Scan the windows registry

After running RegScanner, you should select the desired scan/search options, and click OK to start the scan.

Delete Selected Keys/Values

Tips for using RegScanner

• If you want to view all Registry values under a specific key, choose ‘Registry item contains any value’ in the matching combo-box, uncheck the ‘Scan the following base keys’, and in the Base Key combo-box type the desired key (For example: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer)
• If you want to view all Registry values that contains large amount of data, uncheck the ‘Add entry for each found key’ option, choose ‘Registry item contains any value’ in the matching combo-box, choose the ‘Display only data with the following lenth range’, and type the data length range that you want to find, for example: from 1000 bytes to 100000 bytes.
• If you want to view the list of all Registry keys that have been modified in the last few hours or days, check the ‘Add entry for each found key’ and ‘Add only keys’ options, choose ‘Registry item contains any value’ in the matching combo-box, choose the ‘Display only keys that their modified time is within the following range’ option, and then select the modified date/time range that you want to view.

Searching DWORD/Binary values

Searching the Registry in a remote computer

For more information about connecting to the Registry of a remote computer, read this:
How to connect a remote Windows 7/Vista/XP computer with NirSoft utilities.

Using reg: Links

In order to enable/disable this feature, go to the File menu of RegScanner utility, and choose the ‘Support Reg: Links’ option.
Be aware that changing this option only affects the current logged on user.

don’t have scanregw.exe on my pc windows says file not found

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Welcome to Microsoft community where you can find all the answers related to Windows!

Based on the description provided, it looks like you get the file not found when the computer starts up. However, we need some more information about this issue to assist you better. Please help me answer these questions.

1. How are you trying to run “scanregw.exe ”?

2. Why do you want to run the Windows Registry Checker tool?

The Windows Setup runs the Windows Registry Checker tool to verify the integrity of the existing registry before it performs an upgrade. If it detects registry damage, it tries to fix it automatically.

The protected-mode version of the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanregw.exe) can create a backup of the system files and scan the registry for invalid entries. If invalid entries are detected, it refers to the real-mode version of the Windows Registry Checker tool (Scanreg.exe) for a resolution.

You can configure Windows Registry Checker with a Scanreg.ini file. Settings that you can configure include:

a. Enabling or disabling the tool

b. The number of backups maintained (no more than five is recommended)

c. The location of the backup folder

d. Settings to add additional files to the backup set

Visit this link to know more about the Windows Registry Checker tool:

I have a couple of steps which would help to fix this issue.

Try to run the Windows Registry Checker tool using a command prompt:

a. Click Start, type “cmd” in the start search box.

b. Right click on “cmd” and select “run as administrator”.

Here are some descriptions of switches that can be used with the Windows Registry Checker tool :

The following table lists each command-line switch and its description:

/backup Backs up the registry and related files without

displaying any prompts.

/restore Displays a list of available backup files, sorted

by the date and time the backup was created.

» Enables you to add a descriptive comment to the

/fix Repairs any damaged portions of the registry, and

optimizes it by rebuilding it without unused space.

/autoscan Automatically scans the registry and backs it up

without displaying any prompts if there is no

backup for that date.

/scanonly Scans the registry and displays a message if any

errors are found. This switch does not back up the

filename Scans the registry file specified and displays a

message indicating whether or not any errors were

found. This switch does not back up the registry.

/opt The /opt command-line switch causes the

Registry Checker tool to optimize the

registry by removing unused space.

The Registry Scan Results dialog box appears only when you use the Scanregw.exe command without any command-line switches. If no registry errors are found when you run Scanregw.exe, you are prompted to create a backup copy of your current registry.

» switch can be used by itself or with the /backup switch. For example, you can type either of the following lines at a command prompt:

scanreg.exe «/comment=this is a registry backup»

scanreg.exe /backup «/comment=this is a registry backup»

The first command line starts the Registry Checker tool graphical user interface (GUI) and prompts you to create a registry backup. The second command line creates a backup copy of your registry and adds your comment without starting the Registry Checker tool GUI.

