Unsupported Registry Backup and Restore Methods May Corrupt Registry

Restoring the registry by using a drag-and-drop operation to delete individual registry files from their backup cabinet files (Rb0*.cab) and then replace the active registry files is not a valid or supported method of restoring a registry file.

This method is advocated in third-party paper publications and in articles that are published on the Internet concerning the Registry Checker tool. This method, which may corrupt the active registry, is not supported by Microsoft.

To restore a registry backup without corrupting the active registry, use the Restore feature in the Registry Checker tool:

1. Use the startup disk to restart your computer, and then click the Minimal boot option.
2. Type scanreg /restore, and then press ENTER.

Much of the registry is cached in memory at all times. If you replace the live file on the hard disk, the version of the registry that is cached in memory will contain different data than that which is in the file on the hard disk. The next time that the registry writes to the registry file, the registry will write data from the cache that is not synchronized with the registry file on the hard disk, which damages the data structures of the registry file.

For additional information about the Registry Checker tool, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about Registry Checker command-line switches, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about Registry Checker and startup, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about the registry and user profiles, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For additional information about user profiles, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: