c# barcode creator Editing the Registry in C#

Making GS1 - 12 in C# Editing the Registry

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Files option only if you need to replicate a section of your registry in the registry of an older system.

Text Files The Text Files option, like the Registration Files option, creates a file that can be read in Notepad or another text editor. The principal advantage of this format is that it cannot accidentally (or intentionally) be merged into the registry. Thus it s a good way to create a record of your registry s state at a particular time. Its disadvantage, relative to the .reg file format, is its size. Text files are considerably larger than corresponding .reg files, and they take longer to create.

To export a registry hive, select a key in the left pane, and then on the File menu, click Export. (Easier yet: right-click a key and click Export.) In the Save As Type list in the Export Registry File dialog box, select one of the four file types. Under Export Range, select Selected Branch. The resulting file includes the selected key and all its subkeys and values.

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The All option under Export Range in the Export Registry File dialog box sounds useful, but it rarely is . It s an invalid selection for the binary registry hive files type . For any of the three text file types, it generates a gigantic file (often hundreds of megabytes) that is usually not appropriate for registry recovery .

As an alternative to exporting a hive with the Export command in Registry Editor, you can use the Save operation of Reg .exe, a command-line tool for registry operations . Because Reg .exe is a command-line tool, you can use it in batch programs, which might be useful for backing up a certain hive repeatedly or on a scheduled basis . For more information about Reg .exe, see Editing the Registry from the Command Line, page 26xx .

If you need to restore the exported hive from a registry hive file, select the same key in the left pane of the Registry Editor window, click Import on the File menu, and specify the file. You ll see a confirmation prompt letting you know that your action will overwrite (replace) the current key and all its subkeys. This is your last chance to make sure you re importing the hive into the right location, so take a moment to make sure you ve selected the correct key before you click Yes.

Importing a registry hive file replaces the entire content of the selected key with the contents of the file regardless of its original source . That is, it wipes out everything in the selected key and then adds the keys and values from the file . When you import, be absolutely certain that you ve selected the correct key .

If you saved your backup as a .reg file, you use the same process to import it. (As an alternative, you can double-click the .reg file in Windows Explorer without opening Registry Editor.) Unlike the registry hive file, however, the complete path to each key and value is stored as part of the file and it always restores to the same location. This approach for recovering from registry editing mishaps is fine if you did not add new values or subkeys to the section of the registry you re working with; it returns existing data to its former state but doesn t alter the data you ve added.

For more information about using .reg files, see Using .Reg Files to Automate Registry Changes, in this chapter .

As those dire warnings pointed out, improper changes to registry can prevent your computer from operating properly or even booting . This is particularly true for changes to the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet hive . Because keys in that hive are so essential, Windows maintains a backup, which you can restore when necessary . To do that, begin by shutting down your computer . Start your computer and, during the boot process, press F8 . Use the arrow keys to select Last Known Good Configuration and then press Enter .