Hope this information helps. Revert us if you have any questions with Windows we will be glad to assist.

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Thank you for your help unfortunately when i run cmd and copy and pasted the command prompt i STILL get this is the whole quote «scanreg.exe is not recognized as an internal or external command

It means that it’s not there. I should know, I have the same problem right now.

Apparently Microsoft has pulled the plug on scanreg.exe and scanregw.exe. They have discontinued it since Windows Vista (or maybe even since XP, they don’t say on their Knowledge Base website). And you are on Windows 7, right?

The only question that remains is what’s the alternative to it in Vista or 7, or in Windows 8? That’s what I would like to know.

It’s funny how Microsoft has removed the Scanreg tool which was actually the only tool capable of making a true backup and restore of the Windows registry. And yet, they are still telling people to use the export and import options of Regedit as a way to «backup and restore» the registry! That’s crazy talk! It’s exactly this that brought me here today! You can see my other post here.

Don’t ever use import and export in Regedit! It will kill your system!

This is exactly what I have done 2 days ago. I exported all the root keys and hives using Export option in Regedit. It produced a massive file that’s over 450 MB in size. One day later, in order to revert back the changes I have made the other day, I opened up Regedit and then the option Import and opened the 450 MB file. The progress bar showed up and at the end of the import I got a warning type of message (red icon with an x) telling me that not everything was imported.

So I tried doing it in safe mode. I got the same message. I tried doing it in safe mode with command prompt and the Reg command. I got a new message. I booted back into Windows in normal mode. I had no sound! Windows Audio service didn’t run. It depends on Windows Audio Endpoint Builder, RPC and Multimedia Class Scheduler. They were all running except for Endpoint Builder. I couldn’t get it to start at all. I tried removing the dependency in registry. It didn’t do anything. I tried running the sfc /scannow command and it failed and is now stuck with a pending repair that won’t go away.

This is why I am here today. I will never again in my life use Import and Export options of Regedit. Regardless of what Microsoft and other companies and tutorials and guides are saying. Windows registry changes all the time! And the Import option works by merging, so it doesn’t really do a «restore» of the registry. It only kills it. By providing instructions to make keys and hives that have changes or that are no longer there, while also replacing (overwriting) the others that are already there. Exporting works fine, but what good is it if the import can make a system (and it’s user) cry?!

So from this day forward I will never use Import or Export option of Regedit, and I will advise others not to use it. This is not a backup and restore, like it used to be with the Scanreg tool. The old Windows systems had a different format for Reg files also, and it was a different architecture, I know. But to use Regedit as a replacement? I don’t think so.

There needs to be a way to backup current registry «state» and restore it if needed, but I think Microsoft has yet to come up with a tool for that. And Regedit is not it. And they should know better, and stop giving possibly dangerous instructions on their Microsoft Support website to new users, instructions that can possibly kill a system and force people to re-install Windows. I’m probably facing a re-install myself. I will try a repair install first, before I do a clean install.

Learn How to Perform Windows Registry Repair and Fix Errors, and See the Best Free Registry Cleaners

The Windows registry is a database containing important, machine-specific settings and information regarding almost everything in your computer — preferences, applications, users, attached devices and so on. The registry contains two basic elements: keys and values. The Windows operating system constantly refers to the registry; for example, to open a program, install new software or change your hardware, Windows must check the values of certain keys. You can change registry key values manually using the built-in Windows Registry Editor (regedit) in order to improve performance or make Windows work the way you want, but you need to know what you’re doing or you can seriously damage your OS.

Common registry errors

There are several common causes of registry errors. Some are worth worrying about, and others are not.

