Regedit: What is the Windows Registry, How to Use it and Best Tricks

Windows has many more components beyond the desktop, windows, and applications. Some of these elements are necessary for the operating system itself to work (for example, DLL libraries), and others are necessary to save all the advanced configuration of the operating system. And one of these elements, which we have surely heard of sometime, is the Windows registry.

What is the Windows Registry, or Regedit

The Windows registry is a database where the operating system itself, and many applications, save all kinds of configurations. All the features of the operating system, both those that are enabled and those that are not, are stored here.

Regedit

Within this registry we can find all kinds of values and settings that allow us to modify even the most unthinkable element of the operating system. Of course, although its structure is divided into a directory tree, it is not an intuitive tool at all. Rather the complete opposite.

The Windows registry was introduced in Windows 3.11, and until today, it is an essential part of the system.

What forms the registration

Therefore, this record can be considered as “a configuration database”. And without it, neither the operating system nor the programs could work. Windows has its own entries in this database, just like the programs we install. In addition, each user also has reserved spaces to preserve their settings.

The Windows registry settings, and therefore the settings for the entire operating system, are stored in the “Config” directory , within the “System32” directory of the main “Windows” folder. And each user’s personal configuration is stored in the file ” NTUSER.dat ” that is inside their personal folder.

The registry consists of two elements. The first of these are the “keys”, or what is the same, each of the “folders” where the values are stored. And the second element is these “values”, who finish shaping the configuration. These values can have numbers, text or other data.

The keys and values are grouped into what is known as “hive”, and we will recognize them because they are the main ones:

  • HKEY_CURRENT_USER
  • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
  • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
  • HKEY_USERS
  • HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

What can we do on it

The main reason we usually access the Windows registry is to make configuration changes that are not otherwise available. There are functions of the operating system and features that do not have a switch as such (because they are not interesting, because they are experimental or for other reasons), and to access them, it is necessary to change their settings directly from the registry.

However, except for specific changes, we will not have to do anything with the registration. Windows and programs are responsible for changing the values according to our settings. When you turn off your PC, these changes are saved, and when you turn it back on, they are loaded again and applied.

Anyway, if we have to make a specific change in the Windows registry, then we must resort to a tool called “regedit”.

How to edit the registry

To edit the Windows registry it is necessary to use a tool called “regedit”. This program will be the one that will allow us to access all the entries and modify them according to our needs. To do this, all we have to do is open the Windows 10 search engine and type “regedit” in it, followed by an enter. We can also run it from the “Run” menu that appears when you press the keyboard shortcut ” Windows + R “.

Abrir regedit Windows

Within the main regedit window we can see a search engine, which will allow us to move to the key that we want quickly, the key tree and the list of values that are inside each key.

Ventana elementos regedit

To modify an existing value, we simply need to move to its registry key (For example, Computer> HKEY_CURRENT_USER> Software), and locate the value on the right side. We double click on it and we can modify the value information. Of course, we must be careful to enter a value of the same type as the original (a hexadecimal value is not the same as a DWORD.

Modificar valor registro Windows

When we have already made the changes we want, we accept the windows, close regedit and restart Windows so that the new changes are applied.

Create new value or registry key

Sometimes the value we want to modify does not exist. And therefore, we will have to create it manually. To do this, we must go to the registry key where the value we want to modify should be and we will right-click on an empty space. We will select the “New” option to create a new value. We must choose the type of value that corresponds to what we need.

Nuevo valor o clave de registro de Windows

In case what doesn’t exist is the key, we can also create a new key that hangs from the current one in the same way (right button> New> Key). It is recommended to restart once we finish modifying the registry so that the changes are applied without problems.

Delete a value

It may also happen that what we have to do is delete a value from the registry. To do this, what we must do is select it, right-click on it and choose the “Delete” option . The value will disappear, although we may have to reboot for the changes to take effect.

Sometimes, instead of removing the value, just change its value to “0” or “false”, depending on the type. In this way the value will be “deactivated”, but it will still be there to be able to reactivate it changing its value to “1” when we need it. Renaming the key (for example, to a .bak) can server to disable a value without deleting it.

It is recommended to delete entries as small as possible. Deleting a key will delete all other inherited keys and their values. And the bigger the key the more problems we will have in the long term.

Safety recommendations

There is usually fear when editing the Windows registry. However, we don’t have to have it. As long as we know what we are doing and avoid changing values to the logo. We should never change heats at random.

It is also possible to run scripts that allow us to modify values in the registry. We should only run these scripts when they are completely trusted . And always reviewing the changes you make. A malicious script could lower our security or render the PC unusable.

If the registry gets corrupted, Windows won’t even be able to boot. Therefore, it is always important to back up the registry, the entries that we change, and keep track of the changes. So if something goes wrong, we can always go back.

Back up the Windows registry

Backups of the Windows registry are very important since, thanks to them, we will be able to restore our PC if something goes wrong. These backups must be done manually. To do this, we only have to right-click on the value or the key that we want to save and choose the “Export” option .

Copia seguridad registro Windows

Said configuration will be saved in a file with a .REG extension. We can make a backup copy of a specific value, a key (with all its inherited values) and even the hives or the complete registry. And the process for all this is always the same.

