows OS.
Collected in total three ways:
- Search through the start menu by entering the command "regedit"
- Using the "Run" command and typing "regedit"
- Opening the "regedit" file located in the C:\Windows\ folder
And one additional way: having reached the file "regedit" (third way), create a shortcut on the desktop.
In the next lesson, I plan to look at a way to save (backup) certain parts of the registry before changing them.
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The registry is a repository of all parameters and settings of the operating system. Editing the registry windows 7, 8, etc. carried out when you need to quickly change something in the system settings.
But you should do this only if you are sure of success, otherwise you can provoke a failure. software or operating system
Quick opening
This method is universal for all versions of operating systems, from the "seven" and above. In addition, in this way, opening 7 will be the fastest. It is carried out through the window for entering commands Run. 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:
- Hold down the Win button and the R button at the same time;
- Regardless of the type of OS, a small window will appear with the name "Run" and a line for entering a command;
Type in regedit
- Press OK or Enter;
- The required window will open.
The desired window may not open immediately. First, the system may require you to confirm administrative rights. Click verification of rights and start using the console. This method is the easiest and fastest, and therefore it is better to remember the command.
The editor itself looks like thisLaunch via Search
In order to call the registry in windows 7, you can use the search for folders and system files on your computer. To 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.
Most often this is one necessary fileYou won't get many results.
But if there are several results with the same name in the output, choose the one with the exe format and marked with a blue icon - a cube. This method to enter the windows 7 registry editor is popular with users.
How to Open Registry Editor in Windows 8.1
The menu and the whole design of Windows 8.1 is significantly different from Windows 7. Of course, for those users who did not set up the function of saving the old menu for convenience using special utilities. And therefore, getting into the registry of Windows 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 desired command on the keyboard. It is not necessary to set the mouse pointer to any specific place;
- When typing from the keyboard, a search box will automatically open with what you typed;
In the results you will be shown the same program as in the previous case. By clicking on it, you can enter the Windows 8 registry. In the same way, the registry opens on the new "top ten". But sometimes the search on it does not work and you need to use other methods.
Manual file opening
This way to enter the windows xp, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 registry is universal, as it works on any OS versions, even old ones. It is understandable even to inexperienced users, but it takes a lot of time. To implement, go to the registry opening shortcut 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 - Drive C - Windows - System32.
You open the same file as when you start from the search, but instead of an automated search in the OS, go through the path to the program manually.
- If the OS is 64-bit, then the path changes, it looks like My Computer - Drive C - Windows - SysWOW64. Another reason for possible differences is the presence or absence of disk partitioning, and so on. So the path is different but regedit.exe in the main folder with system files. Sometimes it's even herself Windows folder on disk C.
- In addition, if you did not use the Windows 7 search 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 a 64-bit OS. You can edit any of the two registers.
- In extremely rare cases, the registry does not open in windows 7 when located at this address. Or it may not be in the folder at all. It's on the computer, but it needs to be found. Alternative storage location - WinSxS folder in the Windows directory. Sometimes there are other alternative places to store the 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 alternative and is used only when the search in windows 7 does not work.
In my articles, tips, and notes, I often refer the reader to the Windows Registry Editor. Many of them involve intensive work with registry keys and values. I suddenly realized that not all of my readers got their hands on working with this program, and some of them had never launched the Registry Editor at all. Therefore, I decided to write a small guide to this program.
Table of contents:
What is Registry Editor
The Registry Editor has historically been created as a tool for users who need to change Windows settings, which are not displayed in user interface. The main function of this program is to view and change settings in system registry, that is, in a set of special binary files that contain information about both the Windows configuration and almost all the programs that are installed on your computer. Windows OS and many programs (with the exception of those that are so-called "portable", portable, in other words - do not require installation) store their settings in the registry.
How to start the Registry Editor
Method 1
Regardless of the version of Windows installed on your computer, this method will work:
Method 2
The Registry Editor executable is located in C:\Windows, which means that you can open this folder in Explorer and run the regedit.exe file with a mouse click.
Alternatively, you can create a shortcut to Regedit.exe and place it in the start menu/list Windows applications 8.x, to a folder
%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
This will make Registry Editor visible in the results Windows Search, and will also allow you to launch the application with one click of the mouse.
General view of the Registry Editor
The registry editor looks like this:
As you can see in the picture above, it consists of two panels:
- the left one displays a hierarchical representation of the data structure, it is called sections (or keys);
- the right panel displays options. They are pairs name = data and are stored inside the keys.