• Orphaned entries. Orphaned entries occur when you uninstall software and small fragments of registry entries are left behind. Registry cleaner software will often claim these are an immediate issue, but in reality, they will just use up a few kilobytes of free space on your disk.
• Duplicate keys. Duplicate keys are made when you reinstall, upgrade or update software on your machine, including the operating system. Registry cleaner software will state that your programs will be confused by the duplicate entries, slowing your machines performance, but that is not true.
• Fragmented registry. The registry can also fragment when software is uninstalled, upgraded or updated.
• System shutdown errors. Each time your computer shuts down, a copy of the registry is saved to system memory. If your computer is turned off, crashes or dies without going through the normal shutdown routine, it could cause an issue in the future, but this is unlikely.
• Malware. Many types of malware attack and modify the registry. In particular, malware is regularly designed to change the values of startup keys so it will be activated each time you restart the PC. Changes to the registry by malware require immediate attention.

Why clean the registry?

Once you’ve been running the Windows OS for some time — installing and uninstalling programs, and swapping in different keyboard and mice — you end up with hundreds or thousands of registry entries that are completely useless. Each one uses very little hard drive space, but the operating system still has to filters through all of them, which slows it down a bit. By cleaning the registry, you can get rid of those unwanted entries and make your system run a little bit faster.

Sometimes, however, it is really necessary to fix registry issues. For example, if you have ever encountered a piece of malware, you know that it can completely mess up your registry. So, how to fix broken registry items? When the time comes to fix registry errors, it is important to know what you are doing — and to always start by making a registry backup.

Windows registry backup and restore

Backing up the Windows registry

As with any other critical system settings, it is highly recommended to make a backup before you attempt to change, create or remove registry records, so you can revert to the old version if something goes wrong.

There are several methods for backing up your Windows records:

Restoring the Windows registry

There are several different ways to repair the Windows registry. The most common methods for fixing corrupt records are:

Editing the registry

To edit the value of a registry key, take these steps:

1. First, find the key you want to edit. Press the Ctrl and F keys simultaneously open the Find dialog.

2. Type the name of the key and click Find Next.

3. Double-click the key you want in the list.

4. Edit the key’s value data.

5. Click OK to save your settings. Some edits require a Windows restart to take effect.

Cleaning the Windows registry with the Registry Editor

You can perform registry cleanup manually using the Windows Registry Editor. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Start button and then select Run ...

2. Type “regedit” in the text box and press Enter.

3. Locate any applications that have already been uninstalled and delete them:

a. Expand the HKEY_CURRENT_USER section and then expand the Software

b. Look for keys based on the name of the uninstalled applications or the vendor and delete them.

4. Next, find and remove any duplicate keys that the uninstalled applications might have left behind:

a. Press Ctrl+F to open the Find dialog box.

b. Enter the name of the uninstalled application and click OK to search. Each matching key or value will be highlighted.

c. Remove the highlighted key.

d. Press F3 to find the next match and delete it. Repeat this step until you have reviewed all highlighted items.

5. Remove unwanted start-up items from the registry:

a. Navigate to the following location: My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version

b. Click Run to list shortcuts to all the executable files that run at startup.

c. Delete any applications that you don’t want to run at Windows startup. Do an online search to investigate any that are unfamiliar.

d. Repeat the same task for the following key paths as well:

• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components

• HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components

Best Windows registry cleaners

Here is a list of the top free registry cleaners for Microsoft Windows:

Glarysoft Registry Repair

Glarysoft’s Registry Repair is a great free registry repair tool. It helps you fix your registry and optimize your PC’s performance. When you open the tool, the the registry scan process will start automatically. In a few easy steps, you will be able to find and clear invalid entries, references and links in the registry. It provides a list of the errors found, and you can choose to repair particular items or automatically repair them all. It also offers automatic registry backup before making any changes to the Windows registry, which helps mitigate risk. Also, whenever you clean the registry, a corresponding Undo file is generated, so you can easily revert any changes. This free tool can be upgraded to Glarysoft Utilities, which offer features such as registry cleaner, shortcut fixer, spyware remover, disk repair, track eraser, temporary file cleaner and startup manager.

CCleaner Registry Cleaner

This Piriform product is probably the best registry repair tool. CCleaner’s built–in registry cleaning utility does most things a good registry cleaner could do, and it offers a neat and clean interface. The tool asks you whether to back up the registry before making any changes. With CCleaner, you can also perform a quick or in-depth analysis of your files, disk and registry; remove any program leftovers; and choose which applications to run at Windows PC startup. Moreover, you can manage all your browser plug-ins, find unnecessary duplicates, clean your drivers and more. The CCleaner software also comes in a paid version (CCleaner Professional), but the freeware version is sufficient for most Windows registry cleanup tasks. The paid version provides automatic browser cleaning, real-time monitoring and technical support, which can greatly improve system performance.

Auslogics Registry Cleaner

This registry cleaner is refreshingly simple; you use checkboxes to choose which types of registry entry to scan for. This is is excellent if you’re just having issues with a previously installed program. The registry is backed up by default before you make any changes, and can be restored using the Rescue Center option. You can drill down and see exactly which registry keys will be deleted before committing to anything. You can also review reports with found and deleted registry entries, open an entry’s position in the Registry Editor, and use the search function to detect and remove keys without going through the trouble of scanning all hives. Any registry entries can be added to an ignore list to exclude them from the current scan and future scans. The setup procedure is tricky because of third-party components, and the app’s interface is filled with shortcuts and advertisements related to other products made by Auslogics. Nevertheless, Registry Cleaner remains a solid free Windows registry repair application.

RegSofts Free Window Registry Repair

This good tool to repair the registry has minimalistic interface that looks rather dated. It includes several buttons and a panel where the results are displayed. Free Windows Registry Repair had the longest scan time of all the registry cleaners tested, but the results of the scan look decent. This freeware registry repair tool automatically creates backups, and you can set the program to create a system restore point before repairing errors and to ignore missing files on removable drives. This free PC registry cleaner for Windows is available for free download here.

Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe)

Windows Registry Checker quickly scans the system registry for invalid entries and empty data blocks when it is started. If invalid registry entries are detected, Windows Registry Checker automatically restores a previous day’s backup; this is equivalent to running the scanreg /autorun command from the command prompt. If no backups are available, Windows Registry Checker tries to make repairs to the registry; this is equivalent to running the scanreg /fix command from a command prompt. You do not need to download this registry checker tool; it is built in to Windows.

Wise Registry Cleaner

The Wise Registry Cleaner free tool is another great choice when you need to fix the Windows registry. Some big pluses include fast registry scans, scheduled scans, in-place updates, and a clear separation between normal issues and those that are “unsafe.” I don’t like the fact that Wise Registry Cleaner pushes you to download Wise Disk Cleaner at the end of the installation, but it’s easy to skip. Wise Registry Cleaner also has a system tune-up feature that can improve PC performance, and a registry defrag feature that can defragment your registry to make it faster, more lightweight and more stable.

Argente Registry Cleaner

Opening this registry cleaner starts a wizard that makes scanning for errors rather easy. However, it takes some time for the scan to finish. Registry backups are created automatically before any registry items are removed, and an automatic maintenance mode does all the cleaning for you when your computer first starts, without any intervention on your part, which is really nice. Undoing changes to your registry is really easy because you can either restore to an automatically created backup or make your own registry backup whenever you like, and then restore the registry from the Undo changes section of the program. Argente Registry Cleaner program is a part of Argente Utilities Suite, which includes autorun, disk cleaner, duplicate finder, malware cleaner and uninstall programs.

Conclusion

Editing your registry is not likely to improve system speed or PC performance. However, you should make regular backups so you can restore if the installation of a program or device causes issues. It is also important to track changes to your registry. In particular, malware often changes registry startup keys so it will start automatically after each reboot. You can learn more in this guide about detecting modifications to startup items in the Windows registry.