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8.5. Backing Up the Registry
Given that the Registry is an essential
component of Windows, and a damaged Registry can make Windows totally
inaccessible, a good backup of the Registry is one of the most
important safeguards you can employ.Unlike Windows 98 and Windows Me, Windows XP does not come with a
distinct mechanism that automatically backs up the Registry, which
means you'll have to implement one of your own to
fully safeguard your Windows environment.The Registry is stored in certain files (see Section 8.4 earlier in this chapter) on
your hard disk, so you can create a backup by simply copying the
appropriate files to another location.When you start Windows, the information in the Registry is loaded
into memory. While Windows is running, some changes may not be
physically written to the Registry files until you shut down your
computer; others, such as those made by the Registry Editor, are
usually written immediately. For this reason, if
you've made any substantial changes to the contents
of the Registry, you may want to restart Windows
before backing up the Registry to ensure that
the files on the disk reflect the most recent changes.The other consequence of using the Registry files is that you may not
be able to simply use Explorer to copy them while Windows is running,
and you certainly won't be able to overwrite them.
The workaround is to attempt these measures when Windows
isn't running, which means starting with the
Emergency Recovery Console or with a set of boot disks, and then
using DOS commands or a DOS batch file to copy the files (see Appendix C for details).Although it's very useful to make backups of the
Registry on your hard disk, it certainly can't
prepare your computer for an actual disaster. If your hard disk
crashes or gets infected with a virus or if your computer is stolen
or dropped out of a eight-story building, those Registry backups on
your hard disk won't do you much good. The most
effective Registry backup is simply a matter of making a copy of all
hives on your hard disk and keeping that copy somewhere other than
inside your computer.If you back up your entire system regularly, such as to a tape drive
or other backup device, you should ensure that the backup software
you use specifically supports safeguarding the Registry. Although
your Registry certainly won't be compact enough to
fit on a single floppy, it will fit easily on a removable drive
(recordable CD, Zip disk, etc.). In addition, most modern backup
software, such as the Backup utility that comes with
Windows XP (see Chapter 4), includes a feature
to back up the Registry.One useful shortcut is a local
backup
. If you
plan on modifying a specific value or key, it's wise
to back up just that key, because restoring it in the event of a
problem is much less of a hassle than attempting to restore the
entire Registry. See the subsequent section for details.
