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how enable regedit.exe to be able to make changes [ changes I make have not been saved after rebooting ]

Anonymous
2024-01-25T13:30:14+00:00

regedit.exe was ran as admin then as I am used on previous versions of Windows I edited some registries , closed the Registry Editor and rebooted the system.

After the boot reopened the registries I was working on and it was like nothing had been done. Changes were not saved.

Then I have checked on Local Group Policy editor :

User configuration > Admnistrative templates > System > Prevent access to registry editing tools

It was set by default "Not Configured" , the I tried to check "Disable" without any result as well.

I have no idea what is preventing changes to be saved. Any idea on how to "unblock" Registry Editor ?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-01-31T09:16:39+00:00

    Hello Martin ,

    Enclosed I posted an image to show the folders and the difference :

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2024-02-02T23:31:45+00:00

    On last dec. 23 2023 I lost all the hardware I had , so imagine how fed up I was. On last jan 14 2024 a new and fast hardware was ready and installed with Windows 11 , and that stupid taskbar at the bottom. I was furious at Microsoft "trainees" who stupidly dictated the rule of bottom taskbar , which I managed to fix it with a third-party pacth.

    I was kinda busy in customizing Windows 11 to "feel myself at home" and doing a lot of other things that diverted my attention.

    Since Windows 95 I choose to see all hidden files and to see what there is inside Windows and System folders.

    In hindsight I realized that I had not done my homework yet and browsing the folders I found regedt.exe.

    That is the reason I got fooled.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-01-29T13:01:11+00:00

    I think it may have been inadvertently copied over

    Hello Martin,

    Certainly not by me , it is there because the Windows setup copied it there. Even the icon of C:\Windows\System32\regedt32.exe is totally different than the classic one. The reason C:\Windows\regedit.exe still exists , it is beyond my knowledge.

    Thank you for your help.

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-01-26T06:08:11+00:00

    Hi, RonWolpa

    Welcome to the Microsoft Community. 

     Here are other ways you can try to troubleshoot and resolve the issue of registry changes not being saved in the Registry Editor of your Windows machine: 

1. **Check registry**:
    • Check that the registry hives you are editing are not set to read-only. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager and make sure the keys “PendingFileRenameOperations” and “ReadOnly” do not have a value set to 1.
    • Try editing a different part of the registry like HKEY_CURRENT_USER to see if changes there save properly. If they do, it may be a permission issue with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
    • You can try reverting pending registry changes by running “REG LOAD HKLM\Temp hive” and “REG UNLOAD HKLM\Temp” in Command Prompt. Disclaimer: Generally, modifying registry subkeys or work group is intended for advanced users, administrators, and IT Professionals. It can help fix some problems; however, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For further protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click How to back up and restore the registry in Windows - Microsoft Supportto view the article.
      1. Boot into Safe Mode and try to perform registry editing in this mode. If the changes are saved properly in Safe Mode, it means that a third-party software or driver is causing the problem in Normal Mode. Please refer to the link below for instructions on how to enter Safe Mode: Start your PC in safe mode in Windows - Microsoft Support
      2. Use "Process Monitor" to monitor registry access to see if something is reverting the changes you made. Filter "Actions as Write" and look for the reg.exe process.
      3. Check if any antivirus or security software is blocking changes to the registry. Try temporarily disabling them and then test editing the registry again.
      Disclaimer: Temporarily turn off antivirus protection. However, keep in mind that if you do so, your device may be vulnerable to threats. So please turn it on immediately once issue fixed. Let me know if these additional troubleshooting steps help to discover why the registry changes don't persist after a reboot. There may be something overwriting your edits that needs to be confirmed.

    Best Regards

    Martin | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-01-26T13:50:54+00:00

    Hello Martin ,
    In this meantime just see what I've found out :
    There are two different Registry editors in Windows 11 , the C:\Windows\regedit.exe and the other one at C:\Windows\System32\regedt32.exe.
    The latter is the one that seems to work , at least I could make a successful change.
    Perhaps I was in the wrong place.
    Thank you for your support.

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