Question

Accessing the registry of another harddrive

Asked by: Sebastion

Hello,

A few years ago when I started working for a new company I was hit with a situation where I needed to access the registry file of a secondary harddrive that wouldn't boot.  I remember spending alot of time looking for such a program, but I also remember finding one.  Well, a few years later and I'm back in a similiar situation except I don't remember what program it was, or how I did it.

I'm not sure if my memory is playing up on me because I've sent the last few days looking and haven't found anything.  I'm hoping someone here knows of a program.  Basically what I need to be able to do is access the registry of a secondary harddrive (most likely because the harddrive has become unbootable).

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Asked On
2008-02-25 at 20:21:19ID23192529
Tags

Registry

,

Registry, Inactive Harddrive

Topics

System Utilities

,

Windows XP Operating System

,

Miscellaneous Software

Participating Experts
5
Points
250
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: debuggerauPosted on 2008-02-25 at 20:27:46ID: 20981606

regedt32 is the software in Win2K and XP, you highlight the users tab and goto file (in XP) or registry in W2K and select registry -> load Hive.

 

by: DMTechGrooupPosted on 2008-02-25 at 20:43:53ID: 20981668

 

by: SebastionPosted on 2008-02-25 at 21:22:54ID: 20981826

@debuggerau,

Can you give me abit more information on regedt32?  If I load a hive from a secondary HD, will it override my existing settings (eg if I load HKEY_LOCAL_Machine from the faulty HD will it override my existing HKEY_LOCAL_Machine?).

@DMTechGrooup:
Does that utility only work if the computer is booted from the CD/Floppy?  As in, is it possible to run the program on a secondary HD straight through windows?

 

by: DMTechGrooupPosted on 2008-02-25 at 21:25:34ID: 20981833

Yes only if you boot to the drive from the CD

 

by: nobusPosted on 2008-02-26 at 00:06:45ID: 20982387

 

by: sramesh2kPosted on 2008-02-26 at 04:52:16ID: 20983759

How to edit the registry offline using BartPE boot CD ?:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/peboot.htm

 

by: LeeTutorPosted on 2008-02-26 at 05:35:09ID: 20984090

Boot up in a parallel copy of XP.

Open REGEDIT

If the information you want to access was in HKEY_CURRENT_USER: Highlight HKEY_USERS, choose "Load hive" from the File menu, open

X:\Documents and settings\<UserProfileName>\ntuser.dat.

(where X: should be replaced by the drive letter corresponding to the secondary slaved drive you have mounted from the nonfunctional computer.)

When asked for a name, choose "OldProfile" (or whatever other easily remembered name you choose).  Access/backup the keys you're interested in. Once you're done, highlight the "OldProfile" key, choose "Unload hive" from the file menu.

If the information you want to access was in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System or in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software: Highlight HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, choose "Load hive" from the File menu, open

X:\Windows\system32\config\system

or

X:\Windows\system32\config\software

(no extension). When asked for a name, choose "OldSystem" or "OldSoftware" (or whatever). Access/backup the keys you're interested in. Once you're done, highlight the "OldSystem" or "OldSoftware" key, choose "Unload hive" from the file menu.

 

by: debuggerauPosted on 2008-02-26 at 14:00:19ID: 20989409

Thanks LeeTutor, saved me the eloboration.. Sry I didnt get back in time..

 

by: SebastionPosted on 2008-02-26 at 14:48:46ID: 31434163

Thanks for the help guys.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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