Use command-line options to edit registries with regedit exe

Use command-line options to edit registries with regedit.exe
Did you know this venerable Windows GUI tool has several switches for basic registry editing tasks? See what tweaks Microsoft inserted in regedit for administrative use.

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By

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  SearchWindowsServer staff
  

Published: 27 Jul 2021
There are a multitude of hidden settings in the Windows operating system that you can unlock with help from several tools designed for Windows registry editing.
There are times when a simple addition to the registry can fix a stubborn problem to save you from having to reinstall an application, or modifying an existing registry key can ward off an emerging threat until Microsoft deploys an official patch to plug the vulnerability.
There are several utilities and techniques to make registry changes. Regedit is one of the oldest tools, but Microsoft provides several more options, including the command-line utilities named reg and regini, PowerShell cmdlets and the Group Policy administrative tool.
Back to basics: What is the Windows registry?
The registry is a Windows OS database feature used to configure and organize the information related to settings for the operating system for the users, installed software and hardware devices. The registry replaced the need to use configuration files in application folders. One benefit to the registry is to reduce issues from faulty program updates that corrupted configuration files.
The registry in the latest versions of Windows has a default of five predefined keys:

1. 
   HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (shortened name HKCR). This root key tells Windows what application to use when you want to open a certain file type.
   
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   HKEY_CURRENT_USER (shortened name HKCU). This root key holds data related to the user currently using the machine, including the user's folders and screen colors.
   
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