What does Registry Editor show?
As I mentioned above, the editor shows us sections and options.
Sections are a virtual representation of data from several files that form registry database. You can see exactly which files represent the registry on your computer if you go to this section:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\hivelist
Here you can find a list of files on your hard drive that store registry data. The data inside them, as mentioned above, has a hierarchical structure, and the registry editor shows them in the form of a "tree". The roots of the tree (master keys) in the general case represent a specific file, to the data of which access is granted.
However, there are also virtual keys that appear in the registry editor as ordinary files, but in reality are a representation of several files or even separate registry branches. They usually exist for backward compatibility. For example, HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG is a virtual view, HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT is also a virtual view that combines the registry keys of the current user and system partitions.
Please note that some registry files do not appear in the Registry Editor window. For example, you will never see what is stored inside a SAM (Security Accounts Manager) file. In the registry editor, it is represented by the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM\SAM branch and is supposedly empty there. This is done for security reasons.
Registry settings used by Windows and many third party applications to store various configuration settings and some user data. Parameter values are various types, but in general they are text values/strings, numeric values, or binary values.
How to create a new registry key
To create new key, right-click on the parent partition in the left pane and select command Create -> Section from the context menu.
You must give the newly created section a name according to the requirements of the program for which you are creating it.
How to create a new parameter
To create new parameter, you need to right-click
- on the current section on the left
or - in the empty space in the right pane.
Select suitable type for the new parameter and enter its name. Double click on the parameter name to set its value.
How to become the owner of a section and get full access to it
Just as the concepts of "permissions" and "ownership" apply to files and folders in file system NTFS, they also exist for registry keys. Since the era Windows Vista and to this day, most of the registry keys that store OS settings are protected by restricting access rights so that they cannot be easily removed or changed by the user. Sometimes you may need to change the data in such partitions, and for this you need to be able to change the owner of the partition and get to it full access. To do this is quite simple.
How to restore TrustedInstaller as partition owner
Almost all system registry keys in Windows Vista, 7 and 8 have the TrustedInstaller account as their owner. After editing permissions on a partition, you must return ownership for this account, otherwise operating system may not work correctly. To restore the TrustedInstaller property in Windows Vista, 7 and 8, type NT Service\TrustedInstaller in the "Enter the names of the objects to select" box. Click OK.
How to change permissions on a registry key
After changing the owner of a registry key, you almost always have to change the access rights, without this you will not be able to change the parameter values. To do this, you must switch to the Permissions tab in the dialog box Extra options security.
Subsections may have so-called inherited permissions from its parent section. Alternatively, subkeys can also have explicit permissions other than the parent key.
In the first case, that is, if the permissions are inherited from the parent key, you must disable inheritance and copy the parent partition's permissions to the current key in order to be able to change them. To do this in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP, uncheck "Add permissions inherited from parent objects" and click the "Add" button in the confirmation dialog box.
After disabling inheritance, select the appropriate account user and click Change to change access rights.
Windows 8 has a dedicated button to disable inheritance:
Permissions can be set in two ways: after disabling inheritance, you can set them only on the current partition, or you can set permissions on the current key and then apply them to all of its subkeys. To do this, check the box Replace all permission entries child object inherited from this object. This action will push the permissions you set down the key hierarchy for all subkeys.
Registry Editor command line switches
Jump to the desired registry key with one click
Option number 1
Some time ago, I created a RegOwnershipEx utility that allows you to get full access to a registry key with one click. In addition, it allows you to go to the desired registry key. I recommend that you take a look at it. 
RegOwnershipEx allows the following:
- become the owner and get full access to the selected registry key. There is a registry overview window for easy choice section.
- favorites - for quick access to your favorite registry keys. It is integrated with the "Favorites" menu of the Registry Editor.
- restore the permissions and ownership that you changed earlier. those. The program allows you to return the rights to their original state.
- function "open in regedit" - you can open the selected key in the registry editor. This is a very handy option to quickly navigate to a section by simply copying its name.
- shortcuts for root partitions - you can use HKCU instead of HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKLM instead of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, and so on.
- getting the registry path from the windows clipboard.
- command line argument "/j" to extract the path to the registry key from the Windows clipboard and quickly switch to the registry editor.
It's all damn convenient!
Option 2
I wrote a simple script that will get the contents of the clipboard, write it to the registry and open the registry editor. The following scenario is assumed: You are reading an article, it says - "go to the registry key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion". You highlight the path to the section, press CTRL+C and run the script. Registry Editor opens in right place. .