The change in the familiar work environment in Windows 8 and 8.1 has led to the fact that some activities that were never difficult in Windows 7 and XP, began to cause problems for users. So, due to the lack of the familiar 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 simplest ones.
Five Ways to Open Registry Editor in Windows 8
Using the Run application
There are two ways to start the Run program:
- via the context menu of the "Start" button in Windows 8.1;
- by pressing the Windows key + R key combination.
In the line “Open” of the appeared window, 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 is also opened from context menu Start button.
In the console window, enter the already familiar command regedit and press Enter.
The Registry Editor will open.
Through Windows Explorer
You can open the registry editor in the same way as any other program - simply by running its file.
From your desktop, open any folder, go 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 places:
- the context menu of the "Start" button (item "Find");
- sidebar Charms, which appears on the screen if you move the cursor to the upper or lower right corner and move it slightly.
- start screen (the “magnifying glass” icon in the right upper corner).
Enter in the search bar regedit, press Enter and launch the found application.
Using a shortcut
If you frequently make changes to the registry, it will be convenient for you to run 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 “Create shortcut”.
Confirm your agreement 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 the shortcut, select the "Pin to Start Screen" command.
After that, the 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 in the functions of registry optimization, which are necessary to maintain high system performance. And this is the main purpose of such programs. Let's take a look at some of them.
Reg Organizer
Reg Organizer is a multifunctional utility for maintaining operating system... 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 Reg Organizer sections resembles system utility regedit - 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 functions, if used incorrectly, can interfere with the functionality of the system and programs. Therefore, Reg Organizer should only be recommended for experienced users.
Registry Booster
Registry Booster is another application that allows you to optimize the 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 newbies. It fixes found problems automatically and does not allow you to manually manage this process.
RegScanner
Nir Soft's RegScanner utility is a convenient replacement for the built-in registry editor, aimed exclusively at advanced users. Designed to search for data in the registry by a variety of parameters, including length and date last change... Found records can be deleted immediately after making a backup copy.
RegScanner is convenient to use for cleaning the system after a virus infection and searching for leftovers remote programs... Available in 32- and 64-bit versions. Free.
Registrar Registry Manager
Registrar Registry Manager is an application that resembles the built-in Windows Registry Editor, but significantly surpasses its capabilities. It allows you to keep the registry in order on the local and remote machines the whole network. Has functions Reserve copy and data recovery (both individual branches and the entire registry), cleaning, defragmentation, comparing registry keys and monitoring all changes.
Intended for advanced users and system administrators.
Windows 8 is in high demand among PC users. But not everyone knows how to open the Registry Editor. There are several simple and effective ways to start editing it.
detailed instructions
Option 1
A shortcut from the Win + R key combination will open the Run window.
We write the regedit command there and confirm the action with OK.
Option 2
We call the Task Manager with the well-known combination of Ctrl + Alt + Del.
At the end of the procedure, we enter the already familiar regedit request and confirm the action.
Option 3
If you hold the mouse cursor on the right side of the screen, the so-called Shutter will drop out, which we need. On it we are looking for the line Search.
Under the Applications item is the Search line, where we write the word regedit.
All that remains is to activate the application.
Option 4
In the upper right corner of the My Computer window there is a Search line, which we will need. You need to write the regedit command there.
Among several shortcuts, you need to select the one that is saved in the C: \ Windows directory.
Option 5
Go back to My Computer and open the C drive.
Among the abundance of shortcuts, you need to find regedit with the type Application. We open it by double clicking.
These are the methods available in order to visually see how to start the registry. this instruction suitable for Windows 8.1. Each option only takes a few minutes.
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 when working with this program, and some of them had never started the Registry Editor at all. So I decided to write a small tutorial on this program.
Table of contents:
What is Registry Editor
Registry Editor has historically been created as a tool for users who need to modify Windows options that are not displayed in the 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, which contain information about both Windows configuration and almost all 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 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 you can open that folder in Explorer and click to launch regedit.exe.
