On the Windows operating system, Registry is a database that stores settings regarding the applications and hard hardware installed on the Windows system. You can change the values on this database via Registry Editor. In Windows 10, there are at least 5 ways to open Registry Editor.
Just keep in mind that editing Registry is not suggested unless you really understand what you are doing. The reason is because Registry is a sensitive database. Incorrectly changing the values can lead your system into a trouble. Before making any change to any value of Windows Registry, it’s suggested to make the backup of it.
You can backup the entire database or individual keys of Windows Registry.
Backup the entire database
Open Registry Editor and go to File -> Export. Give your backup a name. Your database will be saved in a .reg file. Before clicking the Save button, make sure to select the All option on the Export range section.
Backup individual Registry keys
Backing the entire database of Windows Registry gives you one advantage. You can simply restore it if something bad is happening with your system and everything will be restored to default. Conversely, it can be a troublesome if you already make some changes to the Windows Registry. For the second case, you can opt to backup individual Registry keys rather than the entire database.
To do so, open Registry Editor and go to the location of the settings you want to backup and select the keys you want to backup. Right-click and select Export. For instance, if you want to backup the keys under “Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility“, you can go to “Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Accessibility” and right-click on it and select Export.
Give your backup a name. Before clicking the Save button, make sure to select the Selected branch option on the Export range section.
Restoring the Registry you have backed up
Of course, you can restore the Registry settings you have backed up. Open Registry Editor and go to File -> Import then select the backup file (.reg) you want to restore and click Open.
The backup registration file will merge the settings into the Windows 10 Registry. In same cases, you need to restart your computer to apply the changes, depending on the settings you are restoring.