Fixing Windows errors, tweaking Windows features, or completely removing a program can sometimes require you to edit the Windows registry. This page provides help on how to open and view the Windows registry, edit, and delete registry values.

By definition, a registry editor software is a tool built to help you editor the registry file of your computer’s Operating System. There are many software that you can use today, and we have provided you with a list of the best options to choose. How to install Registry Editor. Note that these software are all for Windows Operating System. Jun 27, 2019 How to Export and Import Windows Registry Files. The Registry Editor also supports the import and export of.reg files. You can create your own.reg files to back up specific registry keys. Taking a backup is a great idea if you are about to edit the registry. You can back up individual keys and values, or the entire registry.

Before editing or changing anything in the Microsoft Windows registry, we recommend you back up the registry. For help with backing up the registry, see: How to back up and restore the Windows registry.

How to open the Windows registry

To open the Windows registry, follow the steps below for your version of Windows.

If you have restricted access to the Windows computer you're logged in to, you may not be able to access the Windows registry.

Windows 10

1. Type regedit in the Windows search box on the taskbar and press Enter.
2. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes to open the Registry Editor.
3. The Windows Registry Editor window should open and look similar to the example shown below.

Registry Editor Download

Windows 8

1. Type regedit on the Start screen and select the regedit option in the search results.
2. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes to open the Registry Editor.
3. The Windows Registry Editor window should open and look similar to the example shown below.

Windows 7 and earlier

Registry Editor /d

1. Click Start or press the Windows key.
2. In the Start menu, either in the Run box or the Search box, type regedit and press Enter. In Windows 8, you can type regedit on the Start screen and select the regedit option in the search results. In Windows 10, type regedit in the Search box on the taskbar and press Enter.
3. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes to open the Registry Editor.
4. The Windows Registry Editor window should open and look similar to the example shown below.

How to browse the Windows registry

When most users need to edit their registry, they're given the location or path of where the registry value is located and what to change. Below is an example path for a commonly accessed registry subkey. To browse to this location, you first start by opening the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key (folder). In this key, you see the SOFTWARE folder, then Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, and finally the Run folder.

Each backslash (') in a registry path represents another folder in the registry, with the name of that folder following the backslash.

After navigating to the registry path above, you'll see a window similar to the example below. In this example, you can see four different string value keys, which are pointing to the programs that run each time the computer is turned on or restarted.

How to edit a Windows registry value

To edit a registry value, double-click the name of the value you want to edit. For example, if we double-clicked the 'IntelliPoint' value in the example above, a new window appears that would allow us to change the value of the data. In this case, we could change the file path of where the 'ipoint.exe' file is located for the IntelliPoint driver.

How to delete a Windows registry value

To delete a registry value, highlight any registry Name and then press the Del on the keyboard. For example, if we did not want the IntelliPoint program to load each time Windows starts, we could highlight IntelliPoint and then press the Del.

Windows registry shorthand and abbreviations

In some documentation and online forums, the registry values may be abbreviated. For example, instead of saying 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE,' it is easier to say and write 'HKLM.' For a listing of registry terms and shorthand, see our registry definition.

Registry Editor Software

Additional information

Registry Editor 2

• See our registry definition for further information and related links.