This is a companion page to Backing Up and Restoring the Windows XP Registry I wanted to illustrate what can happen when a Hive File Backup of the registry is created and then imported back into the registry in the wrong location. I created a Hive File backup, Desktop.hiv, based on the Desktop key as shown in the left hand screen capture. To properly import the file back into the registry, the Desktop key should again be highlighted and the import operation completed. Instead of following the proper procedure and importing back into the Desktop key, I highlighted the Control Panel key as shown in the right hand screen capture and allowed the import operation to complete. As you can see by making a comparison, the results were disastrous. Every sub-key that was present beneath the Control Panel key was wiped out by the improper import. The values that used to be assigned to the Desktop key are now present in the Control Panel key and the WindowMetrics key that was previously a sub-key of Desktop is now a sub-key of Control Panel. The Desktop key no longer exists. What a mess, and all because the Hive File backup was imported to the wrong location. Moral of the Story: Verify,
then verify again, the location where a hive file backup will be
imported. |
