How to create a .reg file to work with the Windows registry? Basics of working with the Windows Registry Reg file for all browsers

A REG file is a text file with a REG extension, compiled in a specific format.

REG file format

Below is an example of a REG file that disables the recent documents menu.

;Disable recent documents menu
"NoRecentDocsMenu"=hex:01,00,00,00

Creating a REG file

Creating a REG file is very simple. Copy the code into any text editor (for example, Notepad). Press CTRL+S and save the file with any name and .reg extension, enclosing both in quotes.

Figure 1. Creating a REG file

Import a REG file

The easiest way to import a REG file is to double-click it. For more information, see the article Importing Registry Settings.

REG file syntax

• Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00- the file header, which is an integral part of it. You can also see REGEDIT4 as a header - this is the Windows 98 / NT 4.0 format, which, however, will also be understood by newer Windows operating systems. More information about the differences in formats can be found on the JSO FAQ website (in English).
• ;Disable recent documents menu- a comment. All lines starting with ; (semicolon) represent comments.
• - This is a registry key. Graphically (in the Registry Editor) it represents the path to the parameter. In REG file format, sections are always enclosed in square brackets. In this example, the Explorer (sub)key belongs to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER key.
• "NoRecentDocsMenu"=hex:01,00,00,00- registry parameter and its meaning. Depending on the value of the parameter, the behavior of the operating system or object changes. Many parameters can be configured in the operating system GUI, but not all. In such cases, registry editors, tweakers, or REG files are used to change the parameter.

A REG file can contain several branches and registry settings, but the header is used only at the very beginning.

Example:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

;Disable reboot in case of BSOD
"AutoReboot"=dword:00000000

;Disable the welcome screen notification about unread messages
"MessageExpiryDays"=dword:00000000

This REG file was obtained by exporting from the registry editor regedit.exe. Using REG files, you can make changes to the system registry - this operation is called importing registry settings.

REG file parameter values

A detailed description of the settings can be found in the article Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry. Let's look at practical examples. Each type of parameter has its own values. Often, by value you can determine exactly what a particular registry tweak does. For example, in this case, a certain function is disabled.

"AutoReboot"= dword:00000000

The parameter is of type REG_DWORD. The data is represented as a value that is 4 bytes long (32-bit integer). This data type is used to store settings for device drivers and services. In the Registry Editor GUI you change the value from 0 on 1 (or vice versa).
Usually,

meaning 0 means disabled;

meaning 1 means enabled.

In this example, we disable (0) the automatic reboot (AutoReboot) function of the OS in the event of a system failure (BSOD). For the REG_WORD parameter, you need to change the last digit of the value.

This article outlines the basic principles of working with the Windows registry, knowledge of which will be useful to you in customizing the operating system using registry tweaks.

Terminology

Before we get down to business, we need to define the terminology. I'm using official Microsoft terminology, so the terms are quite consistent with Registry Editor items.

Figure 1 - Registry Editor

As you can see, there are no “branches” or “keys” here. Now to the point.

REG file

A REG file is a text file with a REG extension, compiled in a specific format.

REG file format

Below is an example of a REG file that disables the recent documents menu.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 ;Disable the recent documents menu "NoRecentDocsMenu"=hex:01,00,00,00

Creating a REG file

Creating a REG file is very simple. Copy the code into any text editor (for example, Notepad). Press CTRL+S and save the file with any name and extension.reg, putting both in quotes to avoid txt extension.

Figure 2 - Creating a REG file

REG file syntax

• Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00— the file header, which is an integral part of it. You can also see REGEDIT4 as a header - this is the Windows 98 / NT 4.0 format, which, however, will also be understood by newer Windows operating systems. More information about the differences in formats can be found on the JSO FAQ website (in English).
• ;Disable recent documents menu- a comment. All lines starting with ; (semicolon) represent comments.
• is a registry key. Graphically (in the Registry Editor) it represents the path to the parameter. In REG file format, sections are always enclosed in square brackets. In this example, the Explorer (sub)key belongs to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER key.
• "NoRecentDocsMenu"=hex:01,00,00,00— registry parameter and its meaning. Depending on the value of the parameter, the behavior of the operating system or object changes. Many parameters can be configured in the operating system GUI, but not all. In such cases, registry editors, tweakers, or REG files are used to change the parameter.

