How to back up the Entire Registry in Windows XP

Click on Start and then Run....

In the text box in the Run window, type regedit and click OK.
This will open the Registry Editor program.
Navigate to the very top of the registry key branches until you reach Computer.
Highlight Computer by clicking on it once.
From the Registry Editor menu, choose File and then Export....
In the Export Registry File window that appears, choose a location to save the file in.


Note: I recommend choosing your desktop or the C:\ drive.



Both are very easy to access if you run into problems later and need to use the file.
Locate the File name: text field and enter a name for the backup file.


Note: This name is for you to remember what the exported registry file is for.



Since you're backing up the entire Windows XP Registry, I would recommend calling this file Registry
Backup or something like that.
Click the Save button.
A Registration File with an REG file extension will be created in the location you chose in Step 6 and with the file name you chose in Step 7.
Continuing the example from the last step, the file would be named Registry Backup.reg.
You can now make as many changes to any area of the registry that you want.
If after making your registry changes, you realize that they did not give you the results you were looking for, you can simply restore the entire Windows XP registry
Back to the point at which you backed it up.