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Recovering Windows 7 User Registry Entries From UnBootable (but readable) Hard Drive

I have an damaged (unbootable) win 7 hard drive, but it can be read as a slave or via USB connection to a working machine. Recoverring the files isn't a problem -- they copied easily.

I attempted to run an image (Acronis), but it failed, as did cloning attempts (Acronis, Clonezilla, Spotmau).

Since the user was dead in the water without his PC, I decided to just restore an image created from the same model PC, but I would like to recover the primary user's registry settings from the "old" drive. (I believe the \system32\config file isn't damaged, but can't tell yet). Any ideas?

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Damjan

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noxcho

You can try it but if you do not restore user directory the simple registry restore will not work.

Since the user was dead in the water without his PC

I hope this is metaphor?!?!

NetRolller3D

Grab the user registry data from C:\Users\<username>\NTUSER.DAT - make sure you also copy all the other files beginning with NTUSER.

The_Original_PCMD

ASKER

I exported the registry using "RegFileExport" as suggested, and actually was able to copy the User's folder -- all of it -- successfully (took over 24 hours due to the condition of the drive, but it did copy).

I cloned another machine in his office that had all of the applications he needs and got it up and running on his box, and I'm about to import the registry and copy his folder -- I'll post again to let you know how everything worked out.

Thanks for the help!