A REG file can contain multiple registry keys and settings, but the header is only used at the very beginning.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 ;Disable reboot in case of BSOD "AutoReboot"=dword:00000000 ;Disable notification on the welcome screen about unread messages "MessageExpiryDays"=dword:00000000

This REG file was obtained by exporting from the registry editor regedit.exe. Using REG files, you can make changes to the system registry - this operation is called importing registry settings.

Exporting registry settings

Exporting registry settings is an easy task. As a rule, settings are exported before making changes to the registry (backup), or in order to create a REG file for subsequent import into the registry of another computer or during an automatic system installation.

You can export registry settings in a variety of ways.

Windows Registry Editor (regedit.exe)

Windows OS includes a program for editing the registry - regedit.exe. Since it is located in the system directory, you do not need to specify the full path to run it on the command line (for example, the following sequence will suffice: Start - Run - regedit - OK).

In order to export a registry key, just right-click on it and select the command from the context menu Export(in Windows 2000 this command is located in the menu File).

Other registry editors

There are a great many programs for making changes to the system registry, which also have the ability to export settings. If you often work with the registry, then you will probably need a program that has an address bar. You can paste a copied registry key (from an article or from a forum post) into the address bar and quickly navigate to the desired setting. An example of such a program is RegWorks.

Command line

From the command line, you can export registry settings using the command REG EXPORT, which has the following syntax.

REG EXPORT Full path to the registry key in the form: ROOT\Subkey (for local computer only). Root partition. Values: [ HKLM | HKCU | HKCR | HKU | HKCC]. The full path to the registry key in the selected root partition. The name of the disk file to export. Examples: REG EXPORT HKLM\Software\MyCo\MyApp AppBkUp.reg Exports all subsections and parameter values ​​of the MyApp section to the file AppBkUp.reg

Importing registry settings

There are several ways to import registry settings.

Running a REG file using the GUI

This is the easiest way. It consists of running a REG file containing the necessary parameters by double-clicking or from the command line.

Double click

As trivial as it sounds, you can make changes to the registry by double-clicking on the REG file. However, first the system will clarify whether you really want to do this. If the answer is positive, changes will be made.

Figure 3 - The system requests confirmation to make changes.

Because of this query, this method is not suitable for importing settings into the registry during a silent system installation. But there are other ways.

Command line

To import REG files from the command line, there is a command REGEDIT. By typing at the command line

REGEDIT C:\hklm.reg

You will get exactly the same dialog box as when you double click. You can suppress the appearance of the dialog box by running the command with the parameter /S. This is the method most often used during automatic installation of Windows.

REGEDIT /S C:\hklm.reg

REG ADD command

Using the command REG ADD You can also import registry settings. It is convenient because the commands for importing parameters can be included in a batch file that also performs other tasks (i.e., there is no need for an additional REG file). For example, this command is often used to import registry values ​​into the RunOnceEx key and then install programs the first time you log on. The command syntax is quite simple - see it yourself by running the command on the command line REG ADD.

INF file

You can also import settings into the registry using INF files. Their general syntax is somewhat more complex than that of REG files, but writing directly to the registry is quite simple. Below is an example from the Msgina addon

Signature="$Windows NT$" Msgina OptionDesc="Msgina" Tip="GINA Login Library" Modes=0,1,2,3 AddReg=Msgina.AddReg HKLM,"Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\ Shutdown","ShowHibernateButton",0x10001,1 HKLM,"Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\Shutdown","HibernateAsButton",0x10001,1

Note. More information about INF files can be found in .

These are small files that quietly do their job, allowing the computer to function normally and perform its tasks. If the system files are damaged, then the operating system itself begins to work with errors (“glitchy”).

In the worst case scenario, this could cause Windows to stop working completely. This does not happen often, and there are several reasons why system files become damaged. One of them is the incorrect actions of an inexperienced user who, overestimating his strength, tries to tune the operating system without having either knowledge or experience.