Restore a backup

Registry backups usually have a .REG extension . Inside this file will be all the instructions to leave the registry, the value, or the key, as it was at the time of its creation. To restore this copy, simply double click on this REG file to restore it.

Backups of the Windows registry should be as small and concrete as possible. A very large copy, when restoring it, could give problems with other keys or with other values. The more specific the key (a specific value, a key, etc.), the better. Although, if we want, we can make a complete copy of the registry, or of a hive. Although it is not ideal.

Registry backups typically take up a few bytes. The complete Windows registry can occupy about 400 MB, depending on the programs that we have installed.

Archivos REG registro copia

It is important that the larger the copy of the Windows registry, the more personal it is. And it may even have personal information and license keys. Therefore, it is recommended not to share very large backup copies with other people.

REG files: automate changes in regedit

The Windows registry is saved in its own database format so that only Windows, regedit, and programs can access it. However, there is one type of file specially designed to interact directly with the registry: REG files .

A REG file is a text file (we can open it with Notepad if we want) within which a series of changes and modifications are defined in the Windows registry. When executed (with double click, and with administrator permission) the changes are applied according to their definitions.

Archivo REG copia registro Windows

Windows registry backups have the REG extension so you can restore them with a double click. And in addition, it is also possible to create our own scripts to automate the creation and modification of registry values.

A “.REG” file must start with ” Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 “, have brackets [] the path to the registry key to be modified, and under it, in quotation marks, “each of the values, an equal, and its defined value, also in quotes.

As long as it is organized, the same REG file can have changes for various keys and values.

Best tricks, or registry changes, to improve Windows

We can make a lot of changes to the registry. And it is impossible to collect them all since they are practically infinite. Windows, and the programs, hide a lot of secret functions, settings and tricks that must be unlocked through this Windows registry.

Let’s see some of the most relevant and useful for users of Windows 10. And so, incidentally, we can practice to familiarize ourselves with the Windows registry. All these “hacks” are safe and reversible , although we recommend, as always, to work with backup copies and not to modify values or keys at random.

We are not going to indicate step by step how to get to the key and edit the value. This has been explained in the previous points. We will simply indicate the changes that need to be made. And, of course, after doing them we will have to restart the PC.

Open programs from the context menu

This Windows hack is present from Vista. And to this day, with Windows 10, it is still fully functional. To make it work, what we must do is locate ourselves in the following registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT> Directory> Background> shell

Once there, we will create a new key, inside “shell”, with the name of the program that we want to launch. For example, “Notepad” or “Chrome“. And inside this key, we will create another key called “command”.

The “command” key will have a “Default” value created by default. We must edit this value by double-clicking on it and change its value information by the directory, in quotes, up to the program’s .exe.

Delete the folder “3D Objects” and others of “This team”

The “3D Objects” folder is one of the most useless that we can find in Windows 10. And although Microsoft does not offer an option to hide it, we can easily do so by simply changing the registry.

We must go to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> SOFTWARE> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Explorer> MyComputer> NameSpace

And in it we will find another key called “{0DB7E03F-FC29-4DC6-9020-FF41B59E513A}”. What we must do is delete this complete key to hide the folder in the explorer.

If we have a 64-bit system, what we must also do is go to the following key in the Windows registry:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE> SOFTWARE> Wow6432Node> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Explorer> MyComputer> NameSpace

And delete the key “{0DB7E03F-FC29-4DC6-9020-FF41B59E513A}” from there.

Show seconds on the taskbar clock

The Windows clock usually appears at the bottom right of the desktop. And next to it, the date also usually appears. By default, the Windows 10 clock only shows the hour and minutes. However, if we want, we can also enable the seconds.

To do this, we will enter regedit and navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER> Software> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Explorer> Advanced

Here we will create a new 32-bit DWORD value called “ShowSecondsInSystemClock”. And we will assign the value “1” to make it active. After restarting, we can see the seconds on the clock.

Hide OneDrive in File Explorer

To hide this icon in Windows file explorer, what we must do is navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT> CLSID> {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}

Once in it, we will double click on “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree”, and change its value to “0” (zero).

We must also go (if we use a 64-bit system) to the following registry key:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT> Wow6432Node> CLSID> {018D5C66-4533-4307-9B53-224DE2ED1FE6}

And change the value “System.IsPinnedToNameSpaceTree” to “0”.

Remove Bing from Windows finder

Bing is the Microsoft search engine that is integrated into Windows 10 programs. If we do not want to use this search engine, for example, from the Windows search engine, we can remove it with a simple change in the Windows registry.

What we must do is open regedit and go to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER> SOFTWARE> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Search

Once there, we will create a new 32-bit DWORD value called “BingSearchEnabled”, and give it the value “0”. We must also look for the value “CortanaConsent”, and make sure that its value is also zero, just like the previous one.

Deactivate the function “Shake to minimize”

If we click on a window and “shake” it, by default Windows minimizes all other windows, leaving only the one we have selected visible. This can be practical in some situations, but very annoying in others. Luckily, it can be disabled relatively easily.

To do this, we must go to the Windows registry editor and navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER> SOFTWARE> Microsoft> Windows> CurrentVersion> Explorer> Advanced

Here we must create a new 32-bit DWORD value called “DisallowShaking”, and change its value from “0” to “1”.