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Compaq Presario SR1810NX Desktop PC Troubleshooting

Backing Up, Editing, and Restoring the Windows Registry (Windows Vista)

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This document applies to HP and Compaq Desktop computers with Windows Vista.
The registry is a database in Windows that contains important information about system hardware, installed programs and settings, and profiles of each of the user accounts on the computer. Windows Vista continually refers to the information in the registry.
You should not need to make manual changes to the registry because programs and applications typically make all the necessary changes automatically. Changing the registry files in the wrong way can cause Windows to stop working or make Windows report the wrong information. Always back up the registry before making changes. However, if a corrupt file appears in the registry, you may need to make changes.
We strongly recommend that a back up of the registry is created before making any changes and that you only change values in the registry that you understand or have been instructed to change by a trusted source.
CAUTION: An incorrect registry entry can cause serious system problems or prevent the PC from starting. If you must edit the registry to resolve problems, you should always make a backup (using this support article). If the registry was not backed up and the registry is damaged due to editing, the only resolution may be a system recovery.
This document describes how to create a back up of the Windows registry, how to edit it, and how to restore it in case something goes wrong.

Before you begin

Before working with the registry, if possible, print this document as a reference. Before making any changes to the registry, a backup of the registry should be created. Save the backup copy to a location you want, such as a folder on the hard disk drive or a removable storage device. If a change is made that you want to undo, a backup copy may be able to be imported.
It is a good idea to create a Windows startup disk to start the computer in the event that Windows fails to start.
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Step 1: Backing up the Windows registry

You must be logged on as an administrator to perform these steps. When not logged in as an administrator, only changes can be applied to the user account that is currently opened.
Before making changes to a registry key or subkey, a backup of the registry should be created. You can save the backup copy to a location you specify, such as a folder on the hard disk or a removable storage device. If you make changes that you want to undo, the backup copy can be imported.
Use the following steps to back up the entire Windows registry.
  1. Open the Registry Editor by clicking Start , and enter regedit into the Start Search field.
  2. If you are prompted for an Administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  3. Find and click the key or subkey that you want to back up.
  4. Click the File menu, and then click Export .
  5. In the Save in box, select the location where you want to save the backup copy, and then type a name for the backup file in the File name box.
  6. Click Save to save the registry.
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Step 2: Editing the registry

Registry Editor is a tool intended for advanced users. It is used to view and change settings in the system registry, which contains information about how your PC runs. Windows refers to this information and updates it when you make changes to your PC, such as installing a new program, creating a user profile, or adding new hardware. Registry Editor lets you view registry folders, files, and settings for each registry file.
Editing the registry is very similar to working with files in Windows Explorer. You can browse to a location in the registry and add, rename, change data, or delete keys and values. The following steps walk through an example of how to add, modify, find, and delete registry items.

Adding a key

Use the following steps to add a registry key.
  1. Open the Registry Editor by clicking Start , and entering regedit into the Start Search field.
  2. If you are prompted for an Administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  3. Click the arrow next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
  4. Right-click HKEY_CURRENT_USER , select New , and then click Key .
    A new key appears that looks like a folder.
  5. Type AAAA as a name for the new key and press Enter.
    A new registry key has been created.

Adding a value name to the key

Use the following steps to add a value to the key that was previously created:
  1. Right-click the new key named AAAA, select New , and then click String Value .
  2. Type BBBB as a new value name and press Enter.
    You added a new value to a key.

Adding data to a Value name

Use the steps in this section to modify the registry item you created in the previous section:
  1. Right-click the value BBBB and select Modify .
  2. Type CCCC for the data value and then click OK .
    You added data to a registry value. This same method can also be used to change existing data.

Finding a registry item

Use the steps in this section to find the registry item you modified in the previous section.
  1. Click the arrow next to HKEY_CURRENT_USER to close branch of registry keys.
  2. Click Computer in the registry window to highlight it.
  3. Click Edit , and then Find .
  4. Type CCCC into the Find what box.
  5. Make sure Keys , Values , and Data are selected, and click the Find Next button.
    The Registry Editor searches through the registry, stops, and highlights the value BBBB.
  6. Double-click BBBB to open it and see the value data CCCC inside.
    You have successfully searched the registry and found the value data CCCC.

Deleting a registry item

Use the steps in this section to delete the registry item you found in the previous section.
  1. Right-click the key named AAAA and select Delete .
  2. Click Yes to verify the deletion of the AAAA key, the BBBB value, and the CCCC value data.
    Individual keys, values and value data can be deleted in this same process.
    CAUTION:When deleting a key, remember that every sub-item that it contains will also be deleted.
    A registry key and its values has been successfully deleted from the registry.
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Step 3: Restoring a saved registry

If the system becomes unstable, hardware stops working, or software stops working after editing the registry, use the following steps to restore the registry from a saved backup.
  1. Open the Registry Editor by clicking Start , and entering regedit into the Start Search field.
  2. If prompted for an Administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  3. The Registry Editor appears.
  4. Select Computer , click File , and then click Import .
  5. Browse to the registry file that was saved (just like the file that was saved in Step 1).
  6. Select the file and then click OK .
  7. Restart the PC.
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