Therefore, I want to warn you right away - if you do not know what you are doing and what consequences this may lead to - DO NOT edit system files or delete them. In principle, this applies to any files with an extension unknown to you.

Let's start looking at system files with the reg file. Because these are the files that users often encounter. Despite this unusual extension, this is actually an ordinary text file. The reg extension tells the operating system that this file contains registry keys and certain settings.

See below what the reg file looks like.

All information is clearly structured for ease of computer processing. So, for example, the mandatory first line REGEDIT with the required parameter tells the computer for which version of the Windows OS the reg file is intended for. Next, in a certain order, are the registry keys and their parameters.

By the way, I have written an article using this file more than once. For example, " "

What is the reg file for?

The main purpose of this type of service files is to work with registry keys. This is the easiest way to create or replace the necessary keys. In an applied sense, the reg file is used to create, store or change user settings. With it, you can quickly and easily transfer settings from one computer to another or create a backup copy so you can restore them in the future.

Working with such files is quite simple. To enter the necessary information into the operating system registry, open the reg file and click “Yes” twice - agreeing to the changes that will be made to the registry. Next, Windows will automatically create the required request, process it and enter the data into its registry.

How to work with reg file

Since, as I mentioned earlier, the reg file is essentially an ordinary text file, programmers have not yet come up with a better tool for working with it than notepad. You can use a standard Windows notepad or its equivalent. Based on my own experience, I can safely recommend using the Notepad+++ program. Firstly, it is free, and secondly, it has a lot of additional features.

Editing itself is no different from working with any text. To save changes, just save the file again using the “File” - “Save As...” command or the hotkey configuration “Ctrl” + “S”.

Creating a file with the reg extension is also done using the standard procedures “File” - “Create” or the hotkey configuration “Ctrl” + “N”. In addition, you can create a reg file using the standard procedure for exporting data from the registry.

In conclusion, I would like to note that working with such files does not cause problems for an experienced user. I would especially emphasize “ from an experienced user" If you are just starting to master your computer, I strongly recommend that you do not experiment with the registry. Because, as practice shows, in most cases such experiments lead to the need to restore the operating system. But you will agree that you hardly need this.

Instructions

To create a simple txt file, you will need to launch Notepad. To do this, click the “Start” menu, select “All Programs” from the list, then go to the “Accessories” section and click on “Notepad”. Now make changes to the blank document and save it by clicking the top File menu and selecting Save As.

We've figured out the creation of a regular text document, but we need a registry file (reg). Call the file saving window as described earlier, enter the file name. The file name is required along with extension m, then the file will be determined by the registry editor without problems. You can write File.reg - this will be correct, but on some systems this file may be saved as File.reg.txt.

There is a little secret in the program itself - this utility can save any file format. To avoid confusion with the symbols in the document, enter the following value in the “File name” field: “File.reg”. Quotes at the beginning and end of the file name provide isolation and force the program to save it in exactly the format specified. Because The Notepad program, as well as the Registry Editor, are the default programs; the encoding of the saved file will fully correspond to the files with extension m reg.

If your system does not have problems with extension m files when saving them, you can do it in a simpler way: turn on the display of file extensions and change the extension using the “Rename” command.

Open any folder, click the top menu “Tools”, select “Folder Options” from the list. In the window that opens, go to the “View” tab, uncheck the box next to “Hide extensions for known file types” and click “OK”.

The saved file in txt format must be selected and pressed the F2 button on the keyboard (you can also right-click and select “Rename”), instead of the txt extension, enter reg. Press the Enter key and the OK button.

Sources:

• what documents for expansion

To better read your blog titles in browser tabs, it is recommended to edit the template. If you imagine that you have opened several pages of your blog in a browser, created on the blogspot engine, the topics of your open pages will be displayed in the following way: “Blog name” - “Post topic”. And because There are several tabs, the names of the topics will not be visible to either you or another blog reader. Therefore, it is necessary to perform the operation of changing the display of headers.

You will need

• Editing your blog template code.

Instructions

Let's look at this situation as an example. The person viewing your blog doesn't like to view everything through one . Every topic that interests him, he is in . Maybe he's just looking for the right material. The point is that in the name of each tab, only the name of your blog will be visible to him. Therefore, you need to edit the template so that the topic names are displayed first. In addition, uncorrected titles have a bad effect on indexing in search engines. You will have the name of the blog in front, but it would be preferable for you to have it the other way around.

First of all, you need to visit your page on the blogspot engine. Log in to your blog.

You will have to edit the template, which is responsible for building the entire site. Therefore, it is necessary to make a backup copy of your template.

Go to template editing mode and find the following line by removing the “_”:
<_title>

<_p class="MsoNormal" align="left">
It should be replaced with these lines:
<_p class="MsoNormal" align="left">

<_p class="MsoNormal" align="left">

<_p class="MsoNormal" align="left">

<_p class="MsoNormal" align="left">

<_p class="MsoNormal" align="left">

Save changes to the template and open any post. The title should only display the topic of the post.

Video on the topic

Basic system configuration parameters displayed in the System Properties window can be changed using standard methods of the Windows XP operating system. The OS graphical interface allows even a less experienced user to perform such operations without the risk of introducing fatal errors.

You will need

• -Windows XP

Instructions

Click the "Start" button to open the main system menu and go to the "Control Panel" item to initiate changes to the OS WIndows configuration parameters.

Select "Performance and Maintenance" and expand the "System" link.

Click the Identification button to launch the Network Identification Wizard tool to connect to your local network.

Go to the Hardware tab and click the Device Manager button to launch the utility.

Use the Driver Signing button in the Drivers section to set the desired level of protection using digital driver signatures, and click the Hardware Profiles button to determine what the OS should do to select installed hardware during system boot.

Go to the Advanced tab and click the Options button in the Performance section to specify whether visual effects are used when displaying interface elements.

Use the Options button in the User Profiles section to edit, delete, and copy selected profiles, and click the Options button in the Boot and Recovery section to determine the default OS that boots.

Go to the Automatic Updates tab and select the Automatic (Recommended) checkbox to confirm that your operating system will update automatically.

Go to the System Restore tab and uncheck the Turn off System Restore check box to allow the creation of regular restore points.

Click the OK button to execute the command and confirm the application of the selected changes by clicking the Apply button.

Helpful advice

The General tab opens by default and contains information about the version of the installed OS, computer user registration information, and technical specifications of the computer itself.

Sources:

• System Properties in Windows XP
• how to change in system properties

As a rule, changing a file type means changing the extension in its name - that part that is added to the right of the file name through a dot. Based on the extension, the operating system determines which of the installed applications should work with files of this type, launches it and transfers the file for processing. Usually, when saving the extension, the extension is added to the name by the program in which the file was created. If necessary, you can change it using Windows Vista Explorer.

Instructions

Open the standard file manager for all versions of Windows OS - Explorer. To do this, click a couple of times on the “My Computer” icon on the desktop of your system or use the hot keys win + e (this is a Latin letter).

Navigate through the directory tree to the folder where the file whose type you are not happy with is stored. If you can see the extension of this file in the Explorer window, then right-click it and use the “Rename” command from the context menu that opens. Press the end key to move the input cursor to the end of the name and replace the existing extension with one that matches the file type you want. Then press enter to finish editing the file name. When prompted to confirm the extension change, click “Yes.”

If Explorer hides file extensions from you, then you have a choice - change the setting that forces it to do so, or change the extension in a slightly less convenient way. If you do not expect to constantly change file types, then it is easier to choose the second option. In this case, right-click on the file and use the lowest item in the context menu (“Properties”) to open the “File Properties” window. The topmost field on the “General” tab of this window will contain the full name of the file, including its extension - edit it as necessary and click OK.

If you decide to cancel the prohibition for Explorer to display file extensions, then press the alt key, and in the Explorer menu that opens, select the “Folder Options” line. On the “View” tab, find the line “Hide extensions for known file types” and uncheck the checkbox. Then click OK. After this, it will be possible to change the file extension in the manner described in the second step.

