Back Up the Registry
Backing up the whole Registry: (come back to backup after learning more about the Registry)
Setting a Windows "System Restore" point backs up the Registry. However, it suffers from the fatal flaw mentioned below. (It's not too likely that you'll be trapped by it though.)
There are many programs that offer to "back up" the Registry for you. Most of them have a hidden fatal flaw though: They run only in Windows, and if you can't start Windows (because the Registry is corrupted) you can't restore the Registry from your backup! That means you get to reinstall Windows. :-(
You can back up and restore the Registry -- using the built in Windows Backup -- if you have Windows XP Pro. You'll still need a real Windows CD -- not just a manufacturer's recovery disk -- to restore the Registry if you can't boot Windows though.
The "Export" function of Regedit does not make a full Registry backup.
Other reasons to back up the Registry:
It's also a good idea to back up the Registry before you install or uninstall a program. You can usually get things back to normal if something does go horribly wrong.
Backing up individual Keys:
