Location of Registry Files in Windows XP

The registry in Windows is a set of files that contain all of the configuration data for the operating system and installed software on the computer. A correct and non-corrupted registry is essential for the proper performance of the computer yet there are no built in tools to locate or back up these files.

Registry Files Location

The registry files in Windows XP consist of the following five files: "Default," "System," "Software," "Security" and "Sam." The files are located in the "System\Config" sub-directory under the default Windows directory, usually "C:\Windows."

Finding Registry Files

Right-click on the "Start" button in the bottom left corner and click on "Explore." Scroll down in the left menu and click on the "Windows" folder. If you get a warning about the contents of the folder, click "Allow." Scroll down again and do the same thing to allow viewing of the "System32" directory and once again to view the contents of the "Config" directory. As the registry files are hidden, you still need to take action to un-hide these and other system files. To correct this, click on the "Tools" menu in Windows Explorer, then "Folder Options" and click on the "View" tab. Under "Hidden Files" click the button that says "Show Hidden Files and Folders." Now you can see the five registry files.

Starting Recovery Console

When Windows XP is installs, it places certain critical files in a backup location under "C:\windows\repair," including the registry files. Since these files are always in use when Windows is running, you will need to boot into the Recovery Console to replace your corrupt files with the clean ones in the repair folder. Insert the Windows startup CD that came with the computer into the CD drive and restart the computer. Follow any prompts to change the boot sequence or to start the computer from the CD drive. The exact directions for this vary from computer to computer, so refer to the computer documentation for details. Once you get to the opening screen of the CD, press "R" to enter the Recovery Console. Enter the administrator password if required.

Recovering Registry Files

Use the copy command in the Recovery Console to move the current five registry files to a backup location of your choice: "copy c:\windows\system32\config\filename C:\backup location," where "filename" is one of the five registry files and "backup location" is the directory where you want to store the current registry files. Delete the registry files using "delete c:\windows\system32\config\filename," again substituting each of the five registry files for "filename." Finally, copy the clean files from the repair directory using the following syntax for all five files, once again substituting the actual file names: "copy c:\windows\repair\filename c:\windows\system32\config\filename." This gives you clean copies of the registry files and the computer should start correctly. The files in the repair folder are new clean registry files that don't know anything about any software or configuration changes you've made since purchasing the computer. You'll need to reinstall all software products to make them function correctly.

Backing Up Registry Files

Replacing the registry files with those from the repair folder has problems. If you don't have any other backups, this is your only option. After installing all software and getting your computer to a point where everything is where you want it and is stable, it's a good idea to make your own backups of the registry files for insurance.

References

• Microsoft: How to Recover From a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP From Starting