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I have a registry export file from a while back. I need to retrieve some values from it (namely PATH values). However, all I can see in Registry Editor is an option to import. I need an option to view, which means I simply want to open the .reg file without it being imported or added to the current system registry state. How can I do that?
The file is 354 MB
Melab
Posted 2015-09-18T03:07:31.300
Reputation: 637
5
.Reg files are simply text files. They can be opened in any text editor. However, if you have a very large .reg file, such as an export of the entire registry or a large branch, you will need a more robust text editor, like Notepad++, as the file size might be to large for a simple text editor to open.
Keltari
Posted 2015-09-18T03:07:31.300
Reputation: 57 019
Too large for Notepad. – Melab – 2015-09-18T03:22:02.157
@Melab Really? That must be a big reg file. – Keltari – 2015-09-18T03:30:08.183
1try a better text editor like Notepad++ – Keltari – 2015-09-18T03:31:56.000
The file is 354 MB. – Melab – 2015-09-18T03:38:11.943
2@Melab I just reread your question. Its an export (most likely of a whole branch), so yes it will be big. Well, I just tested an export and got a 340MB file and was able to open it in Notepad++ – Keltari – 2015-09-18T03:43:36.130
@Keltari edit your answer to include using Notepad++ – Moab – 2015-09-18T14:03:55.187
Are you telling me that Registry Editor contains no functionality for simply viewing .reg files? – Melab – 2015-09-20T18:59:41.473
@Melab The regedit.exe is used for viewing the registry of a computer - not an exported file. That is what your favorite plain-text editor is for. :) – Kody Brown – 2016-07-04T15:45:22.553
As another option for opening very large files (as in excessively large), I frequently open Gigabyte-sized log files in Sublime Text 3. – Kody Brown – 2016-07-04T15:46:22.933
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You can try Registry Workshop (not free, but trial available).
Registry Workshop is an advanced registry editor. It is a perfect replacement for RegEdit and RegEdt32 which shipped with Windows.
Erwin
Posted 2015-09-18T03:07:31.300
Reputation: 1 246
-1
In that case you could open the file on a linux system with the command less. If you are on a windows system you could use the new bash for windows or cygwin to achieve that.
Johann
Posted 2015-09-18T03:07:31.300
Reputation: 1
Sounds like an overkill. What's the benefit of installing entire Linux subsystem to view a text file rather than using a text editor, as suggested by @Keltari and commenters? – gronostaj – 2017-07-26T12:56:21.343
Normally you just right click on a reg file and select "edit" but since it is so large use Notepad++ as suggested by Keltari. – Moab – 2015-09-18T14:05:20.033
Consider opening this file using a text editor that supports big files.
– Hamza Abbad – 2015-09-18T14:34:35.683