Alternatively, you can create a shortcut to Regedit.exe and place it in the Start Menu / List Windows applications 8.x, to the folder
% ProgramData% \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Start Menu \ Programs
This will make the Registry Editor visible in the results Windows search, and also allows 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 view of the data structure, it is called partitions (or keys);
- the right panel displays parameters... They are name = data pairs and are stored inside keys.
What Registry Editor Shows
As I mentioned above, the editor shows us the 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 here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SYSTEM \ CurrentControlSet \ Control \ hivelist
Here you can see a list of files on your hard drive that store registry data. The data within them, as mentioned above, have a hierarchical structure, and the registry editor shows them in the form of a "tree". The roots of a tree (master keys) generally represent a specific file, the data of which is accessed.
However, there are also virtual keys that appear in the registry editor as regular files, but in fact 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 concatenates the registry keys of the current user and system partitions.
Note that some registry files do not appear in the Registry Editor window. For example, you will never see what is stored inside the 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 for security reasons.
Registry parameters are used by Windows and many third party applications for storing various configuration parameters and part of user data. Parameter values are different 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, click right click mouse on the parent section in the left pane and select the command Create -> Section from the context menu.
You must give the 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 a new parameter, you need to right-click
- on the current section on the left
or - in an empty space in the right pane.
Select the appropriate type for the new parameter and enter its name. Double-click the parameter name to set its value.
How to take ownership of a section and get full access to it
Just as the concepts of "permissions" and "owner" 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 in which OS settings are stored are protected by access restrictions so that they cannot be easily deleted or changed by the user. Sometimes you may need to change the data in such sections, and for this you need to be able to change the owner of the section and get full access to it. This is quite easy to do.
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 partitions permissions, you need to return ownership of this account otherwise the operating system may not function correctly. To restore the TrustedInstaller property in Windows Vista, 7 and 8, enter NT Service \ TrustedInstaller in the Enter the object names 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 permissions, without which you will not be able to change the parameter values. To do this, you must switch to the Permissions tab in the dialog Extra options security.
Subsections can have so-called inherited permissions from its parent section. Alternatively, subkeys can also have explicit access rights other than the parent key.
In the first case, that is, if permissions are inherited from the parent key, you must disable inheritance and copy the parent section'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 the Add permissions inherited from parent objects check box and click Add in the confirmation dialog box.
After disabling inheritance, select the appropriate user account and click the button 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 key, or you can set permissions for the current key, and then apply them to all of its subsections. To do this, check the box Replace all child object permission entries with inherited from this object... This action will expose the permissions you specify down the key hierarchy for all subkeys.
Registry Editor Command Line Keys
Go to the desired registry key with one click
Option number 1
Some time ago I created the RegOwnershipEx utility that allows you to get full access to a registry key with one click. In addition, it allows you to navigate to the desired registry key. I recommend that you familiarize yourself with it. 
RegOwnershipEx allows the following:
- take ownership and full access to the selected registry key. There is a registry browse window for easy choice section.
- favorites - for quick access to your favorite registry key. It is integrated with the Favorites menu of the Registry Editor.
- restore the permissions and owner 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 jump 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.
- argument command line"/ j" to extract the path to the registry key from the Windows clipboard and quickly jump to the registry editor.
All this is damn convenient!
Option 2
I sketched out 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 the desired location. ...
Many novice users are wondering how to enter windows registry 10, 8, 7 or XP. No matter how much you go through the items in the Start menu, you will not find a shortcut to the registry in it! How do you 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 doing harm, access to the registry was hidden.
Give yourself your word that you will not make rash changes in the registry, so that do not harm your computer!
Details about what is the registry how it works and how it can be used can be read in.
For any version of Windows, there are several ways to run a program in which you can change registry settings (it is called " registry editor»).
Let's start with the most recent Windows 10 and consider two options for accessing the registry.
