# How to do a registry back up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939 "2004-10-29T23:20:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/1 "2004-10-29T23:20:49Z")
Okay, Norton found a virus on my computer, and while I’m following the instructions, the last step is to do a change to the registry. However, first it says to do to do a back up of the registry. In order to do so, it says: > [@](#): > > Click Start \> All Programs \> Accessories \> System Tools \> Backup. However, there is NO “Backup” under System Tools. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/2 "2004-10-29T23:25:29Z")
You can backup the registry by doing this: START\>Run\>regedit\>File\>Export\>(file location where you want the backup to go) ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/3 "2004-10-29T23:26:18Z")
Are you using XP Home, Guin? In that case, you do a reg backup by going to Start-\>All Programs-\>Accessories-\>System Tools-\>System Restore. On the first page of the System Restore Utility, it’ll ask you if you want to Restore to an Earlier Time or Create a Restore Point. You want the second option. Click next, name the Restore Point and then Create. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/4 "2004-10-29T23:27:22Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > You can backup the registry by doing this: > > START\>Run\>regedit\>File\>Export\>(file location where you want the backup to go) Thank you SOOOO much! Would saving the registry save the virus as well? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/5 "2004-10-29T23:27:42Z")
Sounds like you don’t have the backup utility installed. What version of Windows are you running? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/6 "2004-10-29T23:28:51Z")
> [@chatelaine](#): > > Are you using XP Home, Guin? In that case, you do a reg backup by going to Start-\>All Programs-\>Accessories-\>System Tools-\>System Restore. On the first page of the System Restore Utility, it’ll ask you if you want to Restore to an Earlier Time or Create a Restore Point. You want the second option. Click next, name the Restore Point and then Create. Would that wipe out everything on my hard drive, or just the registry? Windows XP Home edition. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/7 "2004-10-29T23:33:14Z")
If you’re creating a restore point, it basically takes a snapshot of the registry that you can roll back to if Norton or something else messes up your computer. Say, if you make a restore point right now, you can roll back to it if Norton does anything crazy to your PC. When you roll back to a restore point, only things that have taken place _after_ the restore point was created will be undone. Example: If you create a restore point now, then install a program, that program will be gone if you roll back to the restore point you made. Norton wants to back the registry up in case it goes nuts while getting rid of your virus, basically. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/8 "2004-10-29T23:34:46Z")
Here, this explains it much better than I did: [http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew\_03may19.mspx](http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/getstarted/ballew_03may19.mspx) ---
**Author:** ![Toddly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@Toddly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toddly)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/9 "2004-10-29T23:36:05Z")
If you just want to back up the Registry do what Mr. Blue Sky instructed. A lot of the virus scanning programs I have used instructs to turn off System Restore while doing a scan and to turn it back on after the system is cleaned. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/10 "2004-10-29T23:36:49Z")
> [@chatelaine](#): > > If you’re creating a restore point, it basically takes a snapshot of the registry that you can roll back to if Norton or something else messes up your computer. Say, if you make a restore point right now, you can roll back to it if Norton does anything crazy to your PC. When you roll back to a restore point, only things that have taken place _after_ the restore point was created will be undone. Example: If you create a restore point now, then install a program, that program will be gone if you roll back to the restore point you made. Norton wants to back the registry up in case it goes nuts while getting rid of your virus, basically. Ah, I see. Thanks. See, System Restore has to be turned off, though, for this scan. [Here’s the virus info page](http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/trojan.adwaheck.html). ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/11 "2004-10-29T23:38:24Z")
Ugh, fucking Trojans! Sorry for confusing you with a bunch of useless info, then. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-do-a-registry-back-up/271939/12 "2004-10-29T23:56:36Z")
That’s okay. I just followed **Mr. Blue Sky** ’s instructions and it worked! Now I just have to wait for my virus scan to find it, then delete it from the registry. And I appologize for being a hopeless computer moron.