How to Use the Group Policy Editor to Fix a Registry Editor

Your computer's Registry is a powerful utility that is located in the Windows directory. As the application's name suggests, it is used to make changes in the windows registry. It is also a tool by which you can fix problems caused by viruses, Trojan horses, spyware or any other type of malware. This is because this malware typically alters your registry, thus the importance of registry editor to undo their damage. It may happen, however, that your registry editor is disabled. This can happen when a virus programmer writes code specifically designed to disable the editor, so as to make it difficult or impossible to remove the virus. Windows XP Professional comes complete with a Group Policy Editor, another powerful utility that you can use to re-enable your registry editor. Read on to learn how to use this application to fix a disabled registry editor.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Back up Your Registry Editor

1. Open the Registry Editor by clicking your "Start" button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen.
2. Click on "All Programs" and then on "Accessories." Click "System Tools" and then "System Restore."
3. Complete the "System Restore" wizard.

Fix Your Registry Editor

4. Log onto your computer via an account that has administrator privileges.
5. Click your "Start" button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. Next, click on the "Run" button.
6. Type "gpedit.msc" into the data input line, and click "OK" in the pop-up box you get. This will open the Group Policy Editor window.
7. Click on the "User Configuration." Click on "Administrative Templates" and then click "System."
8. Look through the Settings window and locate the option labeled "Prevent Access to Registry Editing Tools." Double-click on this option and then uncheck the "Disable or Not Configured" option. This will enable the Registry Editor.
9. Click on "OK" when you are done. Restart your computer and try to open your Registry Editor.

Tips & Warnings

• A quick way to back up your registry is to open it (Start => Run => Regedit). Next, click on "File" in the upper left-hand corner. Click on "Export" in the drop-down menu and then save as a .reg (Registry) file. However, this method is NOT fail safe. A system restore is the most reliable backup method for your registry.
• Before you modify your registry, it is essential to back it up. Do not modify the registry unless you know how to restore it if there is a problem and you need to undo any changes you've made.

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