Launching Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 10
- Press the "Start" button with the left mouse button (or the "Windows" key on the keyboard);
- When the Start menu opens, type in the command " regedit"(Without quotes);
- At the top of the search menu under the "Best match" item will appear "REGEDIT - Run command", click on this item with the left mouse button;
- If a window appears to confirm the launch of the registry editor, click "Yes";
You will see the "Registry Editor" window, in which you can make changes to the registry itself.
Launching Registry Editor in Windows 10
Launching 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 keyboard shortcut Win + R);
- 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 Winows 10 registry in this video:
How to open the registry in Windows 8 / 8.1
To start 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 do not have the Start button, so in the first step of the first method, press the Windows key, and then everything is according to the instructions above.
A detailed video instruction on how to enter the Windows 8 Registry Editor (8.1):
How to open the registry in Windows 7
To open Registry Editor in Windows 7, you need to follow similar steps:
Launching Registry Editor - Method 1 for Windows 7
- Dial the command " regedit"(Without quotes);
- Click at the top of the menu, under the "Programs" on the " regedit»;
- Select the answer "Yes" to the request for confirmation of the launch.
Launching Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows 7
- Press the Win + R key combination on the keyboard (hold down 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 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 by the combination Win + R)
- In the window "Run the program" write the command " regedit"(Without quotes) and click the" OK "button;
Launching Registry Editor in Windows XP
Launching Registry Editor - Method 2 for Windows XP (and More)
- Open Explorer (you can use the Win + X keyboard shortcut);
- Go to the "C:" drive;
- 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 everyone. listed versions Windows. Moreover, you can cheat a little:
Once you reach the "regedit" file, you can create desktop shortcut and further greatly simplify access to the Registry Editor.
You can find out more about what the registry is and how it works.
Conclusion
Today you found out how to enter the register in all current versions Windows OS.
In total there was three ways:
- Search through the "Start" menu by entering the command "regedit"
- By using the Run command and typing "regedit"
- Opening the "regedit" file located in the C: \ Windows \ folder
And one additional way : after reaching the file "regedit" (the third way), create a shortcut on the desktop.
In the next lesson, I plan to look at how to save (back up) individual parts of the registry before changing them.
Interesting? Write in the comments, ask questions, and, of course, share the link in in social networks and subscribe to the news!
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When I hear the phrase Windows registry, I imagine the regedit.exe program icon - a half-disassembled green cube consisting of smaller cubes. What the registry really is. I think many Windows users heard about it, but not many have seen and understand what kind of miracle it is.
The Windows 8 registry is a database that contains settings for the operating system and programs. So the registry is a database. Like any other database, the registry is stored in files on the hard disk. In this case, there are several registry files, the main part is located in the C: \ Windows \ System32 \ config folder (% windir% \ system32 \ config). If you look into this folder, then all the files opposite to which the type "File" is indicated will be the same registry files.
Another place where the registry files are stored is in the root folder of user profiles and along the path C: \ Users \\ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft \ Windows (% userprofile% \ AppData \ Local \ Microsoft \ Windows). Each profile has its own registry files, since each account uses its own unique Windows registry hive (key), because the settings for all profiles are unique. To open your profile, press the key combination WIN + R, in the window that appears, type% userprofile% and click OK. These files will most likely be hidden from you, you must enable the display of hidden and system files to see them. In the screenshot below you can see that the registry file is NTUSER.DAT, the rest are the logs needed to recover from an unexpected failure.
What do we have on this moment? The Windows 8 registry is stored in files scattered across folders. In order to view or edit some settings of the operating system or programs, you can use the regedit.exe program. It is stored in the C: \ Windows folder, but you can start it by pressing WIN + R and typing regedit. In general, Microsoft does not recommend making changes to Windows settings directly through the registry, but use the existing user interface of the operating system. If you run regedit, then I recommend not to make any changes, but only to familiarize yourself with the structure of the database.
Since all Windows settings are stored in the registry, in the absence of the same user interface(which is typical for stripped-down Windows versions Windows type 7 Starter), many settings can be changed through the registry. For example, you can use regedit to change the desktop background by specifying your path to the image file, although this cannot be done through the Control Panel.
That's all I would like to tell you.