The Windows registry is one of the most powerful tools for editing operating system parameters, which are often not available in the main toolkit. In addition, the registry is exactly the component that the operating system accesses first when booting. Violation of its integrity or installation of incorrect parameters can only lead to the fact that Windows with all installed programs will simply stop working. Despite all this, let's try to figure out how to enter the registry using several basic methods. Along the way, we will consider an alternative option for accessing the settings and parameters available in the registry if access to it for some reason can be blocked.
How to enter the Windows registry: the main method
Access to the Windows registry, as well as to some other tools that cannot be called through the basic settings, is done through the Run console. This menu in the standard version is called up either through the Start menu in the standard programs section, or through the PCM context menu (in Windows 10), or through a search engine, or by a quick combination.
How to enter the registry in Windows 7 or any other similar system? To do this, enter the regedit command in the called menu and press the operation confirmation button.
Faster Access
The described method is universal, however, constant transitions through sections and menus can significantly increase the search time for the desired applet - the “Run” console.
But it’s just the best and easiest way to call it using the Win + R hotkey combinations, after which you will only have to enter the specified command and confirm the action.
Note: when the UAC account control is enabled, the system may issue a warning regarding the confidential launch of the editor, in which you need to agree to start the applet by clicking the "Yes" button.
How to enter the registry in the 7th or any other modification of Windows with administrator rights?
The above methods, although they work on any system, however, with this start method, access to the editor may not be provided only because the user does not have administrator privileges.
And how to enter the registry in this case? With some versions of all modifications, such questions do not arise, since in the Start console itself, below the command input field, a start point may be present just on behalf of the administrator.
If it is not there, you can use the standard “Task Manager”, in which a new task is created through the file menu, the desired abbreviation (regedit) is entered in the command field, and the task execution point with admin rights is activated from below.
Now consider another point related to how to enter the registry. If anyone does not know, the commands entered in the “Run” console are the names of executable files that are stored in the System32 system directory, and on 64-bit systems they are also duplicated in the SysWOW64 directory.
Thus, in any of them, you need to find the regedit32.exe file and run it as administrator through the PCM menu.
Finally, in Windows 10, through RMB, you can select a search from the list of tools and enter the abbreviation regedit as a query. How to enter the registry using the search result? Yes, just like you run any file on behalf of the administrator through the PCM menu.
Note: if access to the editor is blocked, use group policies (gpedit.msc). All registry parameters have a higher priority, but in this editor they are completely duplicated in a way that the user understands (some of them cannot be changed).
Last Tips
These were the main ways to access the registry. In addition, a little distracted from the main topic, I would like to give some practical advice. Do not change key values or delete entries unnecessarily. To clean the registry, it is better to use special narrow-action programs (RegCleaner) or optimizer utilities (CCleaner, Advanced SystemCare, etc.).
If you are going to make critical changes to the registry that could affect the performance of the operating system, take care of backing it up beforehand by exporting the contents to a .reg file. Restoring Windows from such a copy will take a few minutes.
To speed up the operating system, use optimizers that include modules for cleaning the registry and defragmenting it. With these processes, the Windows boot time can be significantly reduced.
Finally, do not install a large number of programs that will be used very rarely or not used at all (often this is related software when installing other applications), because information about them in the form of keys is simply cluttered with the registry.