What Does the Regedit Message Mean?
If you ever see a message that contains the words "Registry" or "Regedit," read that message carefully because it may affect your computer. Many users never worry about their computer's system registry because Windows manages it transparently behind the scenes. You might, however, occasionally see a Regedit message that pops up and prompts you with a question.
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Windows Registry
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Every time you change your desktop wallpaper or install a program, Windows records that event in the system registry. All versions of Windows use the registry to store critical information that makes the operating system run. Application developers also write code that stores and receives data from this repository. You, Windows or an application can make changes to the registry by using a program called Regedit or by executing a registry file.
Registry Files
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Typing "Regedit" in your Start menu search box and pressing "Enter" opens the Regedit editor. This editor displays a list of registry keys and allows you to change them. Many computer users who understand the registry update it using Regedit's convenient user interface. Other users update the registry using registry files. A registry file has a file extension of .reg and contains commands that modify the registry. Commands in these files can also insert new data into the registry and even delete existing registry keys.
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Regedit Messages
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When you double-click a registry file, a Regedit message box may open and ask if you wish to update the registry using information stored in the registry file. If you click "Yes," the file updates your registry. Clicking "No" cancels the update. Users who create registry files have the option to suppress these messages by adding a special code to the file. You are free to ignore a Regedit message and allow a registry file to update your registry. However, Microsoft recommends backing up the registry before making any updates to it.
Possible Causes
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You don't have to click a registry file to make it run. Software programs have the ability to execute these files. A batch file, for instance, may cause a Regedit message to appear when the batch file runs if it contains a command similar to the one below:
regedit /s update1.reg
If a registry file resides in your Windows Startup folder, that file will also run whenever Windows boots up. If the registry file is configured to display Regedit messages, a Regedit message will appear.
Considerations
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It is wise to not run registry files without knowing what they do. If a Regedit message appears when you boot Windows, you can view the registry file by clicking "All Programs" in your Start menu's search box and opening the Startup folder when it appears. You can then right-click any file with a .reg extension and select the "Open with Notepad" option to view the file's contents. To prevent the file from running, remove it from the Startup folder. If someone emails you a file that has a .reg extension, do not double-click it unless you trust the source that sent it.
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