When identifying a computer on a network, the computer data stored in the operating system matters. As practice shows, sometimes users need to change some data in the OS.

Instructions

In the Windows operating system, a computer has its own distinctive data: name, network group name, IP address and serial number of the operating system itself. This data can be viewed and edited if necessary. To find out the name of your computer, launch the system properties window. This can be done through the drop-down menu of the “My Computer” shortcut or through the “Control Panel”. Launch the "Advanced system settings" section and go to the "Computer name" tab. It is in this window that the full name of your computer and the name of the local workgroup will be indicated.

To edit this data, click on the “Edit” button at the bottom of the window. Enter a new name or edit an existing one. Please note that changing the local group will change the network settings for access to other computers on the network. Changes made in this window will take effect the next time you boot the operating system.

To find out your IP address, run the network connection properties. Click on “Local Area Connection” located on the right side of the “Network Center” window. When you click on the “Details” button, all network values ​​for this connection will be displayed. You can change the IP address in the network connection properties.

To see the operating system code, launch your computer's properties window again. The internal system code is displayed at the bottom of the window. You can change it by clicking on “Change product key”.

When identifying your computer on the Internet, what matters first is your external IP address, which depends on your provider. If it is dynamic, then it is set anew every time you connect, if it is static, then you can change it by contacting the provider’s support service.

Sources:

• how to change ip address in windows

The folder type in the Microsoft Windows operating system determines the category of data being saved. By default, there are 7 types of folders: Documents, Pictures, Photo Album, Music, Artist, Album and Videos. The user can change various display options for the selected folder.

Instructions

Call the main menu of the Microsoft Windows operating system by clicking the “Start” button and go to the “Control Panel” item.

Go to the “General” tab of the dialog box that opens and specify the “Use normal Windows folders” command to disable the notification area in all folders.

syntax, reg file structure​

____________________
what is a reg file?
This is a file that contains information for interacting with registry elements.

Attention!
Before you do anything, be sure to back up your registry!!!

___________________________________________________

So, the most common tool for working with the registry is the utility regedit.

With its help we can perform all the necessary operations.
Creation, modification, saving, import, export, deletion and other operations with system registry objects.

Shall we try?
Let's create our own command in the context menu.
To do this, open the section

Code:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell

Create a section called name.
there is another section in it - command.

In chapter name-create a string parameter - reg_sz
and give it any value - for example

Code:

My first bullshit...

My sick imagination got sick of this name, you are free to choose yours...

And in the section command create a similar string parameter with the name of the command to be executed.
It got into my head regedit.exe
As a result, we received the following context menu command when right-clicking:

By clicking we call up the registry editor...

You can simplify your task by using registry tweak.

Yes...
You don’t have to mess around with the registry editor, but simply enter the necessary information into the registry using a file with the extension .reg

What does this look like in practice?

If all the described operations write to reg file, then we get the following:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 @="my first piece of garbage..." @="regedit.exe"

Any text editor is suitable for creating a reg file.
I took the notepad.
So, let's create a new test document.
In the previous example, we added new settings and keys to the registry.
Let's remove them now.
To do this, enter in a text document:

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 @="my first bullshit..."=- [-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\DesktopBackground\Shell\name\command] @="regedit.exe"

Save as - all files - name with extension .reg (for example tweak.reg)
Double click on the received file, apply, ok.
Let's look at the registry and see that the command section has been deleted, and in the name section the parameter that we previously created has been deleted.
Now it's time to figure out the syntax.

Code:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

required line - indicates the editor version.

Registry_editor_version is either “Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00” for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, or “REGEDIT4” (letters must be capitalized) for Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0. The REGEDIT4 header can also be used on computers running Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

2)
The next line must be empty.

Code:

Note:
If the partition does not exist, it will be created.
If it exists, the parameters or changes contained in the tweak will be added to it.
In other words, the element will be overwritten.

4)
Parameter name is the name of the data parameter being imported. If a file's data element is not in the registry, the REG file adds it (with a value). If the data item exists, the value in the REG file overwrites the existing value. The data element name is enclosed in quotation marks. The data item name is followed by an equal sign (=).

5)
Value, parameter type