Edit another Windows install's registry

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I have a hard drive plugged into my computer here which I'd like to edit the registry for. When opening up "regedit," it obviously loads the local Windows registry. Is there a way to load the Windows registry for, say, drive G? Is there a certain file I need to open to edit this other installation's registry?

I specifically need to edit a key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\ on the other machine.

Naftuli Kay

Posted 2013-12-20T05:24:18.683

Reputation: 8 389

possible duplicate of Tool for edit the windows registry file, system.dat

– DuckMaestro – 2014-10-10T02:08:17.200

Answers

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I have only done it a few times.
It is a very strange operation to drop in a hive into the registry and edit it, using the quick method, but it worked.
enter image description here You select HKLM in your current registry, and then the File/Load Hive operation will become usable.
File means you have to find the registry hive file itself by browsing. Windows\System32\config
Load in and name this "other" hive section which will look like it has become part of your current registry. Use a really obvious and different name, so you can find it.

The strange thing was why I would want to view this all mixed into my current registry, but thats what they said to do ?? There must be a better way to clear the slate and load in ONLY the one hive I want to edit, but it worked, so I rolled with it. I had a full backup, so that helped when presented with this odd method.
Whatever you do certannly do not Import it in, that would be a mess.

Make your changes, which should change it immediatly, Then unload the hive File/Unload Hive and then close. Selecting unload hive unloads the one you loaded (there are no options then).

more info http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732157.aspx although a good tutorial with pictures is what I used the first time.

Psycogeek

Posted 2013-12-20T05:24:18.683

Reputation: 8 067

This works just fine, thanks. I had to do this for a mounted VHD associated with a Azure VM which I lost control by changing the default RDP port (in Windows registry settings). – Fer García – 2016-10-14T20:35:16.400

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Any changes you ant to make for the other installation you may need to go to (C:\Users\Himanshu\AppData\Roaming) where "C" is the drive of windows installation and you need to find this file "hkey_local_machine.reg" . When you have got the file make any changes you want to and then load this file into the machine of which the file was taken from.

Hunter

Posted 2013-12-20T05:24:18.683

Reputation: 612